Reports & Forecasts: March 2026

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag
Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242
In March, James likes to wade as much of the time as possible. “Normally, during a good February, we identify some areas holding plenty of fish, ones we can target by wading. As long as we don’t get too much rain and runoff coming down the rivers, this action can get better as we head into spring. Sometimes, we’ll see a slight shift in the pattern, meaning more of the fish will prefer a hard, sandy bottom over a soft, muddy bottom. Sometimes, this means we’ll target our fish in slightly different parts of the same areas, always focusing on shallow water this time of year. The bite is usually steady on soft plastics, but we sometimes have more fun and catch bigger trout and reds by throwing hard baits like MirrOdines, Catch 5s and Catch 2000s, also slow-sinking twitchbaits like Soft Dines. The topwater bite can be great at times too, especially if we get some calm weather in the mornings. I’m partial to a little plug like a She Pup, but regular-sized cigar-shaped topwaters work well too, especially for young folks with stronger wrists. If we do have late-season fronts, fishing late in the afternoons can be great, especially on incoming tides.”

Jimmy West | Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054
When Jim gave his report, he had fished a couple days earlier. “We caught plenty of fish in cold weather patterns, mostly in fairly deep water in the bayous and sloughs. We had a better bite on the redfish than the trout. Most of our reds were in the lower end of the slot, so that was good. But the trout were fairly small, with a decent amount of keepers, but not many reaching the twenty-inch mark. The fishing has been better in the bayous than in the open bay most of the time lately, but we did get some heavy rains that messed up the pattern in the bayous. We’ve been having the best luck throwing tails on eighth-ounce heads. As we head into March, we should have some better wading opportunities, with plenty of keeper reds and some of the bigger trout in shallow water. The specific areas which will produce best will depend on how much rain we have and how much freshwater is coming into the upper stretches of Trinity and East bays. With drier conditions, the best action will likely be in the upper parts of each; if it’s wetter, more likely on the south and east shorelines.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays
Randall Groves | Groves Guide Service
979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323
As we feel the warmth of spring approaching, the patterns Randall likes to fish in the area around San Luis Pass change somewhat from those which produced best during the depths of winter. “We catch some of our biggest trout of the year right at the end of winter and start of spring. Normally, we’ve been wading some during February, and we’ve identified some areas holding some of the bigger trout. This usually means we’re working some shallow water around reefs in some of the coves and back-lakes during warm spells between fronts. This becomes the dominant kind of weather as March wears on and runs into April. We will begin to focus on looking for an influx of baitfish out of the Gulf this time of year too, always anticipating the arrival of the schools of glass minnows. Slender, small topwaters sometimes work great when tossed around the clouds of minnows. At other times, Norton Sand Eels in the junior version produce more strikes. Of course, we also watch for birds working over schooling trout and reds this time of year. Out in the big bay, the fish are often smaller under the birds than they are in the backwater areas.”

Matagorda Bays | Capt. Glenn Ging - Glenn’s Guide Service
979.479.1460 - www.glennsguideservice.com
In March, I spend a bunch of time fishing around shell reefs and on mud flats covered by shallow water, looking for redfish, drum and sheepshead. Live shrimp dangled under Coastal Corks are the standard rig, but a Gulp! shrimp or a piece of Fish-bites will work well to replace the live bait. Lots of big black drum will be caught this month out around the jetties and in Mitchell’s Cut. Half of a blue crab and a chunk of cut mullet fished on bottom are the more popular options for folks targeting the drum. Drifting and wading for trout are both excellent options this month. Wading the reefs along the ICW at Chinquapin and the bigger mid-bay reefs will produce some quality trout, mainly for anglers throwing slow-sinking mullet imitations like Paul Brown’s Original Lures and MirrOlure Catch 2000s. Plenty will also be caught on soft plastic jerkbaits and paddletails. Drifting the deeper shell in the middle of the bay will produce better numbers of trout at times, with a few big ones thrown in as a bonus. Corks and live shrimp will work well for that drill, as will soft plastic paddletails and jerkbaits, especially ones which have colors which look like mullet.

