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King mackerelRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
Best score today · 8 PM · King mackerel
- Now
- 5011 AM CDT
- Best window
- 5-10 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding1.2 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Halfmoon Shoal 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 · 11 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
79Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.8 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
97Wind: 7 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
51Water temp: 89°F, hotLight: Bright sunSolunar: Major periodSeas: 0.7 ftSeason & habitat · King 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)
King mackerel
Retention open- Daily limit
- 3 per day
- Possession
- 6 in possession
- Size
- Minimum 27 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)
- 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 King mackerel is best here
Shoulder season for King mackerel · 5 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Halfmoon Shoal
- Depth
- 7-10 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Shoal · Inner · Semi-exposedShoal · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonKing 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 Halfmoon Shoal
Halfmoon Shoal is a bar in Galveston Bay, Texas. Depth is 7-10 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads shoal, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 15 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon and red drum. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon, red drum and crevalle jack, and shoulder season for Spanish mackerel, black drum, southern flounder and gray snapper. Atlantic croaker peak from June through September. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Red drum peak from August through November.
Tackle & technique
- King mackerel
- Kings roam from beaches and pier ends out to reefs, wrecks and ledges in 40 to 200 feet, usually feeding in the upper half of the water column. Slow-troll live menhaden, blue runners or cigar minnows on a light wire stinger rig, or pull spoons and ribbonfish past bait schools. Look for clean green water above 68 F with bait and birds on it.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Baffle Point62
Cape · 5.0 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 62
- Atlantic tarpon 62
- Southern flounder 55
7 kt NEH 1:35 PM · 1.8 ftL 9:01 PM · 0.6 ft
- Dollar Point61
Cape · 3.4 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 61
- Atlantic tarpon 58
- Red drum 54
7 kt NEH 2:02 PM · 1.3 ftL 11:09 PM · 0.5 ft
- Texas City Channel58
Channel · 4.8 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 58
- Atlantic croaker 57
- Crevalle jack 54
10 kt NEH 1:35 PM · 1.8 ftL 9:01 PM · 0.6 ft
- Point Bolivar54
Cape · 5.0 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 54
- Crevalle jack 53
- Red drum 52
10 kt NEH 1:35 PM · 1.8 ftL 9:01 PM · 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.