Port guide / South Padre and the Lower Laguna / Texas

Port Mansfield fishing guide

Port Mansfield is a small harbor town on the Lower Laguna Madre, at the end of the road east of Raymondville, with a channel cut through Padre Island to the Gulf. The draw is miles of shallow, clear Laguna flats for wading and sight casting trout and redfish, with very little pressure compared with towns that have a causeway. When the weather allows, the Mansfield Channel gives a direct shot to the Gulf for snapper, kingfish, mahi and billfish.

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, Padre Island, Port Mansfield Channel Entrance, TX (opens in a new tab) NOAA station Realitos Peninsula, TX (opens in a new tab) NWS marine forecast, Laguna Madre from the Arroyo Colorado to 5 NM north of Port Mansfield TX (opens in a new tab)

20 ft, what is biting

What is biting, month by month

When each fish is at its best around Port Mansfield. This month is marked.

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

Speckled trout
Peak: March, April, May, September, October, November
Port Mansfield is known for wading the Laguna flats for big trout, mostly with artificial lures.
Source 1 (opens in a new tab) Source 2 (opens in a new tab)
Redfish
Peak: September, October, November
Reds are sight cast in 6 inches to 4 feet of water on the Lower Laguna Madre.
Source 1 (opens in a new tab) Source 2 (opens in a new tab)
Black drum
Peak: January, February, March, April
The lower coast holds the most black drum in Texas, and big fish school up before the late winter spawn.
Source 1 (opens in a new tab) Source 2 (opens in a new tab)
Southern flounder
Peak: September, October
Bay guides target flounder on the Laguna, and harvest is closed November 1 to December 14.
Source 1 (opens in a new tab) Source 2 (opens in a new tab)
Snook
Peak: June, July
Local guides list snook as a seasonal bay fish, and TPWD says they are a warm water fish of the lower Laguna Madre.
Source 1 (opens in a new tab) Source 2 (opens in a new tab)
Red snapper
Peak: May, June, July, August, September
Offshore boats run out the channel to reefs and rigs for snapper during the federal season.
Source 1 (opens in a new tab) Source 2 (opens in a new tab)
King mackerel
Peak: May, June, July, August, September
Kingfish are part of the summer offshore mix out of Mansfield.
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

Flats
Lower Laguna Madre flats
Shallow grass flats around Port Mansfield where anglers wade and drift for redfish and trout.
Source (opens in a new tab)
Pass
Port Mansfield Pass (Mansfield Channel)
The channel through Padre Island was dredged back to authorized depth from the jetties to the turning basin, with the project finished in July 2026.
Source (opens in a new tab)
Offshore
Gulf of Mexico offshore
Deep sea boats run out of the harbor for snapper, tuna, wahoo, mahi and billfish.
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 Port Mansfield
Name	Type	Fee	Where
Port Mansfield public boat ramps (two) (opens in a new tab)	Ramp	Check	Port Mansfield, TX 78598
North Boat Ramp (Willacy County Navigation District) (opens in a new tab)	Ramp	Check	Port Mansfield, TX 78598

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 Port Mansfield
Shop	Where	Phone
Bait Shop (opens in a new tab)	708 Laguna Dr, Port Mansfield, TX 78598	(956) 944-2574
Harbor Bait and Tackle (opens in a new tab)	123 W Harbor Dr, Port Mansfield, TX 78598	(956) 944-2367
Mansfield Marina (opens in a new tab)	600 Mansfield Dr, Port Mansfield, TX 78598	(956) 944-2331

Charters and guides

Fishing charters and guides around Port Mansfield
Charter	Fishing
Port Mansfield Fishing Charters (Capt. Matt Steffen) (opens in a new tab)	Inshore and offshore
Bamm Bamm Fishing Charters (Capt. Chad Kinney) (opens in a new tab)	Inshore and offshore
Rooster Charters (Capt. Roger Kohutek) (opens in a new tab)	Inshore
Fairwater Charters (Capt. Todd Grubert) (opens in a new tab)	Inshore
Reel Obsession Sport Fishing (opens in a new tab)	Offshore

70 ft, on the calendar

Tournaments and events

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

Port Mansfield Fishing Tournament (Port Mansfield Chamber of Commerce) (opens in a new tab)
usually late July, registration Thursday, fishing Friday and Saturday, awards Sunday
Willacy County Young Farmers Bullet Bob Austin Memorial Fishing Tournament (opens in a new tab)
usually late May, registration at the Port Mansfield Chamber of Commerce Pavilion

80 ft, asked and answered

Fishing Port Mansfield, asked and answered

Is the Port Mansfield channel open to the Gulf?

Yes. The channel through Padre Island was dredged back to authorized depth from the jetties to the turning basin, and the project finished in July 2026.

What kind of fishing is Port Mansfield known for?

Wading and drifting the shallow Lower Laguna Madre for speckled trout and redfish, often in 6 inches to 4 feet of water. Several guides also run offshore for snapper, kingfish, mahi and billfish.

Where can I get live tides and water temperature for Port Mansfield?

Tide predictions come from NOAA station 8778485 at the Port Mansfield Channel entrance, which does not report water temperature or wind. Realitos Peninsula (8779280) is the nearest listed station that reports both.

Is there a public boat ramp in Port Mansfield?

Yes. Port Mansfield has two public boat ramps.

90 ft, the kit