It’s a fishing day

Galveston Bay fishing conditions · Texas

Now until 7 pmRed drum

The bite peaks at 94. Water is 78°, close to the 75° red drum like best, and a solunar period lands on the window. Wind builds to 20 mph out of the northeast by tomorrow at 5:00 am.

Log a trip here
Right now: 94 for red drum, go · inside the best windowTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Red drum, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 943 pm
  2. 94
  3. 94
  4. 946 pm
  5. 80
  6. 80
  7. 809 pm
  8. 80
  9. 80
  10. 80Sun
  11. 80
  12. 80
  13. 803 am
  14. 80
  15. 57
  16. 576 am
  17. 57
  18. 80
  19. 809 am
  20. 80
  21. 80
  22. 8012 pm
  23. 80
  24. 80
  25. 803 pm
  26. 80
  27. 80
  28. 806 pm
  29. 80
  30. 80
  31. 809 pm
  32. 80
  33. 80
  34. 80Mon
  35. 80
  36. 80
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now · best window

Water
78°F

Red drum range 65–85°

Wind
15 mph

From the east

Light
Daylight

Sunset 5:29 pm

Sky
Partly Sunny

1% chance of rain

Air
75°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Falling

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
5% lit

Waning crescent

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Texas regulations for these waters.

Red Drum

Red drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

94GoNow until 7 pm

Water

78°
55°65–85° · ideal 75°95°

Why

Right in red drum's ideal range. Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

20" minimum · 28" maximum · 3 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 20–28" slot, 3/person/day. One oversized red drum over 28" per license year with a Red Drum Tag.

Verified Oct 21, 2026 · Texas

Last checked 17 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–Dec, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on red drum

Spotted Seatrout

Spotted seatrout

Cynoscion nebulosus

82Worth the tripNow until 7 pm

Water

78°
50°60–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside spotted seatrout's active range. Holds 3–15 ft down.

Keep

15" minimum · 20" maximum · 3 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 15–20" slot, 3/person/day. One trout over 28" per year with a Spotted Seatrout Tag.

Verified Oct 21, 2026 · Texas

Last checked 17 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–Dec, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on spotted seatrout

Black Drum

Black drum

Pogonias cromis

82Worth the tripNow until 7 pm

Water

78°
45°55–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside black drum's active range. Holds 2–40 ft down.

Keep

14" minimum · 30" maximum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Texas: 14–30" slot, 5 a person a day; 1 over 52" may be kept and counts toward the bag.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Texas

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Sep–May. Likes an incoming tide. More on black drum

Southern Flounder

Southern flounder

Paralichthys lethostigma

–Not scoredOut of season

Out of seasonOut of season here today. Check the agency before fishing.

Water

78°
48°58–82° · ideal 70°92°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Southern flounder prefers outgoing tide. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 1–20 ft down.

Keep

15" minimum · 5 a day

Out of season here today. Check the agency before fishing. 15" minimum, 5/person/day. Closed Nov 1–Dec 14 (bag 0).

Verified Oct 21, 2026 · Texas

Last checked 17 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–Nov. More on southern flounder

The water

  • Water temperature78°F
  • Barometer30.05 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today5:29 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow6:37 am
  • MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 4:00 pm–5:00 pm
  • Major solunarTonight 10:10 pm–12:10 am
  • Minor solunarTomorrow 5:40 am–6:40 am

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

No current report covers these waters.

We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Texas Parks & Wildlife publishes a report for the state.

Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisory

About this spot

The sprawling estuary behind Galveston Island — Texas's most productive inshore bay for redfish, spotted seatrout, and black drum, with flounder runs in fall and bull reds at the jetties. Fished from boats, wade flats, and the rock groins. Live tide and water temperature from Galveston Pier 21.

Texas: redfish 20–28" slot (3/day, one over-tag); seatrout 15–20" slot (3/day); black drum 14–30" slot. The fall flounder run is a Galveston tradition.

Nearby

Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Galveston Seawall3 mi · TexasBest now until 7 pm
94Go
East Beach (Galveston)3 mi · TexasBest now until 7 pmSmall Craft Advisory
69Marginal
Pirates Beach12 mi · TexasBest now until 7 pm
94Go
Crystal Beach (Bolivar Peninsula)14 mi · TexasBest now until 7 pm
94Go
Surfside Beach (TX)39 mi · TexasBest now until 7 pm
94Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Galveston Bay?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Galveston Bay you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at Galveston Bay?

Galveston Bay is listed on this site for 4 commonly-targeted species: Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout, Black Drum, Southern Flounder. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Galveston Bay?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Galveston Bay against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Galveston Bay have?

Galveston Bay has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. Texas: redfish 20–28" slot (3/day, one over-tag); seatrout 15–20" slot (3/day); black drum 14–30" slot. The fall flounder run is a Galveston tradition.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Galveston Bay?

state agency regulations apply at Galveston Bay. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Galveston Bay tidal water?

Yes. Galveston Bay sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.