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam
www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204
When Aaron sent this report, cold winter weather had sent fish into the deepest water in the Palacios area. “The Harbor in Palacios has some deep holes where we have been targeting trout and redfish on these extremely low tides, fishing Down South Lures in white ice and Coastal Brews in nuke juice rigged on three-eighths ounce jigheads, working them right on the bottom. The bites are very subtle, just a tiny tick. When the water comes back in, we’ve been targeting fish on flats with shell close to deep water, throwing Coastal Corks rigged with Vudu Shrimp or three-inch white Gulp! shrimp around the ledges for best results. The local rivers have also been good for us during this cold spell. We’re fishing deep holes and bends in them, slowly jigging lures along the drop offs. Best lures in the rivers have been Chicken of the Sea Down South Lures and Hoochie Coochie Coastal Brews rigged on quarter-ounce heads. When the weather warms again in March, the flats close to the rivers will produce some nice trout on Fat Boys. Custom ones in the Gringo color and Paul Brown’s Originals in pearl/black work well if the water’s clear.”

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith
Back Bay Guide Service - 361.935.6833
As winter winds down and spring begins, Lynn will be adjusting his strategies with the changes in the weather. “When we have cool weather in March, we like to leave the dock later in the morning and fish through the afternoon, to let the sun heat up the water on the flats. The trout and reds generally bite best in shallow water this time of year. During the cool snaps, we focus our efforts mainly on flats with a soft bottom, usually with at least a little shell scattered around, in places fairly close to deeper water. We often experience the best bite in the afternoon, when the trout and reds pull into the shallows looking for meals. On the other hand, when we have warmer weather, which usually coincides with fairly strong onshore winds and higher tide levels, we head out earlier and prefer fishing the back-lakes, coves and main-bay shorelines, where the water quality holds up under the blow. In all these places, we do well on slow-sinking twitchbaits this time of year. Soft plastics work better when the bite slows, and topwaters produce plenty of blow ups in the best conditions, when the bite is aggressive.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead
Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894
In March, Blake plans to be wading mostly main-bay shorelines in the Coastal Bend, targeting trout and redfish in shallow water over a sandy, grassy bottom. “I like to throw Norton Sand Eels a lot, mostly either light ones like pearl or dark ones like pumpkinseed, always with a chartreuse tail. As a general rule, I rig these on eighth-ounce screw-lock jigheads. This time of year, the topwater bite is also good, at least some of the time. When we see lots of bait huddled up and moving around on the surface, or jumping in ways that show us they’re being chased by predators, we like to throw small topwaters like the Baby Skitter Walk in natural colors like black and silver, also chartreuse. Much of the action at the end of winter and into the beginning of spring is tight to the shoreline grass, within no more than twenty feet or so of the bank. If winds are light and the water in the middle parts of our bays clears up nicely, the fishing can be fast and furious out around some of the oyster reefs. The bite out there is usually best on soft plastics.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay
Captain James Sanchez Guide Service - 210.260.7454
In March, late cold fronts can disrupt our warming spring weather, but remember that these changes are temporary. Fish usually return to their typical patterns shortly after. As temperatures rise and strong southeast winds dominate most days, trout and redfish tend to spend more time in shallower water. I’ll be focusing my efforts on windblown shorelines and spoil islands. Two indicators of plenty of fish include the presence of mullet and feeding birds, such as brown pelicans or even a lone osprey. Good numbers of trout also populate flats adjacent to drop-offs or along the intracoastal waterway. They are currently holding in seagrass beds with potholes, and the depth at which we wade depends on where the mullet are most concentrated. On cooler days, we’ve waded in waist-deep water, while on warmer days, we’ve gone thigh-deep or shallower. The topwater action will improve and retrieving a Mansfield Knocker over potholes can produce plenty of fish. For plastics, a Ball-tail Shad is effective for deeper water, but in shallower water, a Wig-A-Lo or Willow-tail tends to work better. The MirrOlure Soft-Dine XL continues to be a reliable choice, and I often use a Fat Boy, or floating Fat Boy.

