The View: March 2026
Though winter does not officially exit the calendar until later this month, green buds on branches and other flora indicate warm weather is here. That’s great news for spring breakers trying to add a little color to their skin, and even better for anglers as warm water from equinox tides pumps fresh recruits into barren back lakes and reefs that have been exposed all winter.
Warm, swelling tides give every inch of our estuaries new life and traditionally kick off our consistent charter fishing season. We love chasing speckled trout and redfish along the deep shell and mud of East Bay. January and February were stellar for drifting with Chicken on a Chain, plum, and Magic Grass Bass Assassins, along with Down South Lures. March should be even better.
Overall, it has been a warm winter despite the few frigid days we experienced in late January. Our winter fishing has been more like late fall. Heck, birds even worked in January this year.
The good news is we did not see our speckled trout recruits harmed by the sub-freezing days in January. The Freeze of 2021 is five years behind us, and our fishery continues to rebound toward providing normal and healthy Matagorda trout.
We never discount West Matagorda Bay this time of year. Trout hang on the edges of the guts and sloughs, and we gingerly wade these areas with Bass Assassins, Down South Lures, Corkys, and Soft-Dines. West Bay’s grass shorelines hold fishable water even when spring blusters blow, and depending on how mild March becomes, the first signs of glass minnows could show up right around Spring Break.
March normally gets the redfish bite going—everywhere. Spots like Lake Austin, Oyster Lake, Crab Lake, and Boggy are great March hideouts. Make long drifts with Gulp! under a popping cork or anchor on reefs.
There will still be a cold front or two in March, so move to the mouths of the lakes when the north winds howl and the tides fall. The water and bait will be pouring out of the back lakes, and the fish ride with the tide. Camp out and wait for the redfish to come through—the lower the tide, the better the fishing will be.
Redfish are not the only drum in abundance in March. Juvenile black drum, the eating kind, frequent reefs in West Matagorda Bay. Twin Islands, Shell Island, and Oyster Lake are all proven drum haunts in March. Live shrimp under a popping cork is the best bet.
Oversized black drum—those longer than 30 inches—are spawners and are catch-and-release only, but that doesn’t mean they are any less fun to catch. Big black bruisers frequent the channels, rivers, and jetties leading to the Gulf, and a cracked blue crab is the most popular offering.
Since we continue to experience drought-like conditions, the Colorado River remains green and salty. Pier anglers have seen steady action at night, and we use the river as a refuge when the cold north wind blows. The same holds true for the Diversion Channel and the ICW.
Early indications for 2026 point to a great year of fishing.
We will be here with a smile when you’re ready to enjoy Matagorda’s bays, beaches, and businesses.
