Texas BiteCast

South Padre Fishing Conditions Today

Sunday, October 18, 2026 · updates through the day

Right now in South Padre: 66°F, wind NW 21 knots gusting 24 (observed at South Padre Island CG Station (1 mi) · sky & visibility from PORT ISABEL-CAMERON COUNTY APT (12 mi)). The barometer is falling at 30.22 inHg. The tide at Queen Isabella Causeway (west end) is falling, with a low of 0.5 ft at 3:25 PM. Offshore buoy 42092 reports 4.6 ft seas and 81°F water. Moon: first quarter (48% lit); moon and tide activity rated average. Major solunar feeding periods: 6:25 AM–8:25 AM and 6:50 PM–8:50 PM. Sea state: extremely rough. Stay in: seas are over 4 feet. Recently reported biting nearby: mangrove snapper, speckled trout, pompano, redfish, black drum.

Tides, weather & fishing times

Port Isabel · Friday, May 14 · NOAA 8779770 · Station page

0.00.51.01.5ft12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p12a☀ 6:43 AM☀ 8:07 PMLow 0.4 ft4:55 AMHigh 1.1 ft12:17 PMLow 0.7 ft6:53 PMSolunarMinor: Moonset, 2:18 AM–3:18 AMMajor: Moon underfoot, 7:50 AM–9:50 AMMinor: Moonrise, 2:25 PM–3:25 PMMajor: Moon overhead, 8:10 PM–10:10 PM
Major periodMinor periodNightNOAA 6-minute predictions · Heights in feet above MLLW

Tides

▼ Low4:55 AM0.37 ft
▲ High12:17 PM1.12 ft
▼ Low6:53 PM0.68 ft

Tidal range today: 0.75 ft

Sun & Moon

Sunrise
6:43 AM
Sunset
8:07 PM
Moonrise
2:55 PM
Moonset
2:48 AM
🌔

Waxing Gibbous

67% illuminated

Fishing Times

Low

  • Minor2:18 AM–3:18 AM
  • Major7:50 AM–9:50 AM
  • Minor2:25 PM–3:25 PM
  • Major8:10 PM–10:10 PM

Estimate from moon phase, solunar periods, and tidal range.

Tides for Port Isabel, week of May 9

Tap a day to see its chart

DayMoonSun1st tide2nd tide3rd tide4th tideCoefficientSolunar activity
9 Sun🌒▲ 6:46 AM
▼ 8:04 PM
10:18 AM
▲ 1.8 ft
98very high
10 Mon🌒▲ 6:45 AM
▼ 8:05 PM
12:36 AM
▼ -0.5 ft
11:25 AM
▲ 1.7 ft
96very high
11 Tue🌒▲ 6:44 AM
▼ 8:05 PM
1:34 AM
▼ -0.4 ft
12:07 PM
▲ 1.6 ft
91very high
12 Wed🌓▲ 6:44 AM
▼ 8:06 PM
2:31 AM
▼ -0.2 ft
12:29 PM
▲ 1.5 ft
80high
13 Thu🌓▲ 6:43 AM
▼ 8:06 PM
3:34 AM
▼ 0.1 ft
12:27 PM
▲ 1.3 ft
66average
14 Fri🌔▲ 6:43 AM
▼ 8:07 PM
4:55 AM
▼ 0.4 ft
12:17 PM
▲ 1.1 ft
6:53 PM
▼ 0.7 ft
49average
15 Sat🌔▲ 6:42 AM
▼ 8:08 PM
12:14 AM
▲ 1.0 ft
6:18 AM
▼ 0.7 ft
12:10 PM
▲ 1.0 ft
7:12 PM
▼ 0.4 ft
44low

Coefficient compares each day's tidal swing with this station's weak and strong tides over the surrounding month (about 45 = weak, 95 = strong). Bigger swings move more water and bait.

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NOAA marine forecast

Bays

Laguna Madre From the Port Of Brownsville to the Arroyo Colorado

Lower Texas coastal waters from Baffin Bay to the mouth of the
Rio Grande out 60 NM. 

