Reports & Forecasts: August 2025

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag
Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242
In August, James likes to put a priority on chasing the silver kings in the Gulf, when conditions allow. “This is a great month to target tarpon. We like to run through the jetties on calmer days and look for pods of fish rolling and chasing bait. If we can’t find any that way, we will make long drifts in areas where we’ve seen some recently, and where we find other fish and signs in abundance. As long as we don’t have tropical systems around, the Gulf usually runs pretty smooth during the dog days, so we expect to have as many chances at tarpon this month as we do in any. If I’m fishing for trout this time of year, I like to stay in the deeper parts of Lower Galveston Bay and East Bay, mostly. All the wells and shell pads and other structures lying close to the ship channel have good potential to hold plenty of trout. Catching them means timing the tide cycles right and setting up the boat properly, so lures can be cast and retrieved with the current at the right depth. This can be tricky; a long anchor rope helps, especially during strong tide movements.”

Jimmy West | Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054
Jim likes to wade more than he likes to fish out of the boat, in general. But during the peak of the summer heat wave, fishing out in the middle is usually the more productive option. “We do best this time of year fishing in the deeper water out around the mid-bay reefs in both East and Trinity bays. When we’re working those areas, we like to key on places with plenty of active bait showing, also where we see some birds either hovering and diving, or at least sitting on the water. Popping slicks and visible mud stirs also provide clues to where the schools of fish are working. On the calmer days, early in the mornings especially, topwaters work well at times, especially if lots of mullet are jumping and we’re able to cast right at the frantic bait. On average, though, soft plastics work best to catch the fish during the hottest part of the year. We rig them on jigheads heavy enough to keep the lures down pretty close to the bottom most of the time, even ticking the shell at times. The surf is also a productive option during the calm spells in August.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays
Randall Groves | Groves Guide Service
979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323
In August, with the water about as hot as it gets on a regular basis, Randall sometimes resorts to fishing with bait, to keep the bites coming at a fast clip. “We have so much food in the water for the predators this time of year. It can be tough to turn their attention away from all of it with lures. So we sometimes get out the cast nets and start building up stocks of whatever the trout and reds are feeding on, then giving them what they want. It can be the only way to catch plenty of fish on some days. On other occasions, the bite on lures can be fantastic this time of year. Mostly, that means when light winds prevail and the surf runs green to the beach. Then, we do well out there catching trout, often on topwaters, and best when the tide is coming in during the first few hours of daylight. Fishing the summer surf is a prized tradition for a reason; it can be so much fun. Lately, I’ve been having the best luck throwing a Norton Sand Eel Junior in glow/silver glitter and a chartreuse tail rigged on a three-eighth ounce jighead.”

Matagorda Bays | Capt. Glenn Ging - Glenn’s Guide Service
979.479.1460 - www.glennsguideservice.com
Once the southwest winds subsided and the runoff from the torrential rains dissipated, fishing has gotten much better in the Matagorda area. Drifting deep shell reefs in East Matagorda Bay with soft plastics or live shrimp under corks has been producing steady catches of trout lately. Waders have been scoring good catches on live bait and lures when working the mid-bay reefs. West Matagorda Bay has been producing good catches of trout off the deeper reefs and structures for anglers using live shrimp and soft plastics. Waders in West Matagorda have been catching plenty of trout on the south shoreline grass beds, but the sharks have been especially bad this summer. In the cleaner water, I’ve been doing well on Bass Assassins and Down South Lures in more natural color schemes like Chicken on a Chain, Bone Diamond, Big Poppa Pearl and Spicy Pumpkin. We’re keeping a close eye on the surf and should see some good opportunities to fish out there this month. It’ll be hot, so the best plan is to get out early and stay well-hydrated. It also makes good sense to come in early, especially when an easy morning bites stops abruptly and becomes a grind.

