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King mackerelRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
Best score today · 6 PM · King mackerel
- Now
- 443 PM CDT
- Best window
- 5 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.3 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Houston Ship Channel 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 · 3 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
65Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.2 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 7 kt EPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
39Water temp: 89°F, hotLight: Partly cloudySolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.3 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
48Season: 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)
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
Houston Ship Channel
- Depth
- 5-45 ftSlope
- Structure
- Channel · Inner · Semi-exposedChannel · slope
- 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 Houston Ship Channel
Houston Ship Channel is a channel in Galveston Bay, Texas. Depth is 5-45 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads channel, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 15 species here; the best right now are Atlantic tarpon, Atlantic croaker and crevalle jack. It is peak season now for Atlantic tarpon, Atlantic croaker, crevalle jack and red drum, and shoulder season for black drum, southern flounder, gray snapper and gray triggerfish. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Atlantic croaker peak from June through September. Crevalle jack peak from June through September.
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 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
- Houston/Galveston Navigation Channel69
Channel · 0.0 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 69
- Atlantic croaker 67
- Crevalle jack 61
7 kt EL 1:15 AM · 0.4 ftH 9:04 AM · 1.5 ft
- Barbours Cut69
Channel · 1.7 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 69
- Atlantic croaker 67
- Crevalle jack 61
7 kt EL 1:15 AM · 0.4 ftH 9:04 AM · 1.5 ft
- Cedar Bayou Channel69
Channel · 1.8 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 69
- Atlantic croaker 67
- Crevalle jack 61
7 kt EL 1:15 AM · 0.4 ftH 9:04 AM · 1.5 ft
- Evergreen Point66
Cape · 2.5 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 66
- Red drum 64
- Atlantic croaker 58
7 kt EL 1:15 AM · 0.4 ftH 9:04 AM · 1.5 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.