Texas Fishing Calendar
What's biting month by month, and how many Texas charters on Unreel target each fish.
| Fish | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Redfish284 charters · March to April and August to November | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: peak | April: peak | May: off peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: peak | December: off peak |
 Flounder176 charters · May to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Black Drum146 charters · February to May | January: off peak | February: peak | March: peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Speckled Trout140 charters · April to June and September to November | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: peak | December: off peak |
 Sheepshead57 charters · January to April | January: peak | February: peak | March: peak | April: peak | May: off peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Striped Bass53 charters · February to June | January: off peak | February: peak | March: peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Catfish44 charters · April to June | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Snapper43 charters · June to August | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: off peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Shark42 charters · May to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Mahi-Mahi39 charters · May to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Largemouth Bass37 charters · March to May | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Crappie33 charters · February to April | January: off peak | February: peak | March: peak | April: peak | May: off peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Snook31 charters · May to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Tarpon29 charters · June to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Grouper27 charters · April to June and September to November | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: peak | December: off peak |
 King Mackerel27 charters · May to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 White Bass21 charters · February to May | January: off peak | February: peak | March: peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Sailfish18 charters · June to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Marlin17 charters · June to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Cobia15 charters · April to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Wahoo13 charters · November to March | January: peak | February: peak | March: peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: off peak | November: peak | December: peak |
 Amberjack11 charters · August to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Spanish Mackerel10 charters · April to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Yellowfin Tuna7 charters · April to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Pompano5 charters · March to May and October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Tripletail3 charters · April to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
Shaded months are the typical peak for a charter trip. The outlined column is this month.
Texas fishing, month by month
- January
- Sheepshead, Wahoo
- February
- Black Drum, Sheepshead, Striped Bass, Crappie, White Bass, Wahoo
- March
- Redfish, Black Drum, Sheepshead, Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Crappie, White Bass, Wahoo, Pompano
- April
- Redfish, Black Drum, Speckled Trout, Sheepshead, Striped Bass, Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Grouper, White Bass, Cobia, Spanish Mackerel, Yellowfin Tuna, Pompano, Tripletail
- May
- Flounder, Black Drum, Speckled Trout, Striped Bass, Catfish, Shark, Mahi-Mahi, Largemouth Bass, Snook, Grouper, King Mackerel, White Bass, Cobia, Spanish Mackerel, Yellowfin Tuna, Pompano, Tripletail
- June
- Flounder, Speckled Trout, Striped Bass, Catfish, Snapper, Shark, Mahi-Mahi, Snook, Tarpon, Grouper, King Mackerel, Sailfish, Marlin, Cobia, Spanish Mackerel, Yellowfin Tuna, Tripletail
- July
- Flounder, Snapper, Shark, Mahi-Mahi, Snook, Tarpon, King Mackerel, Sailfish, Marlin, Cobia, Spanish Mackerel, Yellowfin Tuna, Tripletail
- August
- Redfish, Flounder, Snapper, Shark, Mahi-Mahi, Snook, Tarpon, King Mackerel, Sailfish, Marlin, Cobia, Amberjack, Spanish Mackerel, Yellowfin Tuna, Tripletail
- September
- Redfish, Flounder, Speckled Trout, Shark, Mahi-Mahi, Snook, Tarpon, Grouper, King Mackerel, Sailfish, Marlin, Cobia, Amberjack, Spanish Mackerel, Yellowfin Tuna, Tripletail
- October
- Redfish, Flounder, Speckled Trout, Snook, Grouper, King Mackerel, Amberjack, Spanish Mackerel, Pompano, Tripletail
- November
- Redfish, Speckled Trout, Grouper, Wahoo
- December
- Wahoo
Before you book
- Flounder: Flounder harvest closes in fall: Oct 15 to Nov 30 in Louisiana, all of November in Alabama, and Nov 1 to Dec 14 in Texas.
- Snapper: Red snapper seasons are set by each state and change yearly.
- Tarpon: Tarpon are mostly catch and release. Keeping one needs a state tag and a very large fish (85 inches in Texas, 60 in Alabama).
- Amberjack: Recreational greater amberjack is closed in Gulf federal waters in June and July.
How this calendar is built
The charter counts are live from the Unreel directory: each one is a Texas charter that lists that fish as a target. A fish only appears here if at least three local charters target it.
The shaded months are general peak windows for the Gulf Coast, not fishing regulations. For ocean species, the spawning, migration and federal closure notes were checked against NOAA Fisheries species profiles, and for inshore and freshwater species against state wildlife agency guidance and rules. Seasons, closures and limits change every year and can differ by water, so check Texas's current regulations and ask your captain what is running before you book.