Species guide · Texas
Crevalle jack fishing in Texas
Caranx hippos, a nearshore species also called jack crevalle, jack and common jack. Listed for the Western Gulf region. Peak season, about 1 more week.
Right now it scores best in Galveston Bay at 67, one of 9 Texas bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.
Season now
Peak seasonSeason by month
From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.
Western Gulf
Peak season, about 1 more week- Jan: Not present
- Feb: Not present
- Mar: Off season
- Apr: Shoulder season
- May: Shoulder season
- Jun: Peak season
- Jul: Peak season
- Aug: Peak season
- Sep: Peak season
- Oct: Shoulder season
- Nov: Off season
- Dec: Not present
Peak: Jun to Sep. In season (shoulder or peak): Apr to Oct.
Research notes, Western Gulf region
Summer and early fall at Texas and Louisiana jetties, passes and beachfront. Largely absent in winter.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 9
Texas bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's crevalle jack score this hour.
Best window today 7 AM-9 PM (73) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 6 PM (75) · 97 named spots
Best window today 7 AM-8 PM (74) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 6 PM (76) · 61 named spots
Best window today 9 AM-8 PM (72) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 6 PM (75) · 37 named spots
Best window today 7 AM-12 PM (77) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 9 AM (80) · 8 named spots
Best window today 7 AM-1 PM (74) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 9 AM (74) · 51 named spots
Best window today 7-11 AM (75) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (75) · 54 named spots
Best window today 7 AM-3 PM (68) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 8 PM (71) · 14 named spots
Best window today 5-9 PM (72) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 9 AM (75) · 2 named spots
Best window today 5-9 PM (69) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 9 AM (73) · 5 named spots
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 65°F to 92°F, best between 70°F and 85°F.
- Water depth
- 1 to 60 ft of water.
- Structure
- Inlet, pass, jetty, bridge, channel, bay and beach, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers moving water, with moderate current.Jacks chase bait wherever current concentrates it, so inlet and pass mouths on either tide and rips along jetties are the places to look. Tide stage matters less than finding bait and birds.
- Light
- Bites best around dawn and dusk.
- Pressure
- Little response to pressure changes.
- Wind and sea limits
- 20 kt of wind and 4 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
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.
- Methods
- casting to surface schools, live bait, trolling, fly fishing
- Lures
- topwater popper, spoon, bucktail jig, soft plastic swimbait, baitfish fly
- Bait
- live mullet, pilchard, pinfish, ladyfish
Regulations
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Synced with TPWD Sep 18, 2026.
No reviewed crevalle jack rule for Texas is on file yet. Check with TPWD before you keep one.