Species at San Luis Pass
Redfish (Red Drum)
Tails on flats; bull reds stage at passes to spawn fall
Speckled (Spotted Sea) Trout
White-shrimp exodus over shell and grass at mid-70s
Southern Flounder
Fall run stacks fish in passes migrating out to spawn
Black Drum
Late-winter spawn run; big drum chew crab in passes
Sheepshead
Pre-spawn fish school tight on structure late winter
Spanish Mackerel
Schools chase glass minnows along jetties once water hits 70
Bull Redfish (Big Reds)
Fall spawn migration jams big reds in passes and surf
Whiting (Gulf/Southern Kingfish)
Bottom-feeds first gut on fresh dead shrimp; winter staple
Jack Crevalle
Summer schools blitz bait along jetties and beachfront
Ladyfish (Skipjack)
Warm-season schools crush small jigs around structure
Gray (Mangrove) Snapper
Summer-fall spawn schools tight to hard structure
Snook
South-Texas warm-water predator; ambushes at passes
Tripletail
Floats shaded under structure, eats sight-cast shrimp
What's biting at San Luis Pass, month by month
| January | Black Drum, Sheepshead, Whiting (Gulf/Southern Kingfish) |
|---|---|
| February | Black Drum, Sheepshead, Whiting (Gulf/Southern Kingfish) |
| March | Redfish (Red Drum), Speckled (Spotted Sea) Trout, Black Drum, Sheepshead, Whiting (Gulf/Southern Kingfish) |
| April | Redfish (Red Drum), Speckled (Spotted Sea) Trout, Black Drum, Sheepshead, Whiting (Gulf/Southern Kingfish) |
| May | Redfish (Red Drum), Speckled (Spotted Sea) Trout, Spanish Mackerel, Whiting (Gulf/Southern Kingfish), Jack Crevalle, Ladyfish (Skipjack), Snook, Tripletail |
| June | Redfish (Red Drum), Speckled (Spotted Sea) Trout, Spanish Mackerel, Jack Crevalle, Ladyfish (Skipjack), Gray (Mangrove) Snapper, Snook, Tripletail |
| July | Spanish Mackerel, Jack Crevalle, Ladyfish (Skipjack), Gray (Mangrove) Snapper, Snook, Tripletail |
| August | Spanish Mackerel, Bull Redfish (Big Reds), Jack Crevalle, Ladyfish (Skipjack), Gray (Mangrove) Snapper, Snook, Tripletail |
| September | Redfish (Red Drum), Speckled (Spotted Sea) Trout, Southern Flounder, Spanish Mackerel, Bull Redfish (Big Reds), Jack Crevalle, Ladyfish (Skipjack), Gray (Mangrove) Snapper, Snook, Tripletail |
| October | Redfish (Red Drum), Speckled (Spotted Sea) Trout, Southern Flounder, Spanish Mackerel, Bull Redfish (Big Reds), Jack Crevalle, Ladyfish (Skipjack), Gray (Mangrove) Snapper, Snook |
| November | Redfish (Red Drum), Speckled (Spotted Sea) Trout, Bull Redfish (Big Reds), Whiting (Gulf/Southern Kingfish) |
| December | Redfish (Red Drum), Sheepshead, Whiting (Gulf/Southern Kingfish) |
Typical seasons for this stretch of coast — a warm or late year shifts them by a few weeks. The live forecast scores today's actual conditions.
Coastal runs that pass San Luis Pass
These species travel the coast with the seasons, so they show up on a schedule rather than living here year-round.
Redfish (red drum)
bull-red fall surf run cascades by latitude: Mid-Atl Sep–Oct → FL Oct–Nov → Gulf Nov–Dec
Pompano
the strongest, cleanest cascade we have — FL Treasure Coast winter run; Gulf spring run hits Pensacola ~April
Spanish mackerel
Gulf stock — E→W in spring (FL Gulf → AL/MS → TX), back E→S in fall
King mackerel
Gulf stock — splits in fall: eastern group back down FL, western group W down the TX coast
How San Luis Pass fishes
Open water lies to the southeast of San Luis Pass. A wind out of the southeast is onshore here — it stacks swell and chop into the mouth and pushes stirred-up water inshore, while a northwest wind flattens the surface and tends to clean it up.
Tide is the clock: moving water pulls bait through the mouth, and the turns around slack are when most of the roster feeds hardest.
Tides here are read from NOAA station 8771972 at 29.0950, -95.1133 — see it on NOAA CO-OPS.
Shops & partners near San Luis Pass
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Run a bait shop, guide service, restaurant or tackle brand here? We'll feature you on this page and in the live app — free, with a line about what you do. Email hello@what-inlet.com.
Common questions about San Luis Pass
- What fish can you catch at San Luis Pass?
- Redfish (Red Drum), Speckled (Spotted Sea) Trout, Southern Flounder, Black Drum, Sheepshead, Spanish Mackerel, Bull Redfish (Big Reds), Whiting (Gulf/Southern Kingfish), Jack Crevalle, Ladyfish (Skipjack), Gray (Mangrove) Snapper, Snook and 1 more. Each has its own season, preferred tide and water-temperature window at San Luis Pass.
- When is the best time to fish San Luis Pass?
- September has the most species in season (10 of 13) — Redfish (Red Drum), Speckled (Spotted Sea) Trout, Southern Flounder, Spanish Mackerel, Bull Redfish (Big Reds), Jack Crevalle, Ladyfish (Skipjack), Gray (Mangrove) Snapper. Seasons shift by a few weeks in a warm or late year.
- What tide is best for fishing San Luis Pass?
- 12 of the 13 species here feed best on moving water. Moving water is what pulls bait through the mouth, so the hours either side of a tide change usually beat dead slack.
- Which wind is bad for San Luis Pass?
- Open water lies to the southeast, so a southeast wind is onshore — it stacks swell and chop into the mouth and pushes dirty water inshore. A northwest wind flattens and cleans it up.
- Do migrating fish run past San Luis Pass?
- Yes — Redfish (red drum) (southbound Sep–Nov); Pompano (southbound Oct–Dec · northbound Feb–May); Spanish mackerel (westbound Feb–Jun · eastbound Sep–Nov); King mackerel (northbound Mar–Sep · westbound Oct–Dec). These travel the coast with the seasons rather than living here year-round.
- Where are the tides for San Luis Pass measured?
- NOAA CO-OPS station 8771972, at 29.0950, -95.1133. What Inlet? scores the live tide, current, solunar and weather for that station.
Inlets near San Luis Pass
- Alligator Point, West Bay
- Christmas Bay
- Jamaica Beach, West Bay
- Freeport Harbor
- Freeport Harbor
- Freeport Entrance Jetty
- Texas City, Galveston Bay
- Galveston Bay Entrance, North Jetty
Fishing a different inlet today? Every one has its own species roster and bite pattern.
Browse every inlet in Texas, or the full inlet directory.