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CobiaRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
Best score today · 8 PM · Cobia
- Now
- 486 PM CDT
- Best window
- 6-10 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing0.3 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Big Bayou 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 · 6 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
100Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.9 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
89Wind: 10 kt ESEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
43Water temp: 88°F, hotLight: DuskSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 2.1 ftSeason & habitat · Cobia
Species seasonality
40Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Texas state waters (shore to 9 nautical miles, bays included)
Cobia
Retention open- Daily limit
- 1 per day
- Possession
- 2 in possession
- Size
- Minimum 40 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, Cobia Bag & Length Limits, read Sep 13
Other species here
- Black drum Retention open (5 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)
- Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 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 today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Cobia is best here
Shoulder season for Cobia · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
Big Bayou
- Depth
- 1-7 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Estuary · Inner · Semi-exposedEstuary · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonCobia
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 Big Bayou
Big Bayou is a channel in Copano, Aransas, and Redfish Bays, Texas. Depth is 1-7 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads estuary, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 15 species here; the best right now are Atlantic tarpon, crevalle jack and red drum. It is peak season now for Atlantic tarpon, crevalle jack, red drum and Atlantic croaker, and shoulder season for gray snapper, black drum, gray triggerfish and red snapper. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Crevalle jack peak from June through September. Red drum peak from August through November.
Tackle & technique
- Cobia
- Cobia cruise inlets, beaches, buoys, wrecks and the backs of rays in 5 to 100 feet of water. On calm, sunny days sight-cast bucktails or live eels to fish near the surface. Otherwise anchor up-current of structure, chum, and fish live eels, crabs or menhaden near the bottom.
- 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.
- Crevalle jack
- Jacks roam in schools through inlets, passes, bays, river mouths and along beaches, pushing bait to the surface, and big fish also hold on nearshore reefs and wrecks. Watch for birds and surface blowups, then cast a popper, a spoon or a bucktail into the school and retrieve fast. Bring heavy spinning tackle, because a jack over 15 pounds runs hard and fights for a long time.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Big Cut77
Channel · 1.5 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 77
- Crevalle jack 73
- Red drum 71
10 kt ESEL 10:28 PM · 0.1 ftH 2:33 PM · 0.5 ft
- Corpus Christi Bayou76
Channel · 1.0 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 76
- Crevalle jack 73
- Red drum 72
10 kt ESEL 10:28 PM · 0.1 ftH 2:33 PM · 0.5 ft
- California Hole74
Bay · 0.8 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 74
- Atlantic tarpon 74
- Crevalle jack 73
10 kt ESEL 10:28 PM · 0.1 ftH 2:33 PM · 0.5 ft
- Estes Flats74
Flat · 1.6 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 74
- Atlantic tarpon 74
- Crevalle jack 68
10 kt ESEL 10:28 PM · 0.1 ftH 2:33 PM · 0.5 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.