Saltwater Weekly Fishing Report Week of February 18, 2026

Redfish Bay

GOOD. 60 degrees. The tides are high enough for the fish to be shallow, but not for boats. Target shallow flats with dead shrimp for redfish. Report by Captain Aerich Oliver, Rockport Paradise Outfitters.

San Antonio Bay

GOOD. 60 degrees. Good tidal movement and the tide is back up. Lots of good bird activity leading the way to fish. Good catches of trout with soft plastics and redfish catches with live or dead shrimp under a popping cork. Target the mouths of sloughs and around the pass where the water is coming back in. Report by Captain Lynn Smith, Back Bay Guide Service.

Sabine Lake

GOOD. 62 degrees. As long as the wind is blowing from the south the bite in the lake will be good. Trout are good in the lake during incoming tides on points and drops. Make long drifts in 4-6 feet of water over the oyster shell and clam with 5 inch artificials with â…› ounce jigheads. Red shad or morning glory with a chartreuse tail are the best colors for artificials. White shrimp are coming into the lake which indicates the salinity is good. Redfish are good on points and shell banks in the bayou. Consistent redfish, drum and sheepshead bite in the Neches River on buoys, points and turnarounds during incoming tides. Use live shrimp on popping cork for redfish, and Carolina rigged live shrimp for drum and sheepshead. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy's Guide Service Sabine Lake.

Bolivar

FAIR. 60 degrees. Anglers are still catching redfish, with fewer catches of trout in the surf, jetty, bay-side canals and east bay using finger mullet and mud minnows.

Trinity Bay

GOOD. 65 degrees. The bay is in decent condition, with water clarity around one foot or better in certain areas. The North Complex is currently in very good shape in terms of clarity. Quality trout are being found in bayous and bends near structures such as laydowns and drop-offs. A productive method for targeting these trout is using paddle tail swimbait in the Glacier Freeze color paired with a ¼-ounce jig head, adjusting presentation based on where fish are holding in the water column. Recently, trout have been holding higher in the column. Anglers are also finding success using popping corks with both live and imitation shrimp. Redfish are holding around rocks and drains. Any location featuring riprap or rocks with moving water is a prime area to target. They are being caught on crankbaits as well as under popping corks using live or imitation shrimp. Drum and sheepshead are being found along main channel rocks and around docks. These fish are responding well to live shrimp or imitation shrimp under popping corks. Always wear your kill switch, monitor weather conditions, and ensure all required safety equipment is on board before heading out. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing. East shoreline holding speckled trout and scattered redfish on soft plastics and live shrimp. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

East Galveston Bay

GOOD. 62 degrees. Super low tides were on tap again this past week. The water clarity is average for East Galveston Bay, with better clarity in the marsh areas that have been protected from the wind. Good trout catches with a bright pink soft plastic lure with silver and black flakes. As the water heats up during the day, some of the fish are moving out to mud flats to feed, so keep that in mind as well. The redfish bite was good around drains and in the very shallow water areas back in the marsh with imitation shrimp lures and tails under popping corks, with a 1-foot leader to trigger bites, as well as weightless rat tails and flukes. Remember, time of year brings some of the best opportunities for bigger fish, with fewer fishers on the water, and bigger fish on the prowl, so get out and make it happen with your family and friends. The Corky bite also is in full swing, as well as suspending hard jerk baits, so if you like throwing artificials these are great bait to throw, as well as walking topwater baits, as well as slow falling jerk baits, when the conditions are lining up correctly. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC.

Galveston Bay

GOOD. 65 degrees. Conditions have been tough due to wind and the bay is off-colored. Another front is scheduled to arrive this weekend. Upper Galveston bay producing slow to fair catches of speckled trout and better numbers of sheepshead and black drum. A few scattered redfish, along with a few bull redfish and oversized drums with live shrimp. Bull redfish and oversized drum can be caught on live halved crab at the Galveston Jetties. When seas cooperate there are good offshore catches of yellowfin tuna, blackfin tuna, and grouper, along with vermilion snapper. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

West Galveston Bay

GOOD. 65 degrees. Wade anglers are producing catches of speckled trout along with some nice slot size redfish. Trout are good for anglers drifting with soft plastics in protected areas. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

Texas City

GOOD. 65 degrees. Winter has definitely arrived. There are a few die hard anglers working the banks, but overall action has been slow. There are plenty more weather changes throughout the week and changing winds with super low tides going back to normal. Pockets of sunshine are expected with temperatures fluctuating. Check the forecast before you head out or call ahead to your favorite bait shop. Anglers are still catching lots of big bull redfish, black drum, speckled trout in pockets, fewer keeper flounder with a lot of small males still prevalent, sheepshead and puppy drum as well. More whiting have started to be caught. The dredge boat is still pumping from the TC Channel to the north beach side of the dike. Live shrimp and finger mullet have been the best baits. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.

