Fishing Report: Springtime Bite Heats Up Across Texas Gulf Coast

This is Artificial Lure with your Gulf of Mexico, Texas fishing report for Wednesday, April 16, 2025. We’ve finally shaken off those late season fronts, and after a wild ride with the wind, things are settling into classic spring conditions. Surface temps across the coast are running from 68 to 75 degrees depending on where you’re launching, which has the fish feeling frisky and the bite steadily improving up and down the Texas Gulf[1][2][3]. Sunrise slipped over the horizon at 6:51 am today, and sunset is set for 7:46 pm. Expect light, variable winds most of the day, and seas holding around 1 to 2 feet. Water clarity is best west of the Stingaree, but gets a bit murkier as you head east toward High Island[1][5]. Tides today in Galveston are showing a morning high at 7:43 am, a midday low at 2:03 pm, and another minor high near 2:48 pm. Currents are mild with a relatively low tidal range – that means fish should hang close to structure and current edges[6][9]. The jetties and inshore reefs are firing. Sheepshead are thick around the Galveston and Port Aransas jetties – live shrimp is the top ticket, but dead shrimp and cut bait are doing work too. Trout are starting to show more consistently, with both Galveston Bay and West Bay producing, especially for waders working the shell flats with live croaker or shrimp. Artificial lures like paddle tail soft plastics, especially in Slam Shady or peppered pumpkin, are grabbing the attention of trout and redfish alike[1][7][10]. For reds, gold spoons and paddle tails like the Egret Wedgetail Mullet in limeade or white diamond have been great, especially on shallow grass lines or bays with scattered oysters. Flounder are a little small but are being caught around the rocks – popping corks with live shrimp are the way to go[1][10]. Offshore, the state water snapper bite is picking up; anglers timing the calmer seas are getting nice limits. Best baits are live shrimp, live or fresh dead croaker, and cut mullet or menhaden for redfish. Artificial options that are working well right now include paddletail soft plastics and jerkbaits, as well as the classic gold spoon. Don’t forget the Gulp! lineup in natural colors when the water is off-color[7][10]. Recent reports mention steady catches of black drum, sheepshead, redfish, speckled trout, and the occasional pompano and jack crevalle along the middle coast and beaches. A few sharks have even been landed in the surf. Lower coast anglers working jetties and surf near Port A and Corpus Christi are also finding bull reds and some early snapper offshore[2][3][5]. Hot spots to check out today: the Galveston jetties for sheepshead and trout, Umbrella Point and the reefs of East Bay for trout and slot reds, and the flats near Port Aransas for redfish. For waders, the west shorelines of West Bay and Trinity Bay are both producing. Get out early for the best action and good luck out there. This is Artificial Lure wishing you tight lines and bent rods across the Te This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.