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Port guide / Coastal Bend / Texas
Seadrift fishing guide
Seadrift is a small shrimping town on the north shore of San Antonio Bay, with the Guadalupe River delta to the west and Espiritu Santo Bay, The Lagoon, Shoalwater Bay and Welder Flats a few miles south down Lane Road on the Intracoastal. Anglers fish the bayfront and seawall park right in town, launch at the bayfront park or Swan Point, and wade or drift the island shorelines and cuts for reds, trout, black drum and flounder. Unlike Port O'Connor and Palacios, there is no jetty or Gulf pass here at all, so it fishes as quiet back bay and river delta country, and the Guadalupe delta adds alligator gar trips you will not find at the jetty towns.
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 Seadrift. Updates through the day.
- Loading the 7 day forecast.
NOAA tides, Seadrift, TX (opens in a new tab) NOAA station Port Lavaca, TX (opens in a new tab) NWS 7 day forecast (opens in a new tab) NWS marine forecast, San Antonio, Mesquite, and Espiritu Santo Bays (opens in a new tab)
12 ft, the chart
Chart and depths
The official NOAA chart, centered on Seadrift. Depths, channels, reefs and markers, live from NOAA.
The NOAA chart loads when you scroll here.
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 Seadrift guide reports (opens in a new tab) Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays (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.
20 ft, what is biting
What is biting, month by month
When each fish is at its best around Seadrift. This month is marked.
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redfish | Slow | Slow | Good | Good | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Good | Slow |
| Speckled trout | Slow | Slow | Good | Good | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Good | Slow | Slow |
| Black drum | Slow | Slow | Good | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Good |
| Southern flounder | Slow | Slow | Good | Good | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Good | Slow |
| Sheepshead | Slow | Slow | Good | Good | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Good | Slow | Slow |
| Alligator gar | Slow | Slow | Good | Good | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Good | Slow |
Redfish
Peak: May, June, July, August, September
Fall reds have been working the back lakes on cut mullet, sardines and skipjack, and TPWD notes large reds are caught all year here.
Speckled trout
Peak: May, June, July, August
Wade and drift the shorelines of Dewberry and Long islands and the cuts into The Lagoon and Shoalwater Bay.
Black drum
Peak: April, May, June, July, August, September, October
One of the four main targets for Seadrift guides, often caught alongside reds on cut bait.
Southern flounder
Peak: May, June, July, August, September
Wading and gigging the shallows works, but Texas closes flounder November 1 to December 14.
Sheepshead
Peak: May, June, July, August
A spring and summer target for guides working the bays between Seadrift and Port O'Connor.
Alligator gar
Peak: May, June, July, August, September
Guides run rod and reel and bowfishing gar trips on the lower Guadalupe River near Tivoli, just west of town.
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 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
- Bay
Seadrift bayfront and seawall park
Bank fishing on San Antonio Bay right in town, with picnic tables and a covered seating area.
- Channel
Charlie's Cut (Fulghum's Cut, Shoalwater Cut)
Big cut off the Intracoastal about 250 yards northeast of Charlie's Bait Camp that leads into The Lagoon, Shoalwater Bay and Espiritu Santo Bay; good water, but heavy boat traffic.
- Flats
Dewberry Island and Long Island shorelines
Shallow shorelines on the north side of Espiritu Santo Bay for wading and drifting, with cuts that act as fish magnets.
- Bay
The Lagoon and Shoalwater Bay
Back bays off Charlie's Cut where schools of reds move through in early spring.
- Flats
Welder Flats
Southwest down the Intracoastal from Charlie's, full of coves, sloughs and small lagoons that hold fish year round.
- Marsh
Guadalupe River delta and Mission Lake
The last miles of the Guadalupe into Guadalupe Bay, with a loop through Mission Lake and Traylor Cut.
50 ft, launch and piers
Ramps and piers
Public launches and fishing piers. Fees and hours change, so check the link before you tow.
| Name | Type | Fee | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seadrift Bayfront Park ramp (opens in a new tab) | Ramp | Check | 1201 W Bay Avenue, Seadrift, TX 77983 |
| Calhoun County Sanders Park at Swan Point boat ramp (opens in a new tab) | Ramp | Check | Swan Point Rd., south of Seadrift, TX 77983 |
| Charlie's Bait Camp launch (opens in a new tab) | Ramp | Check | 4194 Lane Rd., Seadrift, TX 77983 |
| Calhoun's Riverside RV Retreat ramp (opens in a new tab) | Ramp | Paid | 125 Haeber Lane, Tivoli, TX 77990 |
| Seadrift beachfront pier and park pavilion (opens in a new tab) | Pier | Check | Bayfront park, Seadrift, TX 77983 |
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.
