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Red snapperRetention openChannel · Texas
South Bay Pass
26.05°N · 97.18°W · Channel · Laguna Madre From the Port Of Brownsville to the Arroyo Colorado
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 11 AM · Red snapper
- Now
- 448 PM CDT
- Best window
- 10 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Low0.7 ft
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when South Bay Pass 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 · 8 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
37Tide: Low slackCurrent: 0.5 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
92Wind: 11 kt EPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
68Water temp: 89°F, hotLight: DuskSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 2.2 ftSeason & habitat · Red snapper
Species seasonality
44Season: 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)
Red snapper(private recreational)
Retention open- Daily limit
- 4 per day
- Possession
- 4 in possession
- Size
- Minimum 15 in, total length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Open year-round in state waters. Do not hold more than 4 red snapper while fishing in state waters. Only circle hooks may be used with natural bait. Have a descending device or venting tool ready for reef fish showing signs of barotrauma. TPWD lists this state-waters season for private recreational anglers. Federally permitted charter boats and headboats stay under federal management. Red snapper is the exception to the double-the-bag possession rule: TPWD caps possession at 4, the same as the daily bag.
From TPWD 2026-27 Outdoor Annual, Snapper 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)
- 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 Red snapper is best here
Shoulder season for Red snapper · 31 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
South Bay Pass
- Depth
- 2-10 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Pass · Inner · Semi-exposedPass · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonRed snapper
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 South Bay Pass
South Bay Pass is a channel in Laguna Madre From the Port Of Brownsville to the Arroyo Colorado, Texas. Depth is 2-10 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads pass, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 15 species here; the best right now are Atlantic tarpon, crevalle jack and Atlantic croaker. It is peak season now for Atlantic tarpon, crevalle jack, Atlantic croaker and red drum, and shoulder season for Spanish mackerel, gray snapper, king mackerel and black drum. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Crevalle jack peak from June through September. Atlantic croaker peak from June through September.
Tackle & technique
- Red snapper
- Red snapper school over rigs, wrecks, artificial reefs and natural ledges, mostly in 60 to 250 feet. Anchor or drift over the structure, chum, and drop cut or live cigar minnows, sardines or squid on circle hooks, using as little weight as the current allows. Federal rules require circle hooks with natural bait in the Gulf and a descending device or venting tool on board.
- 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
- Stover Point64
Cape · 13 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 64
- Red drum 61
- Crevalle jack 55
11 kt EL 12:43 AM · 0.4 ftH 8:28 AM · 0.7 ft
- Back Bay61
Bay · 1.8 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 61
- Crevalle jack 58
- Red drum 54
11 kt EH 3:55 AM · 1.6 ftL 8:39 AM · 1.5 ft
- Boca Chica Bay59
Bay · 3.4 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 59
- Crevalle jack 56
- Red drum 56
11 kt EL 8:05 PM · 0.7 ftH 3:49 AM · 1.7 ft
- South Bay56
Bay · 1.4 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 56
- Red drum 53
- Crevalle jack 52
11 kt EL 8:05 PM · 0.7 ftH 3:49 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.