Waterlands

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CobiaRetention open

Channel · Texas

Texas City Channel

29.35°N · 94.79°W · Channel · Galveston Bay

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Best score today · 11 PM · Cobia

82/100Great
Now
526 PM CDT
Best window
11 PM-12 AMFlood tide
Tide now
Ebbing1.0 ft ▼

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 6 PM · now

Time6PNOW
Score52Good
Tide1.0 ft ▼Ebbing
CurrentEbb0.9 kn · toward SE
Wind10 kn ESEgusts 14 · easing
Sea stateLight chop1.1 ft · 3 s
Air temp87°Hot
WeatherClear15% cloud
Water90°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

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

IN EFFECT NOW

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)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Cobia is best here

Shoulder season for Cobia · 1 more week at shoulder

Cobia season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Cobia · 1 more week at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Cobia in Texas

Spot profile

Texas City Channel

Depth
15-50 ftSlope
Structure
Channel · Inner · Semi-exposedChannel · slope
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 Texas City Channel

Texas City Channel is a channel in Galveston Bay, Texas. Depth is 15-50 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, gray snapper, southern flounder and spotted seatrout. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Atlantic croaker peak from June through September. Crevalle jack peak from June through September.

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.
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

  • Bolivar Roads Channel

    Channel · 1.0 mi

    80
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 80
    • Atlantic croaker 72
    • Crevalle jack 72

    10 kt ESEL 9:01 PM · 0.6 ftH 5:38 AM · 1.7 ft

  • Inner Bar Channel

    Channel · 2.2 mi

    80
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 80
    • Red drum 73
    • Atlantic croaker 72

    10 kt ESEL 9:01 PM · 0.6 ftH 5:38 AM · 1.7 ft

  • Point Bolivar

    Cape · 1.1 mi

    72
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 72
    • Crevalle jack 67
    • Red drum 67

    10 kt ESEL 9:01 PM · 0.6 ftH 5:38 AM · 1.7 ft

  • Fort Point

    Cape · 1.8 mi

    72
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 72
    • Red drum 67
    • Red snapper 67

    10 kt ESEL 9:01 PM · 0.6 ftH 5:38 AM · 1.7 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.