Bait and tackle (2)
Showing all 2 shops
- Bait and tackleLive bait
The Fishing Center, Port O'Connor
Bait: live shrimp, live croaker, frozen bait
1303 Water Street, Port O'Connor, TX 77982
About 20 minutes east in Port O'Connor; opens at 5 am every day and has ramps, fuel and ice.
- Bait shop
Charlie's Bait Camp
4194 Lane Rd., Seadrift, TX 77983
At the end of Lane Road on the Intracoastal, with a launch, fish cleaning station, ice, gas and a small selection of terminal tackle; closest launch to Espiritu Santo Bay, The Lagoon and Welder Flats.
Live bait comes and goes with the weather and the season. Call before you drive.
Charters and guides
| Charter | Fishing |
|---|---|
| Bar W Outfitters (opens in a new tab) | Inshore |
| Fantail Fishing Adventures (opens in a new tab) | Inshore |
| Bechtol Outfitters (opens in a new tab) | Inshore |
| Third Coast Outdoors (opens in a new tab) | Inshore |
| Capt Jack's Skinny Water Fly Fishing (opens in a new tab) | Fly |
70 ft, on the calendar
Tournaments and events
Annual events on this water. Dates move, so confirm with the organiser.
Seadrift Shrimpfest and fishing tournament (opens in a new tab)
usually early June
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 Seadrift, asked and answered
Where do I launch to fish Espiritu Santo Bay from Seadrift?
Charlie's Bait Camp at the end of Lane Road sits on the Intracoastal about 250 yards from Charlie's Cut, which leads into The Lagoon, Shoalwater Bay and Espiritu Santo Bay. In town, the Seadrift Bayfront Park ramp is at 1201 W Bay Avenue and Calhoun County's Swan Point ramp is just south of town.
Can I fish Seadrift without a boat?
Yes. The bayfront and seawall park on San Antonio Bay is set up for bank fishing, with picnic tables and covered seating, and the town also has a public pier by the park pavilion.
What are the main fish at Seadrift?
Redfish, speckled trout, black drum and flounder are the main targets for Seadrift guides, and TPWD notes large reds are caught here all year. Fall guide reports had reds in the back lakes on cut mullet, sardines and skipjack.
Where can I buy bait near Seadrift?
Charlie's Bait Camp on Lane Road is the local bait camp; call ahead at (361) 785-3023. The Fishing Center in Port O'Connor, about 20 minutes away, sells live shrimp and croaker and opens at 5 am.
Can I keep flounder in November?
No. Texas closes flounder November 1 to December 14 and the bag limit is zero during that window.
90 ft, the kit
What we would take to Seadrift
Sources for this guide (11), last checked 2026-10-27
- captainexperiences.com/fishing-reports/locations/texas/seadrift (opens in a new tab)
- captainexperiences.com/locations/texas/port-oconnor/seasonality (opens in a new tab)
- captainexperiences.com/locations/texas/seadrift (opens in a new tab)
- pocfishingcenter.com (opens in a new tab)
- startournament.org/ (opens in a new tab)
- tpwd.texas.gov/boating/paddling-trails/gulf-coast/seadrift/ (opens in a new tab)
- tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/fishing/saltwater-fishing/bag-length-limits/flou (opens in a new tab)
- seadriftchamber.com/ (opens in a new tab)
- seadriftchamber.com/chamber-members (opens in a new tab)
- seadriftchamber.com/pdfs/2026/2026_Shrimpfest_Sponsorship_Letter.pdf (opens in a new tab)
- texassaltwaterfishingmagazine.com/fishing/locations/mid-coast/seadriftpoc (opens in a new tab)
100 ft, the seabed
Gear up for Seadrift
UPF 50+ fishing shirts, hats and gloves for the Gulf Coast. Free shipping over $100. Ships from Texas, usually within 1 to 2 business days.