The Texas coast is into prime summer wade-fishing. Speckled trout are stacked along the outside grass and guts, redfish are working the flats and shorelines, and the early-morning wade bite is as good as it gets this time of year.
What’s Hitting
Speckled trout are the headline, holding along the outside grass beds, guts, and the surf on a calm morning. Redfish are tailing the flats and working the shoreline. Flounder are on the drains and channel edges, and the surf is giving up trout and the occasional tarpon when the water is green.
Where to Find Them
Wade the outside grass flats, guts, and shorelines of the bay systems for trout. Reds work the shallow flats and back-lake shorelines. The surf fishes well on a green-water, light-wind morning, and flounder hold on the drains and channels. The jetties at the major passes hold trout, reds, and tarpon on the moving tide, a productive option when the wade-fishing flats get crowded.
Tides & Conditions
Summer heat has the bays warm, with the best action early before the wind and heat build. A light morning wind that keeps the water green is ideal for the surf and the outside flats. Afternoon sea breezes pick up — fish the dawn window hard. Watch for pop-up storms.
Tackle & Tactics
Throw soft plastics, topwaters, and live croaker to trout along the grass and guts — topwaters shine at first light. For reds, work spoons and soft plastics on the flats. In the surf, fish soft plastics and live bait in the guts on a calm green-water morning. Topwaters and soft plastics on a 3000-class spinner are the wade-fishing standards; live croaker fished on a light Carolina rig is the big-trout specialist’s edge.
Local Intel This Week
Launch or wade from the Bird Island Basin (Padre Island National Seashore), the Port O’Connor ramps, or the Galveston-area access points. Trout are concentrating on the outside grass and reds on the flats. Speckled trout and redfish have size and bag limits in Texas — check current TPWD regulations before keeping fish. The Bob Hall Pier, the Packery Channel jetties, and the Galveston jetties give shore anglers a real shot at trout, reds, and Spanish.
This Week’s Tip
For summer trout, start with a topwater at first light over the grass, then switch to soft plastics as the sun climbs. The early topwater bite produces the biggest fish of the day — don’t sleep through it.