Updated: Thursday, November 12, 2026 · Next update: Thursday, November 19, 2026
This Texas Gulf Coast fishing report is a seasonal outlook for the week of November 12, built on forecasts and established late-fall patterns rather than verified dock counts. A strong late-week cold front is sweeping across the northern Gulf Coast, and New Orleans forecasters are tracking a storm system expected to move out of Texas late Sunday into Monday. Along the Texas bays, mid-November fronts typically move speckled trout and redfish toward deeper water, shell reefs and protected shorelines.
What’s Hitting
Speckled trout should become more predictable over mud and shell in the upper and middle bays, especially on the warmer afternoons that follow a cold morning. Redfish are gathering along marsh edges, drains and shorelines, and schools often push into shallow water as the sun heats it. Black drum begin to collect around jetties, channels and deeper shell, a pattern that strengthens into winter. Flounder are moving toward the passes as part of their fall run, and sheepshead are building on the jetty rocks. Expect fish to feed in short windows around wind shifts.
Where to Find Them
In Galveston Bay, the shell reefs of East Bay and the scattered shell in West Bay hold trout on falling tides. The Galveston jetties and the Texas City Dike concentrate drum, sheepshead and passing flounder. Farther south, the shorelines and back lakes of Matagorda Bay and the flats around Port O’Connor hold redfish, while Pass Cavallo funnels migrating flounder. Around Aransas Pass, the jetties and the Lydia Ann Channel are classic late-fall spots.
Tides & Conditions
Wind dictates water levels along the Texas coast far more than the small lunar tides. A strong north wind behind a front can blow water out of the bays and concentrate fish in channels and deeper guts, then water returns as wind swings back to the southeast. Expect cooler mornings this weekend and watch the storm system forecast for Sunday night and Monday, which may bring wind and rain before the next pattern sets up.
Tackle & Tactics
For trout, a 6.5- to 7-foot medium-light spinning rod with ten- to fifteen-pound braid and a fluorocarbon leader covers soft plastics on 1/8- to 1/4-ounce heads and slow-sinking twitchbaits. Redfish respond to gold spoons, soft plastics and cut mullet. Black drum prefer blue crab or shrimp on a fish-finder rig. For flounder, drag a soft plastic or finger mullet slowly along the bottom near pass edges. After the front, slow the retrieve and fish deeper.
Local Intel This Week
The Texas City Dike gives land-based anglers long access to Galveston Bay. The Galveston jetties are reachable from East Beach and the end of Seawall Boulevard, and Galveston Island State Park offers bay and beach access. In Port O’Connor, public ramps launch to Matagorda Bay and Pass Cavallo. Around Port Aransas, Roberts Point Park and the jetty near the ferry landing are popular. Check current state and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish. Watch for low water on the flats after north wind.
This Week’s Tip
When a north wind drains the bay, look for the deepest gut or channel next to a shallow flat. Trout and redfish stack there until the water returns, so fish slowly along the drop with a soft plastic and stay put once you find them.
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