The southern tip of Texas is at a peak. The Lower Laguna Madre is giving up trout and redfish at its finest, the first tarpon are arriving along the beachfront, reds are pushing into the surf, and the jetties are holding snook. Late May packs a tremendous amount of fishery into the South Padre area.
Lower Laguna Madre peak
The Lower Laguna Madre is one of the premier trophy-trout fisheries in the country, and late May is one of its best windows. Wade the grass flats and the sand pockets at first light with soft plastics, topwaters, and live bait, and you will find the bigger trout before the heat and the wind build. Redfish are on the flats and around the spoil islands and shorelines — sight-cast to them on the clear, calm mornings with a soft plastic or a gold spoon. The water is shallow and gin-clear, so a quiet wade and a careful approach make all the difference.
Tarpon arriving, reds in the surf
The first tarpon of the season are tracking the beachfront as the migration arrives, and reds are pushing into the surf guts on the calm, green-water days. Along the beach you will also find Spanish mackerel, kingfish, jack crevalle, and ling (cobia) around the bait. The beachfront fishes best when the surf lays down and the water cleans up.
Jetties and offshore
Snook are working the jetties and the channel at the Brazos Santiago Pass — a special catch on this part of the coast. Live bait and swimbaits worked in the current on the moving tide get bit. Offshore, the red snapper fishery is strong on the reefs and the rigs — confirm the current season dates before you run.
- Speckled trout: wade the Laguna grass at first light
- Redfish: flats, spoil islands, and the surf guts
- Snook: the jetties and pass on live bait and swimbaits
- Beach & offshore: early tarpon, kings, ling, and red snapper
Where to focus this week
On the Lower Laguna, the West Side flats, the sand-and-grass pockets, and the spoil islands are the focus for the wade-fishing trout and reds. The Brazos Santiago Pass jetties hold the snook, and the beachfront is where the early tarpon and the surf reds are showing on the calm days.
A soft plastic on a light jighead or a topwater is the standard for the Laguna wade — the water is shallow and clear, so long casts and a quiet approach matter. At the jetties, a swimbait or a live bait worked in the current on the moving tide gets the snook, and a heavier setup helps keep them out of the rocks.
Timing
Early and calm is the formula — the wade-fishing and the sight-casting are both best in the cool, light-wind first hours, and the afternoon wind down here is a constant. Watch the surf and the wind for the beachfront and offshore plans. Late-May heat is serious on the island, so carry plenty of water and sun protection.
Looking ahead to June
The Lower Laguna trout and reds hold through June, and the tarpon numbers along the beachfront build as the month progresses. The jetty snook stay a reliable target. Heat and wind are the limiting factors down here, so the early, calm hours remain the most productive window all summer.
Regulations reminder: seasons and slot limits change through the year. Confirm the current rules with your state agency before you keep a fish.
On the water this week? Send your photos and details through our reader report form — the best submissions run in next week’s report.