Corpus Christi & Baffin Bay | Capt. Chris Elliott’s Guide Service
[email protected] - 361.834.7262
For the next couple of months, we will likely be experiencing some of the lowest tide levels of the year. This is a great time to explore new areas, mark hazards, and of course catch some great fish. With these low tides and cooler water temperatures, the best bet is to focus on the areas right off the flats where bait and game fish are forced to relocate. Lure selection for me this time of year is quite simple. A straight-tail soft plastic is almost always the best idea. As far as presentation goes, working the worm near the bottom is typically option number one to start the day. Later, as the sun heats up the water some, I like to switch up to suspending style bait like a Fat Boy or Soft Dine once I see plenty of bait activity. During a prolonged warm-up, I like to spend some time in the shallow water near the shorelines later in the day. Water temperatures will we warmer, and the redfish and trout will ease up there looking for an easy meal. As spring begins, and the water warms, throwing topwaters late in the afternoon can produce some epic action from big trout and reds.

P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins
361.877.3583 - Oceanepics.com
As the water warms up this spring, the action on the beachfront will likely explode. There will be a great variety of species readily available in the surf and then the possibility of mysterious surprises on top of that. Red and black drum will still remain in the surf, but as the water warms, expect the chances at hooking up to a powerhouse jack crevalle to increase. Pound for pound, jacks are arguably the strongest fighting fish in the sea. When using mullet as the primary bait selection, chances at either a red or a jack will be quite high. The pompano bite should be fair this spring despite a slow winter. If the water is relatively clear and hasn’t warmed up too fast, shrimp and Fish-bites are usually effective baits for targeting these tasty fish. Also, at the start of spring, sharks will start to invade the shallows. Expect residual sandbar sharks in early-March phasing out to large blacktip and scalloped hammerheads by the end of the month. All of these should be around feeding on an array of smaller baitfish like whiting. Any large sharks (tigers/makos) present will be hunting in large schools of jack crevalle or little tunny.

Port Mansfield, Texas | Ruben Garza
Snookdudecharters.com - 832.385.1431
GetAway Lodge - 956.944.4000
In March, we should start seeing more days of warmer weather and fewer days in waders. Although a late, strong cold front can’t be ruled out, strong southeast winds should be the norm. The East Cut and nearby flats will offer consistent action from redfish which spent some time during the cold weather at the jetties. Don’t be shocked by an occasional trophy trout schooled up with them. Early-spring tides will start bringing the water levels back up in the bay from the winter lows. This will allow trout and redfish to start filtering back into some of the shallow flats near the drop-offs. With water temperatures steadily rising, throwing topwaters in the morning should produce reliable action. On the days when the wind is light, the west shoreline north of Century Point will be a solid choice. Fishing hip to waist-deep water using soft plastics like the KWiggler Ball-tail Shads or Wig-A-Los is going to be good for those willing to wade and pound the bank. A few flounder found near the shore will be an added bonus. Boat traffic will be increasing, especially during Spring Break, so caution and courtesy should be practiced.

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel
Aaron Cisneros | tightlinescharters.com - 956.639.1941
Winter fishing has been steady on the Lower Laguna Madre, and I expect the action to pick up once we exit winter and walk through the door of spring. Lately, we’ve been finding good numbers of speckled trout in three to four-feet of water adjacent to drop-offs and grass lines. Z-man four-inch Big BallerZ in the color they call Troutcicle rigged on eighth-ounce Eye-strike jigheads have been earning more strikes than any other lures. Incoming tides tend to stir up the aggressiveness of the trout during the winter months, and this remains true as spring begins. Fishing during the early morning hours while a tide gushes in is often the best way to catch a bunch of fish. Redfish numbers are healthy. We’re finding plenty while fishing the shallow grass flats with an abundance of potholes. Z-man Diezel MinnowZ in Houdini rigged on Texas-eye weedless jigheads have been driving them crazy. On the colder days, we like to fish our soft plastics slow, keeping them right close to the bottom, puffing up some mud or sand regularly. Finding bait is the main factor which determines how many fish are caught. This becomes more true as the water warms at the start of spring.