Field guideRebuilt August 2026Every figure sourced
Port Aransas is where you go to leave the bay.
Boats here clear the jetties straight into the Gulf of Mexico — no long bay transit, no compromise water. This is the independent guide to fishing it: what is running each month, what each trip costs, and the local captains who run them.
What you can catch, month by month
Any month, for the right target: the bays hold redfish and trout year-round, the offshore peak stacks June through September, the bull redfish run owns early fall, and the flounder migration defines October into December. Marked rows are the sourced peaks.
| Month | What is running |
|---|---|
| January | Winter trout and black drum on structure; the quiet month |
| February | Big black drum run; sheepshead spawn at the jetties |
| March | Sheepshead spawn continues; bays wake up |
| April | Tripletail arrive; bay fishing hits stride |
| May | Everything eats; offshore season builds |
| June | Cobia and red snapper peak months begin |
| July | Peak offshore; dawn trips beat the heat |
| August | Bull redfish staging begins near the passes |
| September | The bull redfish run — TPWD’s own named phenomenon |
| October | Fall flounder migration to the Gulf begins |
| November | Flounder run peak window; check current TPWD rules first |
| December | Flounder tail end; winter trout begin |
- Retrieved
- 2026-08-09 · the full table, with water temperatures, is on the seasons page
Three ways to fish it, and what each one costs
Port Aransas sits on the ship channel, so a full day here usually means a true offshore run for snapper, kings, and pelagics; bay and nearshore trips stay in protected water at bay prices. Ranges cover up to four anglers; each additional angler adds about $60 – $75.
| Trip | The water | Typical targets | Half day · 4–5 hr | Full day · 8–10 hr | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay fishing | Inshore, calm water — flats, wade, kayak, fly | Redfish, speckled trout, flounder, sheepshead | $500 – $700 | $750 – $1,000 | Estimate a bay fishing trip |
| Nearshore | Jetties and the close Gulf, minutes from the harbor | King mackerel, tarpon, Spanish mackerel, shark | $600 – $850 | $950 – $1,300 | Estimate a nearshore trip |
| Offshore | Deep sea, straight out the jetties | Red snapper, mahi-mahi, kings | $850 – $1,150 | $950 – $1,400 | Estimate a offshore trip |
Current Port Aransas and Coastal Bend market research, August 2026 — a ballpark, not a quote. Your captain sets the final price.
The fish, and which trip finds them
Tell the estimator what you are hoping to catch and the match goes to a captain who runs that water. Flounder anglers can ask about night gigging.
- Red snapper Offshore
- Redfish Bay
- Speckled trout Bay
- Flounder Bay · gigging
- King mackerel Nearshore
- Tarpon Nearshore
- Mahi-mahi Offshore
- Spanish mackerel Nearshore
- Sheepshead Bay
- Shark Nearshore
Get a real number for your trip
Pick a trip type, length, and group size — the estimate is instant, free, and from current local market research.
-
Three questions, an instant range
Trip type, length, group size. Free, and you see the number before you tell us anything about yourself.
-
Say when, and what you are after
Name, phone, email, how soon. Optional: the fish you want, so the match fits.
-
A local captain calls you
We'll pass your details to a local captain who can help. We may earn a referral fee; you never pay more.
Free estimate
Estimate your cost
Step 1 of 4