Fly Fishing Texas: Guides, Redfish Flats, Rivers and Tips
Location Details / Texas
Fly Fishing Texas: Guides, Redfish Flats, Rivers and Tips
Texas fly fishing is mostly a saltwater story: sight-casting to redfish and spotted seatrout on the Laguna Madre and the middle-coast flats around Port O'Connor, plus tarpon along the beaches and jetties. Inland, the Guadalupe River below Canyon Dam holds the state's best-known trout water, and Hill Country rivers carry the native Guadalupe bass.
On the Texas coast the Gulf wind decides how good your day is; inland, the state trades salt for spring-fed limestone rivers. This page maps where to fish, how each water is managed, when to go and what our guests have said.
The Texas conversation in our archive that stays with us is about a fish that went missing. Erik Schmitt, creator of the Texas Tarpon Collaborative, told the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast in an episode published April 26, 2022 that he grew up on the island at Port Aransas, a town the City of Port Aransas says was called Tarpon by 1899. When he finished high school in 2000, he said, five to eight tarpon in a day off the jetties was normal; today he would be happy with one or two on a weekend. The big migratory tarpon still pass about a mile off the beach like clockwork, he explained, but the juveniles (fish up to about two feet, which spend their first three to four years in nursery water) have thinned out, and he points at the freshwater that dams no longer send down to the bays. His advice for a visiting fly angler was just as plain: practice casting in the wind, because Texas is windy.
Top species
Redfish (red drum), spotted seatrout, black drum, tarpon, snook near the lower coast passes, Guadalupe bass, largemouth bass, carp, stocked rainbow trout
Best months
Coast all year, with spring and fall the favorites; Guadalupe trout in the cool months; Hill Country bass spring through fall
Top waters
Upper and Lower Laguna Madre, Port O'Connor and Matagorda Island, Mustang Island, the Guadalupe River below Canyon Dam, Hill Country rivers
License and regs
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department licenses; nonresident all-water package $68, one-day all-water license $16
Nearest airports
Corpus Christi (CRP), Harlingen (HRL), Brownsville (BRO), San Antonio (SAT), Austin (AUS), Houston (IAH, HOU)
Rule to know
Redfish: 20 to 28 inch slot, three a day; one oversized fish only with a Red Drum Tag
Where to Fly Fish in Texas
Laguna Madre (Upper and Lower)
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) describes the Laguna Madre as a clear, shallow bay running about 130 miles south from Corpus Christi to the Rio Grande, and calls it the only hypersaline coastal lagoon in North America and one of only five in the world. Roughly 80 percent of the seagrass left in Texas grows here, which is why the Laguna Madre is the state's best-known sight-fishing water for redfish, spotted seatrout and black drum. About 20 miles of flats split it into an upper and a lower bay, joined since 1949 by the Land Cut.
Lower Laguna Madre redfish flats
South of the Land Cut, the Lower Laguna Madre runs down toward South Padre Island and the Rio Grande. TPWD notes that its two bay-to-Gulf passes add snook, gray snapper, Florida pompano and barracuda, species you will not find in the upper bay. A calm, bright morning on these grass flats is the classic Texas fly trip.
Port O'Connor and Matagorda Island
Port O'Connor sits on the middle coast, where TPWD's paddling trail links about 40 miles of routes across Espiritu Santo and Matagorda bays, a natural fit for kayak anglers. Across the water, the Matagorda Island Wildlife Management Area covers 56,688 acres of the island and the marshes of Espiritu Santo Bay; the island is 38 miles long and reachable only by boat. For the paddle-craft side of the coast, hear Texas angler Nick Haxhijaj on Fly Fishing from a Kayak.
Guadalupe River below Canyon Dam
The Guadalupe River below Canyon Lake is the best-known trout water in Texas. TPWD stocks rainbow trout from the dam toward New Braunfels. Zone 1, from 800 yards below the Canyon Dam release to the east bridge on Highway 306, has a 12 to 18 inch slot and a five-trout bag with only one 18 inches or longer. Zone 2, down to the second crossing on River Road, has an 18-inch minimum and a one-trout bag; kept trout in both zones must be caught on artificial lures. Guadalupe Park, run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, offers free access all year.
