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Spanish mackerelRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
Best score today · 8 AM · Spanish mackerel
- Now
- 455 AM CDT
- Best window
- 7 AM-1 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding0.6 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Natural Gut scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions · rolling from now
Conditions · 5 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
76Tide: FloodingCurrent: WeakWind & pressure
ECMWF
86Wind: 2 kt EPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
44Water temp: 87°F, warmLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 2.0 ftSeason & habitat · Spanish mackerel
Species seasonality
45Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Texas state waters (shore to 9 nautical miles, bays included)
Spanish mackerel
Retention open- Daily limit
- 15 per day
- Possession
- 30 in possession
- Size
- Minimum 14 in, total length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- The possession limit is double the daily bag and does not count fish stored at your residence. While fishing, you may not hold more than the daily bag.
From TPWD 2026-27 Outdoor Annual, Mackerel Bag & Length Limits, read Sep 13
Other species here
- Black drum Retention open (5 per day)
- Cobia Retention open (1 per day)
- Gag grouper Retention open (2 per day)
- Gray triggerfish Retention open (20 per day)
- Greater amberjack Retention open (1 per day)
- King mackerel Retention open (3 per day)
- Red drum Retention open (3 per day)
- Red snapper Retention open (4 per day)
- Sailfish Retention open
- Sheepshead Retention open (5 per day)
- Snook Retention open (1 per day)
- Southern flounder Retention open (5 per day)
- Spotted seatrout Retention open (3 per day)
- Striped bass Retention open (5 per day)
- Tarpon Retention open (1 per day)
Source: TPWD · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Spanish mackerel is best here
Shoulder season for Spanish mackerel · 5 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
Natural Gut
- Depth
- 1-2 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Channel · Inner · Semi-exposedChannel · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonSpanish mackerel
NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.
About this spot
Fishing Natural Gut
Natural Gut is a channel in Baffin Bay and Upper Laguna Madre, Texas. Depth is 1-2 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads channel, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 15 species here; the best right now are Atlantic tarpon, Atlantic croaker and red drum. It is peak season now for Atlantic tarpon, Atlantic croaker, red drum and crevalle jack, and shoulder season for gray snapper, black drum, red snapper and southern flounder. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Atlantic croaker peak from June through September. Red drum peak from August through November.
Tackle & technique
- Spanish mackerel
- Spanish mackerel school along beaches and around inlets, jetties, piers and bridge-tunnel structures, and along tide rips in 5 to 40 feet of water once the water climbs above about 68 degrees F. Troll small spoons or cast metal jigs and retrieve fast, or look for birds diving on bait and cast into the school. FWC calls for a 30 to 60 pound monofilament leader because their teeth cut light line.
- Atlantic tarpon
- Tarpon roll along beaches, in passes and channels, and under bridges from late spring through fall, and in South Florida some fish stay through winter in warm canals and backcountry rivers. Live crabs, mullet or pinfish drifted through a pass on the outgoing tide, or a fly or soft plastic cast ahead of a rolling string of fish, are the main approaches. Use a long heavy leader, bow to the jumps, and keep big fish in the water for release.
- Atlantic croaker
- Croaker feed on mud and sand bottom along channel edges, oyster bars, piers and deeper holes in bays and sounds, mostly in 5 to 30 feet of water. A two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and shrimp, bloodworm or squid catches them from piers, the surf and small boats. Fish the hours around high tide and into the evening.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Natural Channel70
Channel · 0.4 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 70
- Atlantic croaker 67
- Red drum 66
2 kt EH 11:03 AM · 0.8 ftL 12:50 AM · 0.6 ft
- New Humble Channel70
Channel · 0.7 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 70
- Atlantic croaker 67
- Red drum 66
2 kt EH 11:03 AM · 0.8 ftL 12:50 AM · 0.6 ft
- Packery Channel69
Channel · 4.9 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 69
- Atlantic croaker 67
- Red drum 65
2 kt EH 11:03 AM · 0.8 ftL 12:50 AM · 0.6 ft
- Humble Channel68
Channel · 3.6 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 68
- Atlantic croaker 66
- Red drum 64
1 kt EH 11:03 AM · 0.8 ftL 12:50 AM · 0.6 ft
Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with TPWD before you keep a fish.