Texas Gulf Coast fishing report for the week of September 10, 2026. The bull red run has begun at the jetties from Sabine Pass down through Galveston, Freeport, and Port Aransas, and the first cool mornings have gotten the flounder moving toward the passes. In the bays, the trout are on the shell in the middle-bay reefs, and the redfish are working the shorelines and back lakes. September on the Texas coast is the start of the best three months of the year.
What’s Hitting
What’s hitting is bull redfish at the jetties. Fish in the 30 to 45-inch range are staging at the Galveston jetties, the Surfside jetties at Freeport, and the Port Aransas jetties, feeding on the mullet and menhaden moving through the passes. Flounder have started to move, with fish showing along the jetty rocks and the drains into the passes. Speckled trout are on the shell reefs in Galveston Bay, Matagorda Bay, and Aransas Bay, and along the surf on the calm mornings. Slot reds are on the shorelines and in the back lakes of the bays.
Nearshore, the platforms and the beachfront in 30 to 60 feet have kingfish and Spanish mackerel, and the deeper rigs are producing red snapper for anglers fishing state waters.
Where to Find Them
For bull reds, the ends of the jetties on the tide changes — the north jetty at Galveston, the Surfside jetty at Freeport, and the south jetty at Port Aransas have all been good. Flounder are along the rocks at the jetties and in the drains and cuts leading into the passes, especially around San Luis Pass and the Port Aransas ship channel. Trout are on the mid-bay shell in Galveston Bay around the Hanna Reef area and in Matagorda Bay, and on the surf at dawn when the wind lays down. Slot reds are in the back lakes off West Galveston Bay and the shorelines of Aransas Bay.
Tides & Conditions
The new moon this weekend brings strong tides through the passes, and the outgoing tide at the jetties has been the bull red tide. Winds have been east to southeast at 10 to 15 with a moderate chop on the bays, and the surf has been fishable on the calmer mornings. Water temps are in the mid-80s. Clarity in the bays is fair and the surf has been green on the light-wind days.
Tackle & Tactics
For bull reds, cut mullet or a live crab on a 7/0 circle hook with a Carolina rig and 3 to 4 ounces of weight at the jetties. Flounder want a live mud minnow or a Gulp on a 1/4 to 1/2-ounce jig head dragged slowly along the bottom at the rocks and drains. Trout are taking soft plastics on a 1/8-ounce jig head over the shell, live croaker or shrimp under a cork, and topwaters at dawn. Slot reds are eating gold spoons and cut bait on the shorelines.
Local Intel This Week
Public ramps: the Texas City Dike ramp and the Galveston Yacht Basin ramp serve Galveston Bay and the jetties, the Surfside Beach ramp puts you at the Freeport jetties, and the Port Aransas public ramp on the ship channel is the closest to the jetties there. The Matagorda Harbor ramp covers the Matagorda system. Shore anglers have been catching bull reds from the walkable jetties at Galveston and Port Aransas. Fish are concentrating at the jetties on the tide changes and on the mid-bay shell reefs in the mornings. Check current Texas Parks and Wildlife regulations before keeping fish — bull reds over the slot require a tag and most should be released, and the flounder fall closure and reduced limit should be confirmed before targeting them to keep.
This Week’s Tip
At the jetties, the bull reds hold on the bottom in the current seams between the rocks and the channel, not at the tip of the jetty where everyone casts. Fish the deeper water along the rocks about a third of the way in from the end, on the channel side, and let your bait sit on the bottom in the eddy. That is where the fish wait for the bait to come through.
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