Hill Country bass rivers
The Guadalupe bass is the official state fish of Texas, and TPWD's magazine calls it the only black bass with a native range exclusive to Texas. It lives in the clear, running streams of the Edwards Plateau: the Guadalupe, Blanco, Llano and South Llano, San Antonio, Sabinal, San Gabriel, Lampasas and Concho rivers, plus the upper Nueces. Since 1992 TPWD has stocked more than 2.3 million pure Guadalupe bass fingerlings to push back hybridization with introduced smallmouth. Carp share many of these rivers and city lakes; carp angler Odom Wu, whose fly fishing began after a move to Texas, talks carp on Carp on the Fly with Odom Wu and His Journey.
Also worth the drive
- Tarpon: Port Aransas went by the name Tarpon by 1899, the city says, and took its current name around 1910; treat tarpon as a bonus species on the beaches and jetties.
- Mustang Island: TPWD paddling trails along a shoreline it calls some of the best shallow-water fishing areas in Texas.
When to Go Fly Fishing in Texas
The Texas coast fishes all year, so wind and cold fronts matter more than the calendar. Treat this table as general guidance built from TPWD information and our guests' comments, not survey data.
| Target | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redfish on the flats | ||||||||||||
| Spotted seatrout | ||||||||||||
| Tarpon | ||||||||||||
| Guadalupe River trout | ||||||||||||
| Hill Country bass |
Intensity:LightModerateHeavy
Blank cells mean not worth planning around. A strong cold front can shut down the flats for a day or two, and severe freezes can kill fish in shallow water, so check the forecast before you book.
Book a Local Pro in Texas
Guide or lodge in Texas? Get listed. No FFIP Certified guide, lodge or outfitter is in Texas yet. Put your guide service, lodge or outfitter in front of the anglers planning trips here.
Market Your ServicesBrowse every FFIP Certified pro in the guides and lodges directory.
Custom Flies and Rods from Texas
These independent Texas fly tyers sell their own flies through their own sites.
- High Desert Hand Tied Flies and Goods, Marfa
- FishChaseFlies, Texas Hill Country
- Flywood Fly Tying Co., Crawford
- L.H. Blanton Benchworks, Dallas-Fort Worth
- Onion Creek Fly Company, Rockport
- Sight Cast Fishing Company, Houston
Texas custom rod builders listed with FFIP:
- Guadalupe Rod Co., New Braunfels
- Streamer Custom Rods, Woodway
- Mezger Custom Rods, Austin
- Grassland Fly Rods, Denton
- Sawgrass Rods, Dallas
- Gulf Coast Spey, Willis
- 1836 Custom Rods, Baytown
Texas Tips from Podcast Guests
-
Land your fly on the fish's outside eye and match its energy
On a Laguna Madre flat, lead a cruising redfish instead of dropping the fly on its nose.
Lucas Largel, Florida redfish flats guide, on East to West Coast Fly Fishing for Redfish in Florida -
Drill your strip-set with a surprise tug before you fish saltwater
Trout anglers new to the Texas coast lose redfish by lifting the rod.
Lucas Largel, Florida redfish flats guide, on East to West Coast Fly Fishing for Redfish in Florida -
Scout deep-water channels with mixed habitat, then search old forums
Jake Oliver, Gulf Coast DIY saltwater angler, on Fish and Grits: Get to Know the Angler -
Make your streamer hover and kick when you pause the strip
A useful trick for Guadalupe bass holding on Hill Country ledges.
Ryan Walker, Ozarks smallmouth bass guide, on Protecting and Targeting The Big Brown Trout and Bass of The Ozarks -
Slow your approach and scan before every step on carp
Matt Martin, Ontario carp fly fishing guide, on Episode 117: Carp on the Fly
Want more? Browse every tip in the Fly Fishing Tips Library, sorted by region, water type, species and skill.
