Spring fishing along the Texas Gulf Coast is in full swing, and Port Aransas waters are heating up with activity both inshore and offshore. Water temperatures are hovering around the 60°F and stable weather has made for consistently productive days on the water.
Inshore
Sheepshead remain excellent targets right now, stacking up around the north and south jetties as the spawn continues. Anglers using live shrimp or fiddler crabs around pilings and rocks are doing particularly well. Redfish are still showing strong numbers along the jetties and in the Lydia Ann Channel, biting on cut mullet, crab, and shrimp. There have been plenty of oversized reds mixed in too. Black drum are common near the docks and deeper channels, especially on fresh dead shrimp.
Surf & Jetty
The surf bite has been lively with pompano, redfish, and trout taking shrimp bites, live shrimp, and cut mullet. Calm mornings and light winds have created good windows for fishing the beachfront. On the jetties, speckled trout are fair with freelined shrimp along the rocks, particularly on outgoing tides.
Nearshore & Offshore
Warmer currents have started to bring blacktip sharks and bull sharks closer to shore, while early jack crevalle activity has been spotted just beyond the breakers.
Offshore boats are beginning to report more consistent action, especially for kingfish and early-season snapper when the weather allows.
Horace Caldwell Pier
The iconic pier stretching 1,240 feet into the Gulf is producing sheepshead, redfish, and black drum, with pompano showing up in the surf zone. Early morning anglers are doing well with live or dead shrimp under popping corks and cut mullet on the bottom. A few trout have also been caught near the pier lights at night. Blacktip and bonnethead sharks are starting to return as the water warms—perfect for those targeting bigger game after sunset.
Roberts Point Park Pier
Action here has been reliable for smaller reds, trout, and gafftop catfish. The channel side is seeing good current flow, and anglers using shrimp bites or live shrimp near structure are filling stringers. Cooler mornings still call for a jacket, but the midday bite is consistent. It’s also a good spot to watch boats and dolphins if the fish slow down.
Conditions & Tips
Water clarity is improving, and bait movement is increasing daily. With spring tides and warming temps, expect fishing to only get better in the coming weeks. If you’re heading out, live shrimp continues to be the most versatile bait inshore, while cut mullet and crabs produce the bigger bites.
Spring in Port A offers some of the best variety of the year — from sheepshead spawning inshore to bull reds cruising the surf, every trip promises action.
tpwd.texas.gov
The next few weeks should bring stronger trout activity and more nearshore predators as Gulf waters warm — the perfect time to line up an early morning launch and take advantage of light winds and rising tides.
Fishing Starts Here