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Greater amberjackRetention openGut · Texas
Big Bayou
28.42°N · 96.42°W · Gut · San Antonio, Mesquite, and Espiritu Santo Bays
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 1 AM · Greater amberjack
- Now
- 482 PM CDT
- Best window
- 2-9 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing0.9 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Big Bayou 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 · 2 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
76Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.3 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
93Wind: 11 kt EPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
57Water temp: 92°F, hotLight: OvercastSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.7 ftSeason & habitat · Greater amberjack
Species seasonality
41Season: 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)
Greater amberjack
Retention open- Daily limit
- 1 per day
- Possession
- 2 in possession
- Size
- Minimum 38 in, total length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Have a descending device or venting tool ready for reef fish showing signs of barotrauma. TPWD lists no season for state waters. Federal-waters rules, including the federal season, are separate. 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, Amberjack 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)
- 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)
Source: TPWD · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Greater amberjack is best here
Shoulder season for Greater amberjack · 9 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Big Bayou
- Depth
- 1-8 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Estuary · Inner · ProtectedEstuary · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonGreater amberjack
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 Big Bayou
Big Bayou is a gut in San Antonio, Mesquite, and Espiritu Santo Bays, Texas. Depth is 1-8 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads estuary, inner water and protected.
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 triggerfish, red snapper and gray snapper. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Atlantic croaker peak from June through September. Crevalle jack peak from June through September.
Tackle & technique
- Greater amberjack
- Amberjack school around wrecks, oil rigs, towers and high-relief reefs in 60 to 250 feet, often suspended well above the bottom. Drop a live blue runner or work a heavy jig through the school, then pump hard, because a big AJ runs straight back into the structure. Heavy conventional gear with 50 to 80 pound line is standard.
- 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
- Mailboat Channel66
Channel · 0.4 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 66
- Atlantic croaker 65
- Crevalle jack 60
11 kt EL 10:41 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:10 AM · 1.0 ft
- Everett Reef64
Bar · 0.7 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 64
- Gray triggerfish 63
- Red snapper 63
11 kt EL 10:41 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:10 AM · 1.0 ft
- Barroom Bay62
Bay · 0.6 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 62
- Atlantic tarpon 62
- Crevalle jack 60
11 kt EL 10:41 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:10 AM · 1.0 ft
- Mailboat Point58
Cape · 0.3 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 58
- Atlantic croaker 56
- Crevalle jack 55
11 kt EL 10:41 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:10 AM · 1.0 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.