Port guide / Coastal Bend / Texas

Corpus Christi fishing guide

Corpus Christi covers a lot of water: Corpus Christi and Nueces bays off downtown, the Upper Laguna Madre behind North Padre Island, Packery Channel and its jetty, and the Gulf surf running down Padre Island National Seashore. Bay and Laguna anglers chase reds, trout, black drum and flounder on shallow flats, while pier and surf anglers on the island add whiting, Spanish mackerel and summer kingfish. The Laguna side is shallow, clear sight casting water, which is what makes it different from the deeper pass fishing at Port Aransas.

Conditions now
What is biting
Seasons and rules
Where to fish
Ramps and piers
Bait and charters
Events
Questions

10 ft, conditions now

Conditions now

Live from NOAA and the National Weather Service. Times show in your own time zone.

Tides

Loading the next highs and lows from NOAA.

On the water now

Water: Checking
Wind: Checking

Marine forecast

Loading the National Weather Service forecast.

NOAA tides, USS Lexington, Corpus Christi Bay, TX (opens in a new tab) NOAA station Packery Channel, TX (opens in a new tab) NWS marine forecast, Corpus Christi and Nueces Bays (opens in a new tab)

20 ft, what is biting

What is biting, month by month

When each fish is at its best around Corpus Christi. This month is marked.

What is biting by month around Corpus Christi. Peak, good and slow months for each species.
Species	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Redfish	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak
Speckled trout	Good	Good	Peak	Peak	Peak	Good	Good	Good	Peak	Peak	Peak	Good
Black drum	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Good	Good	Good	Slow	Slow	Good	Good	Good
Southern flounder	Slow	Slow	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Peak	Peak	Good	Slow
Sheepshead	Peak	Peak	Peak	Good	Slow	Slow	Slow	Slow	Slow	Slow	Good	Good
Spanish mackerel	Slow	Slow	Slow	Slow	Good	Peak	Peak	Peak	Good	Slow	Slow	Slow
King mackerel	Slow	Slow	Slow	Slow	Good	Peak	Peak	Peak	Good	Slow	Slow	Slow

Redfish
Peak: August, September, October, November, December
Locals sight cast reds on the shallow Upper Laguna Madre and Nueces Bay flats, and big reds move to the Gulf beaches in fall.
Source 1 (opens in a new tab) Source 2 (opens in a new tab)
Speckled trout
Peak: March, April, May, September, October, November
Wade or drift the Laguna and bay flats in spring and fall, and Bob Hall Pier gives up trout too.
Source 1 (opens in a new tab) Source 2 (opens in a new tab)
Black drum
Peak: January, February, March, April
TPWD says Corpus Christi to Brownsville holds the most black drum in Texas; big fish school before the late winter spawn and drum of all sizes use channels and the surf when it is cold.
Source 1 (opens in a new tab) Source 2 (opens in a new tab)
Southern flounder
Peak: September, October
Flounder move out of the bays toward the Gulf in fall, so passes like Packery Channel are worth a look, but harvest is closed November 1 to December 14.
Source 1 (opens in a new tab) Source 2 (opens in a new tab)
Sheepshead
Peak: January, February, March
Fish pilings at Bob Hall Pier and the Packery jetty rocks in late winter, when sheepshead spawn near jetties and reefs.
Source 1 (opens in a new tab) Source 2 (opens in a new tab)
Spanish mackerel
Peak: June, July, August
A summer pier and surf fish at Bob Hall Pier.
Source 1 (opens in a new tab) Source 2 (opens in a new tab)
King mackerel
Peak: June, July, August
Kingfish are caught off the end of Bob Hall Pier in summer.
Source 1 (opens in a new tab) Source 2 (opens in a new tab)

30 ft, seasons and rules

Seasons and rules

Open and close dates we could confirm from official sources, plus where to check limits before you keep a fish.

Southern flounder, Texas waters
Flounder harvest is closed November 1 through December 14 (bag limit is zero); catch and release only during that window.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 2026 (regulations valid Sept. 1, 2026 to Aug. 31, 2027) Official page (opens in a new tab)
Red snapper, Texas state waters
Open year round for private recreational anglers in state waters. Circle hooks are required when using natural bait.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 2026 to 2027 Official page (opens in a new tab)
Red snapper, federal waters (private anglers landing in Texas)
The 2026 private recreational season in federal waters opened May 22, 2026. TPWD monitors harvest to set the closing date, and as of October 23, 2026 it remained open.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 2026 Official page (opens in a new tab)
Red snapper, federal waters (federal for-hire boats)
Federal for-hire season has a fixed closure January 1 to May 31, and the 2026 season closes October 26, 2026.
NOAA Fisheries, 2026 Official page (opens in a new tab)
Greater amberjack, federal waters
The 2026 recreational season opened September 1 and closed October 14, 2026. Fixed closures run August 1 to 31 and November 1 to July 31.
NOAA Fisheries, 2026 to 2027 Official page (opens in a new tab)
Gag grouper, federal waters
The 2026 recreational season ran September 1 to October 1, 2026, and is now closed.
NOAA Fisheries, 2026 Official page (opens in a new tab)
Gray triggerfish, federal waters
Fixed recreational closures run January 1 to February 28 and June 1 to July 31.
NOAA Fisheries, 2026 Official page (opens in a new tab)
Shallow water grouper (including red grouper), federal waters
Closed February 1 to March 31 seaward of the 20 fathom contour.
NOAA Fisheries, 2026 Official page (opens in a new tab)