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam
www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204
After recent torrential rains, we’ve been making some pretty long runs to find water with higher salinity, so we can catch some fish. Our trout bite has been good wading and drifting the shoreline of West Matagorda Bay from about Greens to the Big Jetties. Skitter Walks in trout pattern and bone have been the best topwaters. Down South Lures in Magic Grass and Color X have been the best tails. We’ve been starting shallow throwing over grass beds, then working out to the guts later in the morning for best results. The yellow well at The Elbow and the spoils on the Ship Channel have been holding good trout. Over there, free-lining live shrimp and croakers is the best strategy. Redfish have been plentiful on the north shoreline of West Matagorda Bay; the rains have flushed out the back-lakes. We’re seeing some schooling activity, with the reds chasing shrimp down the shorelines. Small lures like Norton Bull Minnows have worked best to get their attention. Next month, I expect the fishing to get better back closer to Palacios as we get some salinity mixed back in our local waters. Turtle Bay and South Bay will be good spots to look for birds working.

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith
Back Bay Guide Service - 361.935.6833
When fishing during the peak of the summer heat wave, Lynn favors several key locations. “Of course, as I always mention, we hope to get into the surf this time of year as much as we can. We tend to find somewhat bigger, more vigorous specks out there than we do in the bays this time of year. And fishing for them out along the beachfront is about as fun as it gets, at least for lure fishermen. We do well when the water runs green to the beach by targeting the trout with topwaters in the first gut at daybreak, then moving out into the deeper guts and throwing soft plastics later in the morning. We also do well on some of the spoils between Port O’Connor and Port Lavaca this time of year, especially with incoming morning tides. The mid-bay reefs separating the main bays south of town also produce well at times, as long as the water’s moving. And, we have good luck on a regular basis fishing the shallow sand bars dotted with some grass beds lying close to the pass. As with the spoils, the bite is best on these bars on morning incoming tides.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead
Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894
Blake says the most productive patterns available to anglers in the Coastal Bend during August typically depend on the weather and other factors. “In a typical August, when we get prolonged calm spells, fishing for trout in the surf is by far the best option. Though accessing the surf area around Cedar Bayou is more work now that we have signs stopping us from running out there all the way in the boat, the action is still great when conditions are right. If we get more wind than usual this month, the fishing is usually better around some of the mid-bay reefs in Aransas and Copano bays, and along the deep grass edges on protected shorelines. The depths of both the La Quinta and Lydia Ann channels provide fish places to retreat and find cooler water. In extra windy conditions this month, the best bite for trout can often be found on the protected sides of spoil islands lying adjacent to these deep ditches. Working the edges of flats and grass beds lying close to the depths often pays off for wading anglers. In Ingleside, anglers trying this should pay close attention to passing ships, which can throw dangerous wakes.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay
Captain James Sanchez Guide Service - 210.260.7454
During August’s peak summer heat, fish often feed vigorously for a short time, then abruptly stop feeding. Getting an early start and focusing on both minor and major feeding periods can help anglers earn more strikes on lures during this sometimes difficult month. Our trout fishing has been excellent all summer, with plenty of keepers landed and some larger ones in the mix. Given that our tides will be very low, I’ll be targeting fish on the shallow edges of drop-offs at dawn when the water’s coolest. Twitching a Mansfield Knocker or a Spook Junior around schools of mullet is a reliable way to get bites from aggressively feeding fish. From mid-morning through the afternoon, we’ll continue to catch trout and redfish around shoreline points or grass lines in three to four feet of water. Soft plastics like KWigglers Ball Tail Shads in Bone Diamond, Naked Margarita and Plum Perfect work best when the blow-ups stop. Redfish have recently been challenging to find, but we can expect this to improve as they begin to school this month. In the mornings, before the boats scare them off, wading shallow sand flats with scattered grass beds produces plenty; spoil islands produce better in the afternoons.

