These four locations along the northern Texas Coast can be on fire with fall redfish!

On The Fly Saltwater

October 2024

By Jimmy Jacobs

One the outstanding traits of redfish, when it comes to the Lone Star coast, is their availability year-round. Another plus is these fish show up from the Sabine River at the Louisiana border all the way down to the mouth of the Rio Grande. Those factors combine to make them a favored target of fly casters on the Texas shores.

Photos by Jimmy Jacobs

Despite the fact these fish are always lurking in the inshore waters of the state, the fall season is noted as the best time to go after them. Besides the smaller resident reds in the bays and marshes, the autumn also sees big bull reds migrating along the shore, following the schools of mullet that are on the move as well.

Starting in October, fly casters can get shots at redfish while wading or fishing from kayaks and small boats in many of the inshore waters. Here’s a look at four such locations along the northern half of the coast.

Lake Sabine

Sabine Pass is the outlet of Sabine Lake to the Gulf of Mexico. The lake is actually a saltwater bay that forms the border with Louisiana. Your Texas license is valid for fishing the lake, but don’t wander up any of the bayous entering from the east unless you also have a Louisiana license.

We mention that because one of the best stretches of shore for reds is along that eastern shore.

About a mile to the north of the Sabine Lake Causeway Bridge is Blue Buck Point. Once north of it, the shore turns eastward, offering protection from southerly winds coming off the Gulf.

For the next 7 miles to the mouth of Johnson Bayou the bottom is firm enough to wade. Wading out about 20 to 30 feet and watching for any mullet is the best way to locate the reds. Tossing red-and-white, or chartreuse-and-white Clouser Minnow patterns in size 2 usually attracts their attention.

The best access via boat or kayak for this area is the Louisiana public boat ramp at the west end of the causeway bridge.

Galveston Island State Park

Moving to the south along the coast, Galveston Island State Park offers another good location for ambushing fall redfish. Positioned about a dozen miles south of the City of Galveston, the park stretches from the island’s beach to inland side on West Bay.  It is this inland shore that is of interest to fly casters.

This shore is composed of a maze of marsh grass edges fringed with shallow water. It is an area the redfish love and in many places the bottom is firm enough for wading. The ideal way to approach this angling is to use a kayak to get back into the marsh. Then you can either fish from it or bail out to wade fish. There are kayak launches for three paddling trails in the park.

The park is perfect for multi-day trips since campgrounds are located on the beach and bay sides. There also are two rental lodges for larger groups, with capacities to sleep 6 and 8 individuals each.

A fall Texas redfish. Photo by Polly Dean.

Christmas Bay

Roughly 20 miles south of Galveston Island State Park along the Bluewater Highway (State Route 257) is Christmas Bay, separating Follets Island from the mainland. At about 5,000 acres in size, this body of water is composed of shallow flats loaded with marsh grass. There are also areas of oyster beds, making the bay idea redfish habitat.

The redfish here often show up in the fall in large schools, as they work through the grass looking for forage. Twenty-plus-inch fish are common. The best way to reach these fish is using a kayak. It is possible to wade some portions but be aware that some areas of the bay have deep, soft mud for a bottom.

At the southwest end of the bay, it is joined with smaller Drum Bay. That bay has a kayak launch site that offers easy access to Christmas Bay as well. The landing is on Amigo Lane, just off the Bluewater Highway.

Matagorda Bay

Located just north of the town of Port O’Connor, Matagorda Bay is actually made up of East and West Matagorda bays. In fall the West Bay is alive with redfish on shallow sand and mud flats. In much of the bay, the skinny water calls for kayaks, wade fishing or poling flats boats to reach the fish.

The bay has a myriad of grass flats and oyster shell beds that hold resident redfish year-round. One good tactic is to wade the south shoreline of the West Bay, staying in knee deep water, while casting into waist deep troughs. Locating such areas that hold glass minnows or finger mullet is the ticket to success.

Regardless of where you target redfish in the fall along the Lone Star Coast, your prospects are good. This is the season to see red in Texas!