Rules change. Check before you go.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

You need a Texas fishing license with a saltwater endorsement to land fish in state or federal waters.
Texas state waters run out to 9 nautical miles in the Gulf; federal rules also apply past that line for federally managed species.
One red drum over the maximum length can be kept with a Red Drum Tag, and a second with a Bonus Red Drum Tag. Digital tags are reported in the Texas Hunt and Fish app.
One spotted seatrout over 28 inches can be kept with a Spotted Seatrout Tag (and one more with a Bonus tag), in addition to the daily bag.
Circle hooks are required when fishing natural bait for red snapper, and boats fishing federal waters must carry venting or descending gear for reef fish.

Size and bag limits Fishing licenses

Last checked 2026-10-26

40 ft, where to fish

Where to fish

Pier
Bob Hall Pier
Rebuilt 1,252 foot Gulf pier at Padre Balli Park that reopened February 24, 2026, with bait, tackle and rod rentals on site.
Source (opens in a new tab)
Jetty
Packery Channel jetty
Busy jetty between Mustang and Padre islands with a free ramp and fish cleaning station on the north side.
Source (opens in a new tab)
Flats
Upper Laguna Madre flats
Shallow, clear water for sight casting reds, trout, black drum and flounder from a kayak or wading.
Source (opens in a new tab)
Flats
Bird Island Basin
Laguna Madre side of Padre Island National Seashore with a boat ramp; a Texas license package is required and none are sold inside the park.
Source (opens in a new tab)
Beach
Padre Island National Seashore surf
More than 60 miles of undeveloped Gulf beach for surf fishing; 4WD is recommended past the first five miles.
Source (opens in a new tab)
Bay
Nueces Bay
Shallow bay flats where fly anglers target reds, trout, flounder and black drum year round.
Source (opens in a new tab)
Pier
Cole Park Pier
Bayfront pier off Ocean Drive, rebuilt and reopened in December 2021.
Source (opens in a new tab)

50 ft, launch and piers

Ramps and piers

Public launches and fishing piers. Fees and hours change, so check the link before you tow.

Public boat ramps and fishing piers around Corpus Christi
Name	Type	Fee	Where
Packery Channel boat ramp (north side) (opens in a new tab)	Ramp	Free	Packery Channel, Mustang Island, Corpus Christi, TX
Bird Island Basin boat ramp (opens in a new tab)	Ramp	Paid	Padre Island National Seashore, Corpus Christi, TX
Bob Hall Pier (opens in a new tab)	Pier	Paid	Padre Balli Park, North Padre Island, Corpus Christi, TX
Cole Park Pier (opens in a new tab)	Pier	Check	Cole Park, Corpus Christi, TX

60 ft, bait, tackle and charters

Bait, tackle and charters

Local shops and guides. We are not paid to list anyone here.

Bait and tackle

Bait and tackle shops around Corpus Christi
Shop	Where	Phone
Roy's Bait and Tackle Outfitters (opens in a new tab)	7613 S. Padre Island Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78412	(361) 992-2960
Red Dot Fishing Pier (opens in a new tab)
Cos-way Fishing Pier Bait and Tackle (opens in a new tab)
Bob Hall Pier bait and tackle (opens in a new tab)	Padre Balli Park, North Padre Island, Corpus Christi, TX

Charters and guides

Fishing charters and guides around Corpus Christi
Charter	Fishing
Corpus Christi Bay Charters (opens in a new tab)	Inshore
South Bound Fishing Charters (opens in a new tab)	Inshore and offshore
CC Kayak Fishing (opens in a new tab)	Inshore

70 ft, on the calendar

Tournaments and events

Annual events on this water. Dates move, so confirm with the organiser.

Sharkathon (opens in a new tab)
usually October
2026: October 9 to 11
Third Coast Fishing Tournament (opens in a new tab)
usually May, at the Packery Channel boat ramp
Hooked on Padre Fishing Tournament (opens in a new tab)
usually July

80 ft, asked and answered

Fishing Corpus Christi, asked and answered

Is Bob Hall Pier open again?

Yes. The rebuilt 1,252 foot pier at Padre Balli Park reopened February 24, 2026. It is a paid pier, with bait, tackle and rod rentals on site.

Where can I launch for free near Corpus Christi?

The Packery Channel boat ramp on the north side of the channel is free and has a fish cleaning station. The Bird Island Basin ramp in the National Seashore is a paid ramp.

Do I need a license to fish Padre Island National Seashore?

Yes. You need a Texas fishing license with the saltwater endorsement, and licenses are not sold inside the park, so buy one before you go.

When is Sharkathon?

Sharkathon is usually held in October, and the 2026 event ran October 9 to 11.

What can I catch off Bob Hall Pier?

Speckled trout, Spanish mackerel and summer kingfish, plus sheepshead on the pilings in late winter. Pier and surf anglers on the island also catch whiting.

90 ft, the kit