Corpus Christi & Baffin Bay | Capt. Chris Elliott’s Guide Service
[email protected] - 361.834.7262
Lately, the Upper Laguna Madre has been looking like a backyard pool after the yard gets mowed, with floating dead grass all over the place. Each morning, I tie on a top water with treble hooks and am reminded of this after of a few casts made dragging what feels like a leaf rake across the surface. But we aren’t letting the grass stop us from getting an early morning topwater bite. Swapping the treble hooks out for single hooks or switching to a Double D has been the game plan almost every morning. Putting on a soft plastic like a KWiggler Wig-A-Lo on a weedless hook will eliminate the grass problem too. Lately, I’ve found myself going that route and walking the dog with it just under the surface, and the trout have been absolutely slamming it. Some of the redfish are still hanging out on shallow flats, but we’re finding bigger fish closer to drop-offs in about two feet of water. A straight-tail soft plastic bounced around good potholes has been producing good numbers of redfish, along with the occasional quality flounder. Being thorough and working all parts of each pothole within reach will increase productivity over time.

P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins
361.877.3583 - Oceanepics.com
This summer, we’ve had everything from various types of seaweed piling up to copious amounts of tar on the beach. The winds blew hard practically all of June. For a brief period this resulted in cold, dirty water and upwellings along the southern coast, then it finally calmed and warmed to normal. On days with clear water, the trout bite has been very good this summer on topwaters and soft plastics. With the water both clearing and warming back up, I expect all sorts of crazy action in August. The dusky anchovies should start moving closer to the beach. Underneath the birds, chaotic action can lead to catching anything from trout to tarpon to sharks. If the water is clear enough, spotting small schools of slot reds swimming in the guts might be possible. Gold spoons cast close in front of them usually works to catch ‘em. Spanish mackerel and skipjacks should be abundant, and fairly easy to catch on spoons as well. Jacks might make their way in closer to feed on the bait balls. Shark fishing will remain fairly slow, with the exception of the occasional big shark being caught at night,. These will mainly be large tigers.

Port Mansfield, Texas | Ruben Garza
Snookdudecharters.com - 832.385.1431
GetAway Lodge - 956.944.4000
Hot summer weather creates a need to start early in shallow water, and then move deeper as the day progresses. Shallow water cools quickly overnight, but also warms quickly after the sun comes up. Fish react to hot water by abandoning it, and this means moving from shallow water to deeper water this time of year. Early in the mornings, the west shoreline north of town can be great when winds are calm. When fishing the shallows around the Saucer or up north by the Old Game Warden Shack, we do best by staying around plenty of active baitfish. When the active bait moves out deeper, we move with ‘em. I like to start off summer mornings throwing a Mansfield Knocker rigged with single hooks, and gold, weedless spoons work well for the reds. KWiggler Ball Tail Juniors in Plum-Chartreuse or Bart’s Sand Ninja work well, for those who prefer fishing soft plastics. When fishing deeper later in the days, the most productive depth is usually about belly-deep. We like to concentrate our casts into potholes while wading the deepest water we can safely operate in. Drifting alongside the ICW spoils is a productive plan for afternoon fishing during the summer heat wave.

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel
Aaron Cisneros | tightlinescharters.com - 956.639.1941
Fishing on the Lower Laguna has been good in the hot weather. The fish have also felt the heat, so they’ve retreated to the depths of the ICW at times. We’re catching best on drop-offs right along the ditch and on shallow sand bars lying close to the depths. We’re finding the bite is best when we keep our soft plastics moving slowly and staying close to the bottom, actually making contact with the bottom from time to time. For us, quarter-ounce Trout-Eye jigheads from Z-Man aid in this endeavor. Trout of all sizes have been schooling together in the deeper, cooler water, so it can be difficult to cull keepers out of the more numerous undersized fish. The redfish have started schooling up in the passes connecting the bays to the Gulf, and in deeper water adjacent to the ICW. Z-man DieZel MinnowZ in the Redbone color have been working great when we find the reds. Quarter-ounce jigheads help in the effort to make long casts, so we can stay away from the schools, and they keep the lure low in the water column. In the mornings, we find the reds shallow and do well catching them on small topwaters.