Port guide / Upper Texas Coast / Texas

Sargent fishing guide

Sargent is a canal and fish camp community on Caney Creek at the east end of East Matagorda Bay, about an hour from Houston. Matagorda town fishes both East and West Matagorda Bay from the Colorado River mouth and its jetties, but Sargent works the quieter upper end of East Bay and has its own small pass, Mitchell's Cut, the only cut to the Gulf between Freeport and Matagorda. Locals wade and drift East Bay for reds, trout and flounder, surf fish the cut at Sargent Beach, and fish under dock lights on the Caney Creek canals, where trout feed at night in the colder months.

Conditions now
Chart and depths
Fishing reports
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.

Today’s bite

A forecast built from live data and the calendar below. Not a catch report.

Working out today from the tides, water and calendar.

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.

7 day forecast

National Weather Service, for Sargent. Updates through the day.

Loading the 7 day forecast.

NOAA tides, Sargent, TX (opens in a new tab) NOAA station Matagorda City, TX (opens in a new tab) NWS 7 day forecast (opens in a new tab) NWS marine forecast, Coastal waters from Freeport to Matagorda Ship Channel TX out 20 NM (opens in a new tab)

12 ft, the chart

Chart and depths

The official NOAA chart, centered on Sargent. Depths, channels, reefs and markers, live from NOAA.

The NOAA chart loads when you scroll here.

NOAA electronic navigational chart: soundings, depth contours, channels, markers and hazards. Zoom in to see more soundings. Not for navigation. Open NOAA ENC Online

15 ft, fishing reports

Fishing reports

What people are catching, on what, and where. Every report links to whoever wrote it. We do not write these ourselves.

Latest reports

From local captains, shops and outdoor writers. Newest first, last 14 days.

We have not found a report source that posts online for this water yet.

Report sources: Captain Experiences Sargent fishing reports (opens in a new tab)

Straight from the dock

Reports sent to us by shops and captains on this guide. We check each one before it posts.

Checking for reports.

Run a shop or charter here? Send a report

20 ft, what is biting

What is biting, month by month

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

What is biting by month around Sargent. 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	Good	Peak	Peak	Peak	Good
Speckled trout	Slow	Slow	Good	Good	Peak	Good	Good	Good	Good	Peak	Peak	Slow
Southern flounder	Slow	Slow	Slow	Good	Good	Good	Slow	Slow	Good	Peak	Slow	Slow
Black drum	Peak	Peak	Good	Good	Good	Slow	Slow	Slow	Slow	Slow	Peak	Peak
Sheepshead	Peak	Peak	Peak	Good	Slow	Slow	Slow	Slow	Slow	Good	Good	Good
Red snapper	Slow	Slow	Slow	Slow	Good	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Good	Slow	Slow

Redfish
Peak: September, October, November
Reds are the year-round mainstay in East Matagorda Bay, on the shell reefs, bars and back lakes, and fall is the best stretch.
Source 1 (opens in a new tab) Source 2 (opens in a new tab)
Speckled trout
Peak: May, October, November
Trout come from East Bay reefs and drop-offs, and in the colder months locals fish them at night under the lighted docks on the Caney Creek canals.
Source 1 (opens in a new tab) Source 2 (opens in a new tab)
Southern flounder
Peak: October
Fall flounder fishing is best near the cuts and channels, but Texas closes flounder November 1 to December 14.
Source 1 (opens in a new tab) Source 2 (opens in a new tab)
Black drum
Peak: January, February, November, December
Drum gather around structure and reefs in winter, and guides report big fish from late November on.
Source 1 (opens in a new tab) Source 2 (opens in a new tab)
Sheepshead
Peak: January, February, March
Sheepshead hold on structure in winter and spawn around reefs in February and March.
Source 1 (opens in a new tab) Source 2 (opens in a new tab)
Red snapper
Peak: June, July, August, September
Offshore boats reach the Gulf through Mitchell's Cut or run from Freeport, and snapper is the main summer target.
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.