Seas are provided as a range of the average height of the highest
1/3 of the waves, along with the occasional height of the average
highest 10 percent of the waves.


GMZ130-132-135-182030-
Laguna Madre from the Port of Brownsville to the Arroyo Colorado-
Laguna Madre from the Arroyo Colorado To 5 NM north of Port
Mansfield TX-
Laguna Madre from 5 nm north of Port Mansfield to Baffin Bay TX-
227 AM CDT Sun Oct 18 2026

.TODAY...North winds 10 to 15 knots. A moderate chop on the bay.
A slight chance of showers early this afternoon. A chance of
showers late this afternoon. 
.TONIGHT...Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming north 5 to
10 knots in the late evening and overnight. A moderate chop on
the bay, diminishing to a light chop on the bay in the late 
evening and overnight. A slight chance of showers in the evening.
Full forecast ↗

Nearshore, out to 20 nm

Coastal waters from Port Mansfield TX to the Rio Grande River out 20 NM

Lower Texas coastal waters from Baffin Bay to the mouth of the
Rio Grande out 60 NM. 

Seas are provided as a range of the average height of the highest
1/3 of the waves, along with the occasional height of the average
highest 10 percent of the waves.


GMZ150-155-182030-
Gulf waters from Port Mansfield to the Rio Grande out 20 nm-
Gulf waters from Baffin Bay to Port Mansfield out 20 nm-
227 AM CDT Sun Oct 18 2026

.TODAY...North winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 4 to 5 feet. Wave 
Detail: Northeast 5 feet at 8 seconds and north 3 feet at 5 
seconds. A slight chance of showers this morning, then a chance of
showers this afternoon. 
.TONIGHT...Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 4 to 5 feet. Wave
Detail: Northeast 5 feet at 9 seconds. A chance of showers early
in the evening.
Full forecast ↗

Recent fishing reports

All reports →

Port Mansfield · Lower Laguna Madre (Arroyo City)

  • Mangrove snapper
  • Speckled trout
  • Pompano

Mangrove snapper, trout and pompano on live bait.

Bait
Live bait

Today We Fish Charter · FishingBooker ↗

Port Mansfield · Lower Laguna Madre (Arroyo City)

  • Redfish
  • Speckled trout

Reds and trout on the drift.

Today We Fish Charter · FishingBooker ↗

Port Mansfield · Lower Laguna Madre (Arroyo City)

  • Redfish
  • Speckled trout

More reds and trout.

Today We Fish Charter · FishingBooker ↗

South Padre · Lower Laguna Madre

  • Speckled trout
  • Black drum

Big trout at night, black drum by day; slower under the full moon.

Conditions
Full moon slowed the day bite

Capt. Gus M. · Captain Experiences ↗

South Padre · Offshore out of Port Isabel

  • Red snapper
  • Black grouper
  • Cobia
  • Kingfish

Snapper, black grouper, cobia and kings, with blue water close to the beach.

Conditions
Blue water close in

Ruben G. · Captain Experiences ↗

Common questions

What is the tide doing in South Padre today?
At Queen Isabella Causeway (west end) the tide is falling. Today's tides: high 1.8 ft at 1:59 AM, low 0.5 ft at 3:25 PM.
Is it a good day to fish South Padre?
Extremely Rough seas: Over 4 feet. Not a day to run offshore. Moon and tide activity: Average. Stay in: seas are over 4 feet.
What are the best fishing times in South Padre today?
Solunar periods: minor 12:00 AM–12:45 AM, major 6:25 AM–8:25 AM, minor 1:59 PM–2:59 PM, major 6:50 PM–8:50 PM. Sunrise 7:29 AM, sunset 6:58 PM.
What's biting in South Padre right now?
Oct 14: Mangrove snapper, trout and pompano on live bait. Oct 13: Reds and trout on the drift. Oct 12: More reds and trout.

More for South Padre

Data: NOAA CO-OPS tides, National Weather Service observations and marine forecasts, NOAA NDBC buoys; moon and solunar times computed for South Padre. Not for navigation. Machine-readable: JSON.