Waterlands

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Atlantic tarponRetention open

Cape · Texas

Fort Point

29.34°N · 94.77°W · Cape · Galveston Bay

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 2 AM · Atlantic tarpon

75/100Great
Now
693 PM CDT
Best window
9 PM-12 AMFlood tide
Tide now
Ebbing0.8 ft ▼

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 3 PM · now

Time3PNOW
Score69Great
Tide0.8 ft ▼Ebbing
CurrentEbb1.1 kn · toward SE
Wind7 kn Egusts 10 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.1 ft · 4 s
Air temp85°Hot
WeatherMostly cloudy50% cloud
Water89°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Texas state waters (shore to 9 nautical miles, bays included)

IN EFFECT NOW

Tarpon

Retention open
Daily limit
1 per day
Possession
2 in possession
Size
Minimum 85 in, total length
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Release tarpon under 85 inches. 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, Tarpon 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)
  • Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 per day)
  • Spotted seatrout Retention open (3 per day)
  • Striped bass Retention open (5 per day)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Atlantic tarpon is best here

Peak season for Atlantic tarpon · 1 more week at peak

Atlantic tarpon season by week of the year. Peak season for Atlantic tarpon · 1 more week at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Atlantic tarpon in Texas

Spot profile

Fort Point

Depth
5-60 ftNearest water
Structure
Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · drop-off
Season
Peak seasonAtlantic tarpon

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 Fort Point

Fort Point is a cape in Galveston Bay, Texas. Depth in the nearest water is 5-60 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads point, inner water and semi-exposed.

Waterlands scores 15 species here; the best right now are Atlantic tarpon, crevalle jack and gray triggerfish. It is peak season now for Atlantic tarpon, crevalle jack, red drum and Atlantic croaker, and shoulder season for gray triggerfish, greater amberjack, red snapper and gray snapper. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Crevalle jack peak from June through September. Gray triggerfish peak from May through August.

Tackle & technique

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.
Gray triggerfish
Gray triggerfish hover a few feet over reefs, wrecks and ledges, usually in 60 to 200 feet, and often show up while snapper fishing. Use small, strong circle hooks with small pieces of squid or cut bait on a short bottom rig, because they nibble and strip big baits. Keep the bait just off the bottom and reel steadily at the first solid pull.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Inner Bar Channel

    Channel · 0.9 mi

    79
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 79
    • Atlantic croaker 70
    • Crevalle jack 69

    7 kt EL 7:20 PM · 0.5 ftH 6:15 AM · 1.9 ft

  • Bolivar Roads Channel

    Channel · 0.8 mi

    77
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 77
    • Atlantic croaker 68
    • Crevalle jack 68

    7 kt EL 7:20 PM · 0.5 ftH 6:15 AM · 1.9 ft

  • Texas City Channel

    Channel · 1.8 mi

    77
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 77
    • Atlantic croaker 68
    • Crevalle jack 68

    7 kt EL 7:20 PM · 0.5 ftH 6:15 AM · 1.9 ft

  • Bolivar Roads

    Channel · 1.3 mi

    76
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 76
    • Atlantic croaker 66
    • Crevalle jack 65

    7 kt EL 6:51 PM · 0.3 ftH 3:46 AM · 1.9 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.