Now until 7 pmSheepshead
The bite peaks at 100. Water is 82°, inside their 60–82° range, and a solunar period lands on the window. Wind builds to 21 mph out of the east by tomorrow at 1:00 pm.
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.
Right now · best window
Sheepshead range 60–82°
From the east
Sunset 5:42 pm
7% chance of rain
NWS hourly forecast
Measured, last 3 hours
Waning crescent
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.
Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Sheepshead prefers slack tide. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 5–40 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. 15" minimum, 5/person/day.
Verified Oct 21, 2026 · Texas
Last checked 17 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Year-round, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on sheepshead
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 red drum's active range. Holds 3–20 ft down.
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: Feb–Dec, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on red drum
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.
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: Feb–Dec, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on spotted seatrout
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.
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
Out of seasonOut of season here today. Check the agency before fishing.
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 southern flounder's active range. Holds 1–20 ft down.
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. Likes an outgoing tide. More on southern flounder
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
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
Some 60 miles of undeveloped barrier-island surf, reached by four-wheel drive past the paved road. Bull red drum and black drum run the surf in fall and spring, speckled trout wade the guts in summer, and southern flounder move toward the passes in fall, when Texas closes flounder from Nov 1 to Dec 14.
The closest public spots we cover, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Padre Island National Seashore you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
Padre Island National Seashore is listed on this site for 5 commonly-targeted species: Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, Sheepshead, and 1 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
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 Padre Island National Seashore 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.
Padre Island National Seashore has shoreline / wading access. There is no pier or boat ramp at this location.
state agency regulations apply at Padre Island National Seashore. 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.
Yes. Padre Island National Seashore sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
