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Gray triggerfishRetention openBar · Texas
Panther Reef
28.25°N · 96.71°W · Bar · San Antonio, Mesquite, and Espiritu Santo Bays
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 11 PM · Gray triggerfish
- Now
- 603 PM CDT
- Best window
- 6 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding0.7 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Panther 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 · 3 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
85Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.3 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
87Wind: 11 kt ESEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
62Water temp: 93°F, hotLight: OvercastSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.8 ftSeason & habitat · Gray triggerfish
Species seasonality
69Season: 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)
Gray triggerfish
Retention open- Daily limit
- 20 per day
- Possession
- 40 in possession
- Size
- Minimum 16 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. Federal-waters rules may differ. 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, Triggerfish 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)
- 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)
Source: TPWD · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Gray triggerfish is best here
Shoulder season for Gray triggerfish · 9 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Panther Reef
- Depth
- 4-5 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Reef · Inner · Semi-exposedReef · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonGray triggerfish
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 Panther Reef
Panther Reef is a bar in San Antonio, Mesquite, and Espiritu Santo Bays, Texas. Depth is 4-5 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, red snapper and Atlantic tarpon. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon, red drum and crevalle jack, and shoulder season for red snapper, gray triggerfish, king mackerel and black drum. Atlantic croaker peak from June through September. Red snapper peak from May through August. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Panther Reef Cut67
Channel · 0.5 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 67
- Atlantic tarpon 64
- Red drum 61
11 kt ESEH 6:05 PM · 0.7 ftL 3:16 AM · 0.5 ft
- San Antonio Bay63
Bay · 4.2 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 63
- Red drum 61
- Atlantic tarpon 61
11 kt ESEH 6:05 PM · 0.7 ftL 3:16 AM · 0.5 ft
- Panther Point Lake62
Bay · 2.9 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 62
- Atlantic tarpon 60
- Crevalle jack 59
11 kt ESEH 6:05 PM · 0.7 ftL 3:16 AM · 0.5 ft
- Cedar Lake61
Bay · 3.4 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 61
- Crevalle jack 59
- Red drum 59
11 kt ESEH 6:05 PM · 0.7 ftL 3:16 AM · 0.5 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.