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Spanish mackerelRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
Best score today · 8 PM · Spanish mackerel
- Now
- 462 PM CDT
- Best window
- 7-11 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding0.5 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Christmas Bay 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 · 2 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
81Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.3 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
84Wind: 10 kt EPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
43Water temp: 89°F, warmLight: Partly cloudySolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.6 ftSeason & habitat · Spanish mackerel
Species seasonality
47Season: 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 today
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
Christmas Bay
- Depth
- About 4 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · Semi-exposedBay · 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 Christmas Bay
Christmas Bay is a bay in Galveston Bay, Texas. Depth is about 4 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, 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 black drum, gray triggerfish, red snapper and southern flounder. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Crevalle jack 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.
- 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
- Cold Pass67
Channel · 3.0 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 67
- Atlantic tarpon 64
- Crevalle jack 62
10 kt EL 8:37 PM · 0.6 ftH 4:22 AM · 1.5 ft
- Christmas Point Reef65
Bar · 2.3 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 65
- Gray triggerfish 63
- Red snapper 62
10 kt EH 5:46 PM · 0.9 ftL 11:34 PM · 0.1 ft
- Bastrop Bay63
Bay · 3.0 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 63
- Atlantic croaker 62
- Red drum 62
10 kt EH 5:46 PM · 0.9 ftL 11:34 PM · 0.1 ft
- Drum Bay63
Bay · 3.4 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 63
- Red drum 63
- Atlantic tarpon 63
10 kt EH 5:46 PM · 0.9 ftL 11:34 PM · 0.1 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.