Red snapper, Texas state waters
Open year-round for private recreational anglers in Texas state waters.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 2026 Official page (opens in a new tab)
Red snapper, federal waters (private anglers off Texas)
Opened May 22, 2026. As of October 23, 2026 it remains open, and TPWD will set the closure date by monitoring harvest.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 2026 Official page (opens in a new tab)
Red snapper, federal waters (for-hire boats)
Closed January 1 to May 31. The 2026 for-hire season closed October 26, 2026.
NOAA Fisheries, 2026 Official page (opens in a new tab)
Gag grouper, federal waters
Closed January 1 to August 31. The 2026 season opened September 1 and closed October 1, 2026.
NOAA Fisheries, 2026 Official page (opens in a new tab)
Greater amberjack, federal waters
The season opens September 1 each year. The 2026 to 2027 season closed October 14, 2026.
NOAA Fisheries, 2026 Official page (opens in a new tab)
Gray triggerfish, federal waters
Closed January 1 to February 28 and June 1 to July 31, so open March 1 to May 31 and August 1 to December 31.
NOAA Fisheries, 2026 Official page (opens in a new tab)
Shallow-water grouper, federal waters beyond 20 fathoms
Closed February 1 to March 31 seaward of the 20-fathom contour.
NOAA Fisheries, 2026 Official page (opens in a new tab)
Southern flounder, Texas waters
Flounder fishery is closed November 1 to December 14 (bag limit is zero).
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 2026 Official page (opens in a new tab)

40 ft, where to fish

Where to fish

Pass
Mitchell's Cut (Caney Creek Gulf Cut)
The only pass from Freeport to Matagorda and a favorite family spot, where boats anchor and wade holes like Leroy's Hole; watch the shifting sandbar across the cut on low tides.
Source (opens in a new tab)
Bay
East Matagorda Bay
A shallow bay with grass beds and oyster reefs and no industry on its shores, fished by wading and drifting for reds and trout.
Source (opens in a new tab)
Channel
Caney Creek and the Sargent canals
Many private docks have fishing lights, and trout feed under them at night in the colder months on an incoming tide.
Source (opens in a new tab)
Beach
Sargent Beach
Surf fishing along the narrow beach by Mitchell's Cut, where green water sometimes pushes in close.
Source (opens in a new tab)
Pier
Sargent Fishing Pier
A concrete pier left at about 180 feet when funding ran out in 2017, so it barely reaches the water at low tide.
Source (opens in a new tab)
Channel
Gulf Intracoastal Waterway at Sargent
The FM 457 swing bridge crosses the Intracoastal here, and a public ramp sits on it.
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 Sargent
Name	Type	Fee	Where
Sargent public boat ramp (Intracoastal Waterway) (opens in a new tab)	Ramp	Check	Sargent, TX (28.7633, -95.6320)
Sargent Chamber of Commerce parking area and boat ramp (Matagorda County) (opens in a new tab)	Ramp	Check	Sargent Beach, Sargent, TX

60 ft, bait, tackle and charters

Bait, tackle and charters

Where to get live and fresh bait, tackle and a guide. We are not paid to list anyone here.

Charters and guides

Fishing charters and guides around Sargent
Charter	Fishing
Shallowrun Guide Service (opens in a new tab)	Inshore
Stringer Stretcher Outfitters (opens in a new tab)	Inshore
Matagorda Loops (opens in a new tab)	Fly
Why Knot Outfitters (opens in a new tab)	Offshore
Olivia J Charters (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.

CCA Texas STAR Tournament (opens in a new tab)
Summer, coastwide (late May to Labor Day)
2026: May 23 to September 7

80 ft, asked and answered

Fishing Sargent, asked and answered

How do boats get from Sargent to the Gulf?

Through Mitchell's Cut, the Caney Creek Gulf Cut and the only pass between Freeport and Matagorda. A sandbar shifts across the cut, so run it with care on low tides.

Where can I fish Sargent without a boat?

Surf fish Sargent Beach by Mitchell's Cut, or try the Sargent Fishing Pier, which stops at about 180 feet and barely reaches the water at low tide. In the colder months, the lighted docks on the Caney Creek canals draw trout at night on an incoming tide.

Which tide and weather stations should I check for Sargent?

NOAA's Sargent station (8772985) gives tide predictions but no water temperature or wind, so check Matagorda City (8773146) for those. The Gulf marine forecast is NWS zone GMZ350, Freeport to Matagorda Ship Channel.

When is the best time to fish East Matagorda Bay from Sargent?

Fall is the best stretch for reds, October and November are strong for trout, and black drum and sheepshead take over in winter. Flounder are closed November 1 to December 14.

90 ft, the kit