Freeport

FAIR. 60 degrees. Fishing patterns are consistent for redfish, trout, drum, sheephead and flounder. Continue to target fish in Oyster Creeks, Bastrop Bayou, Chocolate Bayou, Halls Bayou and anywhere along the ICW where it is draining. Best bite has been with live shrimp under a popping cork, jig head, or working swimbaits and gulp slowly on the bottom. The Brazos and San Bernard River are producing good catches of redfish, drum, speckled trout, sand trout and few flounder on live or dead shrimp, or throwing 3/8 ounce jig with swimbaits or gulp shrimp fishing slow on the bottom. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures.

East Matagorda Bay

FAIR. 68 degrees. After the recent low tides the tide schedule will be better the next two weeks. Best success will come by locating schools of fish during feeding periods. Numbers of redfish can be caught in the diversionary canal and bay reefs on cut bait, live shrimp or with artificials. Trout can be caught wading or drifting with artificials or live shrimp. The Colorado River is slow. Bait camps are holding live shrimp. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski's Guide Service.

West Matagorda Bay

FAIR. 68 degrees. After the recent low tides the tide schedule will be better the next two weeks. Best success will come by locating schools of fish during feeding periods. Numbers of redfish can be caught in the diversionary canal and bay reefs on cut bait, live shrimp or with artificials. Trout can be caught wading or drifting with artificials or live shrimp. The Colorado River is slow. Bait camps are holding live shrimp. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski's Guide Service.

Port O'Connor

GOOD. 67 degrees. Big black drum to 50 pounds are biting at Honey Hole and the flat between the jetties and Bird Island on blue crab. Trout are good on the outside jetties with purple artificials or live shrimp. Oversized redfish and a few keeper sized are good at Honey Hole with blue crab or sardines. Keeper drums are good at the back of jetties in 15-20 feet of water on dead shrimp. Sheepshead are good throughout on live shrimp. Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty's Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service.

Rockport

GOOD: 60 degrees. Trout are fair with live shrimp and soft plastics in flats along channel edges. Redfish are fair on shrimp in guts and channel edges. Black drum are great on live or dead shrimp and fish bites in guts and holes in flats and along channel edges. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.

Port Aransas

GOOD. 60 degrees. Sheepshead are fair on live shrimp. Redfish are good on live shrimp and cut mullet on the north and south jetty. Oversized redfish have been good on cut crab and cut mullet. Trout are fair with shrimp free lined along rocks. Redfish, pompano and trout have been good in the surf using live shrimp, shrimp bites and cut mullet. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.

Corpus Christi

GOOD. 60 degrees. Clear water along the national sea shore to fish in, the further south the better the clarity becomes. Pompano are good in the clearer warmer water on fish bites. Redfish and black drum can be caught on cut bait. Trout are good in the surf with slow sinking lures. Report by Nick Meyer, YouTube at NickAway.

Baffin Bay

GOOD. 60 degrees. Fishing patterns remain consistent, and conditions look good with the warm forecast. Fish are shallow on calmer days, then deeper on cooler windy days. Adjust your fishing ideas based on the conditions and the water temperature. Slow sinking soft plastics with a cork body are working great! Use soft plastic suspending twitch baits in pistachio when the water is green and there is sunshine, and The Truth and Dark Vader in greener water with cloud cover. Good luck and see you on the water! Report by Captain Sally Black.

