South Padre: June 2026

It’s hard to believe summer is here already. It seems to arrive sooner every year. Just like the old-timers always say; the older you get the quicker time passes. With school out, our waters will soon fill with boaters and anglers. Fishing remains a very popular pastime and there will be tournaments every weekend.

Now, let’s get to the conditions and events that might impact June fishing. I study the tides and moon phases as they occur and assign ratings to each date on the calendar – excellent, very good and good. No rating probably means a four tide day, which I consider slow or poor potential. I have found that prime tidal flow—which boosts feeding and fishing activity—often occurs 4 to 7 days before and/or after a new or full moon.

Simply put, stronger tidal flow stirs the small crustaceans and baitfish from the bottom and sweeps them along with the current. Game fish stage at strategic locations to intercept them and take advantage.

My June fishing calendar marks 20 days with good potential according to the moon and tides. Please remember, though, while this is based on science there are plenty of other factors—weather, boat traffic, fishing pressure, or the choice of unproductive locations—that can all affect results. My research isn’t always exact, but I’m about eighty to eighty-five percent accurate, and I stand by those odds.

I look at it this way; the more data you gather, the better your understanding becomes. I explain this to clients so they know why the bite isn’t always steady. I also share when I expect the fish will start biting—and I’m usually pretty accurate.

I encourage you to explore the data available. This will help you become a better angler or, at a minimum, increase your understanding of fish behavior. Start with a tide chart and build your knowledge from there. I would say that’s the start of a good foundation.

Redfish can surprise you by staying in deep water, water too deep to wade, when boat traffic is heavy. Not only can traffic cause them to retreat, but June is the first hot month; keep in mind that deeper water will be cooler. Also, this month, redfish will not stay long in certain areas due to increased pressure. They will be there one morning and gone the next, leaving you perplexed and wondering where they went. Trying to figure out fish patterns is part of the game. I have found many new honeyholes by thinking outside the box, scanning the bay for areas with bait, and exploring out-of-the-way spots off the beaten path for outboards of all sizes.

Our trout fishery is also looking good. The number and size of trout caught under the birds this year has been phenomenal. Trout are a bit more finicky than redfish, so deeper water during the peak heat of the day will draw them. The edges of the ICW, the deeper potholes on the flats, and old oil field cuts will hold an abundance of trout.

Throwing plastics and bumping bottom will get them to bite. If the bite is off and they are barely nibbling at the bait, I suggest switching to a smaller plastic. If that is the case, I will throw ZMan’s four-inch Paddlerz, a four-inch Streakz, a KickerCrabZ, or even a four-inch Kickerz.

If my clients want to target bigger trout in the next couple of summer months, I’m going to focus efforts on potholes along the ICW spoil banks. Most of the females have been spawning since early April and have lost much of their weight. So, I wouldn’t consider June a trophy trout month, but they certainly don’t lose their length.

Last year's snook fishing on the flats was off, but the year before was unbelievable. Generally speaking, the snook population has grown such that they can now be caught year-round, but their numbers still fluctuate from year to year. This year has started slowly but June has always been an excellent month to target them. Topwaters tend to attract their attention the best, but if they won’t go on top the 5-inch ZMan Paddlerz in Sexy Penny has fooled a lot of them for me.