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King mackerelRetention openBar · Texas
Bill Days Reef
28.41°N · 96.44°W · Bar · San Antonio, Mesquite, and Espiritu Santo Bays
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 1 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 5112 PM CDT
- Best window
- 3-10 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding0.3 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Bill Days Reef 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 · 12 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
54Tide: FloodingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 9 kt EPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
44Water temp: 91°F, hotLight: Partly cloudySolunar: Near a majorSeas: 1.5 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
71Season: ShoulderHabitat: Prime structureDepth: 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
Bill Days Reef
- Depth
- 2-8 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Reef · Inner · Semi-exposedReef · 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 Bill Days Reef
Bill Days Reef is a bar in San Antonio, Mesquite, and Espiritu Santo Bays, Texas. Depth is 2-8 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads reef, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 15 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, gray triggerfish and red drum. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, red drum, Atlantic tarpon and crevalle jack, and shoulder season for gray triggerfish, red snapper, black drum and greater amberjack. Atlantic croaker peak from June through September. Gray triggerfish peak from May through August. 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.
- Gray triggerfish
- Gray triggerfish hover a few feet over reefs, wrecks and ledges, usually in 60 to 200 feet, and often show up while snapper fishing. Use small, strong circle hooks with small pieces of squid or cut bait on a short bottom rig, because they nibble and strip big baits. Keep the bait just off the bottom and reel steadily at the first solid pull.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Mailboat Channel67
Channel · 1.5 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 67
- Atlantic tarpon 63
- Black drum 56
9 kt EL 10:41 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:10 AM · 1.0 ft
- Everett Reef66
Bar · 1.2 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 66
- Gray triggerfish 59
- Red drum 59
9 kt EL 10:41 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:10 AM · 1.0 ft
- Mailboat Point58
Cape · 1.4 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 58
- Atlantic tarpon 56
- Crevalle jack 51
9 kt EL 10:41 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:10 AM · 1.0 ft
- Teller Point54
Cape · 1.2 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 54
- Atlantic croaker 53
- Crevalle jack 50
9 kt EH 3:39 PM · 0.3 ftL 10:35 PM · 0.1 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.