Texas Coast Fishing Report: Trout, Reds, and Rainbows for Thanksgiving

Artificial Lure here with your Gulf of Mexico Texas Coast fishing report for Wednesday, November 26, 2025. We started the morning with a sunrise around 6:52 a.m. and can expect sunset this evening at 5:20 p.m., giving us prime daylight fishing hours. Skies across the upper and middle coast are mild with temps in the upper 70s to low 80s—perfect wading and boat weather. Winds are manageable this morning but are forecasted to pick up mid-day out of the southeast, so plan accordingly for open-bay runs. Water temperatures from Galveston down to Port Isabel range from 74 to 80 degrees, holding steady from earlier in the month, which keeps those fish feeding actively. Here’s today’s tidal rundown. Houston and Galveston Bay see a high tide early, around 3:35 a.m., and a low tide just after sunset near 7:00 p.m. Port Aransas is working its way from a midday low to a late-night high. Texas City’s low is projected at 2:20 p.m., with the next incoming tide peaking close to midnight. With outgoing water through late afternoon, expect fish to stage on points and drains—especially as the sun edges down. Let’s talk fish. According to Lone Star Outdoor News, this past week has seen solid action for **redfish** and **speckled trout** in almost every bay complex. Galveston Bay: specks are fair on soft plastics and live shrimp, with redfish and sheepshead coming on cut bait and shrimp. West Bay’s redfish and black drum are fair on the same, and Freeport is churning out trout and sand trout on shrimp and plastics. Matagorda and Port O’Connor redfish continue to eat cut mullet and Spanish sardines. Port Aransas is red hot: good numbers of slot reds taking live shrimp, cut mullet, and silver spoons, while pompano are showing on shrimp and Fish Bites. Down in the southern bays, trout and redfish remain active on soft plastics, topwaters, and live shrimp—the classic Texas winter pattern. With rainbow trout stocking starting today, courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife, there’s also opportunity for freshwater action if you’re looking to shake things up. The annual stockings include select bodies of water across the state and are always a big hit for families over Thanksgiving. Baits of choice—stick with **live shrimp** for everything from trout to mangrove snapper and sheepshead, especially along reefs, jetties, and bayous. Soft plastics in chartreuse, white, and rootbeer continue to produce, especially under popping corks. For artificials, silver spoons and paddle tails are best for covering flats and oyster edges. Don’t overlook cut mullet or menhaden for bull reds around passes and channel edges. If you find birds or see nervous mullet—get a topwater walking bait over there at dawn or dusk for a shot at gator trout. Notable spots this week: - **East and West Matagorda Bays** for solid trout and redfish action. - **Texas City Dike and Galveston jetties** for a mix of reds, sheepshead, and trout on outgoing tides. - Port Aransas jetties and South Bay flats have h This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.