South Padre: May 2026
The Lower Laguna Madre, which stretches approximately 130 miles north to south and varies 2- to 6-miles east to west, is generally considered in three sections. The lower portion lies from Port Isabel/South Padre Island to slightly south of the Arroyo Colorado. The middle section lies from just south of the Arroyo Colorado to Port Mansfield, and the upper section lies from Port Mansfield to the southern end of the Land Cut. Basically shaped like an hourglass, the ends are not only wider but also generally deeper. The average depth of the Lower Laguna Madre is 2.8 feet.
Recently, I fished all three sections. The Port Isabel-South Padre area, has scattered fish on both the west and east sides of the ICW. I found no big concentrations other than fishing on or near the ICW for trout. Noticeably, I have not seen the big numbers of trout as we are accustomed this time of year.
The sand on the east side holds a good number of redfish and some big trout, but catching them is highly dependent on the tide. Generally speaking, high tides here produce better than low tides. As clear as the water is on the sand, the fish are wary, so long casts are required.
The middle section of the Laguna is shallower and muddier than the other two. Which is why it has the most “working bird” opportunity this time of year. I went into detail on how to look for and fish these birds last month. Last year, we noticed the birds worked into June, but after May, you will normally see a significant drop in bird activity as the winds lay down for the summer.
What was remarkably good fishing about a month ago on the east side potholes, just north of Green Island, has now tapered off and I suspect this is due to increased boat traffic. As tides rise in springtime the shorelines of the spoil islands north of the Arroyo will attract lots of bait, and therefore lots of game fish. The amount of bait present will tell you when the fish should be there.
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been bouncing around from east to west and north to south. Port Mansfield has healthy numbers of redfish, more than I have seen in the other sections, and they seem to be liking potholes. They also seem to be liking the edges of grass lines up shallow. This time of the year, if you can find an abundance of bait fish along the west shoreline north of Port Mansfield, you will probably find fish there. The east side of the ICW, particularly the sand, has been showing scattered fish and little bait activity.
Moving on into May, continued warming will provide improved snook fishing opportunity. It is still not the peak month to find them up shallow, but this when it starts to happen. There will also be good concentrations of big snook in the Brownsville Ship Channel. Last year, we caught many large females working the drop-offs, docks, and drainage canals during moving tides.
I must emphasize that if you want to become a better angler you should be putting effort into the science of fishing – studying the tides, solunar feeding periods, and how the moon in general affects the tides and the fish. All this information will help you know what is happening around you and how the fish are behaving. I will admit you won’t always get it right, but over time you will notice patterns and gain a better understanding and valuable knowledge of the fish you are after.
I will close with two pieces of advice if your desire is to become more consistent in your catching. First – Strive to fish a spot you’ve never fished before every time you get on the water. If you find fish, take notes. What was the season, what was the tide doing, water temperature, water depth? I cannot say how many honeyholes I have found by fishing spots I had never fished before.
Second – Try to fish with anglers more skilled than yourself as often as you can. Better anglers have greater skill sets that you can pick up on and, hopefully, most will be willing to share. Imitating the way they fish can accelerate your own learning process exponentially.