Port Mansfield

GOOD. 70 degrees. Water levels have finally started to rise and there has been a good flow of southerly winds. Fishing is still good for redfish and trout in thigh deep water. Best baits have been the new color Ball Tail Shad by KWigglers in Laguna Melon rigged on a ⅛ ounce jighead. Mansfield Knockers have also been producing big fish if the floating grass is not too bad. Keep an eye on the rising water levels over the next few weeks. Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters. Minor cold front last week brought some cooler morning air temperatures for early this week but we will see an upwards trend in our air temperature as the week proceeds. This will promote an active bite up shallow. Redfish and speckled trout will be seeking this warmth up in shallow sand pockets and over grass flats. If you enjoy sight casting, this week will be the week to do it! Small profiles have been persuading a bite amongst both reds and trout, a small little flash in their peripheral vision to mimic something realistic like the piggy perch, mullet and shad that are up in our flats currently. Stay safe and courteous of other anglers out on the water. As always, tight lines! Report by Captain Reanna DeLaCruz, Captain Reanna’s Baffin Bay Adventures.

South Padre

GOOD. 68 degrees. Large sheepsheads are being caught in considerable numbers at both the North and South jetty. Live shrimp is proving to be the most effective bait, although dead shrimp can also yield positive results. For optimal results, employ a bottom rig with a weight on the bottom. A two ounce weight is recommended to maintain proximity to the bottom in strong currents. The Intercoastal Waterway, both North and South of Dunkins Bay, is home to an abundance of speckled trout in the clean, green waters. Purple worms with white squiggle tails are attracting considerable attention from the trout population. Additionally, thousands of puppy drums have been observed congregating just east of Duncan's House in approximately two feet of clean water. Large schools of substantial black drum have been located south of the gas well flat, roughly a mile off the Intercoastal Waterway, identifiable by the significant rumbles on the surface during calm conditions. It is essential to practice responsible catch-and-release fishing to conserve our marine resources for future generations. Report by Captain Cliff Fleming, Crystal Flats Guide Service. Fishing has been excellent for both redfish and speckled trout. All methods are working at certain times. Most encouraging has been the topwater bite during sunrise and late afternoon low light periods. Tides remain below normal which has lent itself to excellent site casting conditions for both fly fishing and conventional tackle. Passing cold front over the weekend forced fishing efforts back into the Brownsville ship channel. Snook and mangrove snapper were plentiful on both soft plastics and live shrimp. Post front, slicked off conditions with early low tide made site casting phenomenal this Monday morning. Winds pick up through the week before our next front approaches. Look for speckled trout in 1-4 feet of water on soft plastics or gulp under a popping cork. Redfish and trophy trout remain and can be targeted in 18 inches or less along grassy shore lines with pronounced potholes. If possible, time fishing efforts with moving tides. The window of activity becomes somewhat limited due to limited tide movement. Report by Captain Glenn Harrison, Double Mermaid Outdoors.

Port Isabel

GOOD. 68 degrees. Large sheepsheads are being caught in considerable numbers at both the North and South jetty. Live shrimp is proving to be the most effective bait, although dead shrimp can also yield positive results. For optimal results, employ a bottom rig with a weight on the bottom. A two ounce weight is recommended to maintain proximity to the bottom in strong currents. The Intercoastal Waterway, both North and South of Dunkins Bay, is home to an abundance of speckled trout in the clean, green waters. Purple worms with white squiggle tails are attracting considerable attention from the trout population. Additionally, thousands of puppy drums have been observed congregating just east of Duncan's House in approximately two feet of clean water. Large schools of substantial black drum have been located south of the gas well flat, roughly a mile off the Intercoastal Waterway, identifiable by the significant rumbles on the surface during calm conditions. It is essential to practice responsible catch-and-release fishing to conserve our marine resources for future generations. Report by Captain Cliff Fleming, Crystal Flats Guide Service. Fishing has been excellent for both redfish and speckled trout. All methods are working at certain times. Most encouraging has been the topwater bite during sunrise and late afternoon low light periods. Tides remain below normal which has lent itself to excellent site casting conditions for both fly fishing and conventional tackle. Passing cold front over the weekend forced fishing efforts back into the Brownsville ship channel. Snook and mangrove snapper were plentiful on both soft plastics and live shrimp. Post front, slicked off conditions with early low tide made site casting phenomenal this Monday morning. Winds pick up through the week before our next front approaches. Look for speckled trout in 1-4 feet of water on soft plastics or gulp under a popping cork. Redfish and trophy trout remain and can be targeted in 18 inches or less along grassy shore lines with pronounced potholes. If possible, time fishing efforts with moving tides. The window of activity becomes somewhat limited due to limited tide movement. Report by Captain Glenn Harrison, Double Mermaid Outdoors.

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