Hear Texas on the Podcast
What Do You Know About the Texas Tarpon Collaborative and Conservation: Erik Schmitt on growing up with tarpon on the Texas coast, the missing juvenile fish and the Texas Tarpon Collaborative. Listen to the audio episode or read the episode notes.
Fly Fishing from a Kayak: Texas angler Nick Haxhijaj on what he has learned fly fishing out of a kayak. Listen to the audio episode or read the episode notes.
Also worth a listen: Carp on the Fly with Odom Wu and East to West Coast Fly Fishing for Redfish.
Shop the Water: Flies and Gear for Texas
Clousers and Deceivers for redfish, seatrout and jetty fish, a saltwater line and an 8-weight for the wind, poppers for Guadalupe bass, and midges and buggers for the Guadalupe tailwater and carp. Everything below is in stock in the FFIP shop.
Clouser Minnow, Chartreuse/White
Clouser Minnow Assortment of 9
Lefty's Deceiver, Green/White
Omega Saltwater Fly Line
NIRVANA Moksha Fly Rod
Flashtail Bass Popper, Chartreuse
Olive Zebra Midge, Size 16
Crystal Woolly Bugger, Set of 12
Texas Fly Fishing Questions, Answered
How much is a nonresident Texas fishing license?
TPWD sells nonresidents a freshwater package for $58, a saltwater package for $63 and an all-water package for $68, each valid from the date of sale to August 31. For a short trip, the one-day all-water license is $16 per day and needs no endorsements. Nonresidents under 17 do not need a license to fish Texas public waters.
How many redfish can you keep in Texas?
For September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027, TPWD allows three red drum a day between 20 and 28 inches. One redfish over 28 inches may be kept with a Red Drum Tag, and a second with a Bonus Red Drum Tag. Spotted seatrout are three a day from 15 to 20 inches, with tagged fish over 28 inches allowed.
What fly rod should I bring for Texas redfish?
An 8-weight is the standard Texas redfish rod, and many anglers carry a 9-weight for wind. Erik Schmitt of the Texas Tarpon Collaborative told the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast that he fishes an 8-weight line when it is calm but overlines with a 9-weight line when it blows 20 miles an hour, so he can still make the shot.
Can I wade any Texas river I can reach?
Not automatically. According to TPWD, a stream is navigable by statute if it keeps an average width of 30 feet from the mouth up, and the public may walk within the boundaries of a navigable streambed. The public has no right to cross private land to reach public water, so use public access points such as Guadalupe Park below Canyon Dam.
Book the season you actually want
The best weeks go first, and the difference between a good trip and a great one is usually timing. Tell us the season you want and we'll find the water that fishes then.
Book a TripFly Fishing Insider Podcast has a referral partnership with Frontiers International Travel. If you book after being introduced through us, we may receive compensation at no additional cost to you.
Tight lines, everyone!
By Christian Bacasa, host of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast. Last reviewed October 2026.
Prices, availability, flight routing and entry requirements change. Every figure on this page is the starting rate published by the lodge or by Frontiers International Travel at the time of writing, per angler, and is a starting point for a quote, not a quote. Seasons, lodge capacity, charter schedules, visa and passport rules and license requirements can all change without notice. Confirm current pricing, availability and entry requirements with your Frontiers specialist before you book anything.
Sources: Licenses and fees: TPWD. Red drum and seatrout limits: TPWD drum limits and TPWD seatrout limits (2026-2027). Laguna Madre: TPWD. Paddling trails: TPWD. Matagorda Island: TPWD. Guadalupe River trout: TPWD stocking and access and TPWD regulations. Guadalupe bass: Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine. Stream access: TPWD. Port Aransas history: City of Port Aransas. Guest stories: Erik Schmitt, Nick Haxhijaj and Odom Wu on the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast.