Gulf Coast Region Week of December 3, 2025

Redfish Bay

SLOW. 73 degrees. Cold weather has kicked off the winter patterns. Redfish and drum can be caught on dead shrimp on drop-offs from flats. Trout can be caught on plastics in thigh to belly button deep water. Report by Captain Aerich Oliver, Rockport Paradise Outfitters.

San Antonio Bay

GOOD. 72 degrees. After a strong cold front the tides are above normal. This has pushed a lot of trout and redfish into the flats and back lakes. The strong winds, 25-35 mph, have made fishing a little tricky. Conditions are improving, but there is another cold front in the forecast for the weekend. Report by Captain Lynn Smith, Back Bay Guide Service.

Sabine Lake

GOOD. 60 degrees. Limits of speckled trout drifting off the North Levee wall with jig heads with 5 inch plastics in the morning. After this hit up the Intercoastal Waterway for redfish, sheepshead and drum with live shrimp on a Carolina rig or under a popping cork off rock piles and bulkheads. This is a good area to fish protected from the winds. We are fishing some up in the marsh catching redfish off the flats off the Intercoastal Waterway. The main leg underneath the birds is producing catches of speckled trout and redfish throwing three-quarter ounce silver and gold spoons. Usually the bigger fish are on the bottom. Bird action is very good on outgoing tides. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy's Guide Service Sabine Lake.

Bolivar

FAIR. 70 degrees. It is another week of weather changes but instead of making the fish move to eat, they will be moving to deeper pockets and seeking warm water pockets. Breezy north winds coming this week and 3-tide days changing back and forth from 2-3 tides means the fish will only be active a few hours in the morning and at night. Check the forecast before you head out or call ahead to your favorite bait shop. Water temperatures are still hanging in the upper 60s and low 70s in the bay and gulf. Anglers are catching plenty of redfish and trout almost everywhere using finger mullet and mud minnows. A few speckled trout are being caught along with sand trout, croakers, and crabs along the jetty, but it has been hit-or-miss. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.

Trinity Bay

GOOD. 70 degrees. Trout have begun moving up in the northern complex and becoming more active throughout the bay. Look for them around shorelines, shell reefs, and staging areas where bait is present like deep drains. Late morning and early afternoon remain the most productive times to target them. Best presentations include soft plastics like a wacky fluke in the sparkle chartreuse color, twitch baits, and live shrimp under a redemption outdoor gear popping cork when conditions allow. Focus on areas with cleaner, higher-salinity water that has better clarity following recent rain activity. Redfish are active and schooling on shorelines so keep your eyes open for busting shrimp. Still finding some redfish off the shoreline over shell in shallow water with topwaters, so do not rule that out. A popping cork with live out imitation shrimp keeps the bait in the zone longer when the bite seems to die off. Drum are on shell islands and rocks and are easily targeted with popping corks with live or imitation shrimp and even still finding a few sheepshead mixed in amongst them. Shallow has been where it’s at in this scenario. As conditions stabilize, feeding activity is expected to continue improving. Remember to monitor tides, weather changes, and water conditions closely. Always have proper safety equipment onboard. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing. Look to the northwest area near Tabbs Bay, Scott Bay, and Burnet Bay for catches of trout, black drum, sheepshead, and redfish on live shrimpReport by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

East Galveston Bay

GOOD. 62 degrees. Surface water temperature is 62 degrees. The water clarity has been very good for East Galveston Bay. This week we shifted our focus towards redfish, and they did not disappoint. Active bait in the area is critical, so if there is not bait or signs of life do not spend a whole lot of time in the area. We are still using imitation shrimp lures and Fishbites tails under popping corks, with a 12-18 inch leader to trigger the majority of our bites, as well as weightless soft plastics and flukes in lighter colors. The best success is in the back lakes over shell beds and along grass lines, points and drains. Keeper trout and good size sand trout can be caught over the mid bay reefs, with some giant redfish joining in on the fun as well. The crowds have thinned out, so now is the time to schedule your fall and winter fishing trips and get out to enjoy all the upper Texas Coast has to offer. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Service, LLC. It is another week of weather changes but instead of making the fish move to eat, they will be moving to deeper pockets and seeking warm water pockets. Breezy north winds coming this week and 3-tide days changing back and forth from 2-3 tides means the fish will only be active a few hours in the morning and at night. Check the forecast before you head out or call ahead to your favorite bait shop. The trout bite has turned on over here when the winds calm. The redfish have been everywhere. You can still find most of your redfish working grasslands picking off what little shrimp we have left or use finger mullet or artificials. Report by Captain Jack Blume.

Galveston Bay

FAIR. 63 degrees. Bull redfish still dominate the catches at the Galveston jetties. A few sheepshead, black drum, and slot redfish can be caught on live shrimp next to rocks when conditions allow. Overall the bite has been slow in the Galveston Bay. Bull redfish can be found in open water off the shorelines. Moses Lake giving up a few redfish and speckled trout on live shrimp. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

West Galveston Bay

FAIR. 63 degrees. Bull redfish still dominate the catches at the Galveston jetties. A few sheepshead, black drum, and slot redfish can be caught on live shrimp next to rocks when conditions allow. Overall the bite has been slow in the Galveston Bay. Bull redfish can be found in open water off the shorelines. Moses Lake giving up a few redfish and speckled trout on live shrimp. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

Houston

GOOD. Water clear; 72 degrees; 0.08 feet above pool. Recent rains have reduced water clarity in both the East and West Forks, while the south end of the lake offers the clearest and most productive water, with some back lakes off both forks still holding good fishable conditions. Flow is present, so boaters should stay in marked channels and watch for debris. Largemouth bass are moving shallow with the warming water and biting spinnerbaits, topwaters, crankbaits, twitch baits, grubs, and Texas-rigged plastics in green or dark colors. Crappie are tight to structure in main channels and overlooked areas, hitting minnows and hand-tied jigs. Catfish are coming on stinkbait and fresh shad fished on the bottom, though jug fishing has been only fair. White bass remain the most active species, feeding on paddle tails, trolled Pet Spoons, and live shad around humps on the south end where clarity is best. Always wear your kill switch and be safe! Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.

Texas City

GOOD. 69 degrees. It is another week of weather changes but instead of making the fish move to eat, they will be moving to deeper pockets and seeking warm water pockets. Breezy north winds coming this week and 3-tide days changing back and forth from 2-3 tides means the fish will only be active a few hours in the morning and at night. Check the forecast before you head out or call ahead to your favorite bait shop. Remains good for this time of year! Anglers are catching some speckled trout, redfish, and fewer sand trout every day with some random croakers. Mangrove snapper and pompano have been more sporadic. Wade fishing along the levee and Mosquito Island from the dike has been productive with the light winds and the right pocket on days with north winds if the kite boarders aren’t cruising the shoreline. Live shrimp and finger mullet have been the best baits. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.

Freeport

FAIR. 69 degrees. Birds are leading the way to speckled trout, sand trout and redfish in Bastrop Bay, Christmas Bay, and Chocolate Bay. Drifting in areas with mullet has produced catches with gulp shrimp or live shrimp under a popping cork. Freeport Harbor and the Brazos River are producing redfish, trout, sheephead, drum, and mangrove snapper using mullet and live shrimp. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures.

East Matagorda Bay

GOOD. 74 degrees. Fishing will improve after the cold front settles. Tides are high so redfish and trout can be caught in the back lakes. When the weather is cold and nasty fish the docks in The Colorado River. Bait camps holding live shrimp. Trout, redfish and drum are good on artificials or live bait. Wade the flats and reefs, or drift over shell for a mixed bag of fish. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski's Guide Service.

West Matagorda Bay

GOOD. 74 degrees. Fishing will improve after the cold front settles. Tides are high so redfish and trout can be caught in the back lakes. When the weather is cold and nasty fish the docks in The Colorado River. Bait camps holding live shrimp. Trout, redfish and drum are good on artificials or live bait. Wade the flats and reefs, or drift over shell for a mixed bag of fish. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski's Guide Service.

Port O'Connor

GOOD. 66 degrees. The bite was good leading up to the cold front. After this cold front fish should be deeper. Bull redfish are biting inside of the south jetty and outside the north jetty on large shrimp or Spanish sardines. Slot redfish are biting on small rocks at the back of the jetty from Alcatraz Island to Honey Hole. Sheepshead on live shrimp 8-12 feet of water inside the jetties. Black drums are biting in the apron on dead shrimp. No reports of trout. Once the temperature reaches 65 trout should move into the jetties. Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty's Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service.

Rockport

GOOD: 70 degrees. Trout are good on live shrimp piggy perch and soft plastics in flats with mud bottom and along channel edges. Redfish have been good on shrimp, mullet, and perch in guts and channel edges when water drops out with lower tides. 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. 70 degrees. Redfish are good on live shrimp, cut mullet and silver spoons on the north and south jetty. Oversized redfish have been great on cut crab and cut mullet. Trout and pompano are fair with free lined shrimp along rocks. Redfish and trout have been good in the surf using live shrimp and cut mullet. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.

Corpus Christi

SLOW. 73 degrees. Cold weather has kicked off the winter patterns. Redfish and drum can be caught on dead shrimp on drop-offs from flats. Trout can be caught on plastics in thigh to belly button deep water. Report by Captain Aerich Oliver, Rockport Paradise Outfitters.

Baffin Bay

GOOD. 65 degrees. Finally, the cold weather that is necessary to turn trout on and into survival mode is here! Big trout are staging near deeper water. This is the time of the year that the main bay really starts to produce. Find structure along the shorelines near deep drop offs or deep rocks and always be watching for active mullet. When the water is colder, even one mullet jumping means something! When water temperatures drop, big trout do not like to expend a lot of energy and they like to eat big. Now is the time to slowly but vigorously work a larger slow slinking imitation bait near the bottom of the column. For bit thumps keep throwing the 6-8 inch soft plastic with a longer tail for an erratic darting action upon the retrieval. Good luck and see you on the water! Report by Captain Sally Black.

Port Mansfield

GOOD. 70 degrees. Colder weather had the fish feeding up and becoming heavier. Fishing is good during warming trends. Best bite for redfish and trout has been close to deep water. As the sun warms up the shallows the fish are actively feeding on topwaters, if the floating grass allows. Soft plastics are producing excellent catches in about 3-4 feet of water. Best baits are Ball Tail Shad rigged on a 1/8 ounce Knotty Hooker jighead. This pattern should hold a while and fishing should remain strong. Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters. Conditions are lining up to be spectacular here in Port Mansfield. Weather conditions will be cooler than what we have been experiencing but with the upcoming full moon. This should promote positivity beneath the surface. Redfish and speckled trout are plentiful in this region, you can find them in 2-3 feet of water over scattered sand pockets. Where there is bait, there are bigger fish! Identify diving pelicans and fish the area throughout and lines parallel to it. Lure color and selection. A 4.25 inch imitation shrimp lure in Golden Bream and Space Dust, or a 5 inch soft plastic in Pure Color X, Rootbeer Hopper and Big Poppa Pearl have all been the top producing lures for both redfish and speckled trout. Stay safe and courteous out on the waterways and as always, tight lines! Report by Captain Reanna DeLaCruz, Captain Reanna’s Baffin Bay Adventures.

South Padre

SLOW. 70 degrees. Fishing prior to the cold front was outstanding with a late summer to fall pattern continuing all the way through until the end of November. Conditions changed overnight with the passage of a large cold front. While some fish will remain on the flats, targeting these should be done in muddier bottom areas on the west side that tend to heat up quicker. Fish will begin to move to deeper cuts and channels along the intercoastal as well as auxiliary channels that extend off of main areas. Look for fishing to rebound quickly as temperature rise back to 80 degrees. Try bouncing jigs or live bait along the edge of the intercoastal as well as fishing deeper flats adjacent to channel areas. Report Captain Glenn Harrison, Double Mermaid Outdoors.

Port Isabel

SLOW. 70 degrees. Fishing prior to the cold front was outstanding with a late summer to fall pattern continuing all the way through until the end of November. Conditions changed overnight with the passage of a large cold front. While some fish will remain on the flats, targeting these should be done in muddier bottom areas on the west side that tend to heat up quicker. Fish will begin to move to deeper cuts and channels along the intercoastal as well as auxiliary channels that extend off of main areas. Look for fishing to rebound quickly as temperature rise back to 80 degrees. Try bouncing jigs or live bait along the edge of the intercoastal as well as fishing deeper flats adjacent to channel areas. Report Captain Glenn Harrison, Double Mermaid Outdoors.

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