South Padre Island tide chart today next high 6:28 PM

Questions people ask about South Padre Island

Answered from the same readings as the rest of this page. Where we have no basis for an answer, there is no entry — spot-by-spot local knowledge is not something we can claim for South Padre Island.

Is it worth fishing South Padre Island today?

5 out of 10 — picky. Work for it. The strongest stretch is 1:29 AM–3:29 AM. That number is worked out fresh each morning from the solunar windows, the pressure trend, the water level and the water temperature.

What time should you fish South Padre Island?

Today's major windows run 1:29 AM–3:29 AM and 1:55 PM–3:55 PM, with minor windows at 8:44 AM–9:44 AM and 8:00 PM–9:00 PM. Sunrise is 7:19 AM and sunset 7:18 PM. A major landing on first or last light is the stretch worth setting an alarm for.

What is the water temperature at South Padre Island?

86°F, read at 11:06 AM from NOAA CO-OPS station 8779749. That is 0.5 degrees cooler than 24 hours ago.

What is the water level at South Padre Island right now?

0.784 ft above MLLW, read at 11:06 AM from NOAA CO-OPS station 8779749. Over 24 hours it is down 0.60 ft.

Are water levels rising or falling at South Padre Island?

Falling. The lake is down 0.60 ft in 24 hours and down 1.18 ft over the week. Over the last 9 days it has held between 0 and 2.52 ft. Every figure here is a difference between two gauge readings, not a forecast — what the level does next depends on rain and on what the dam releases.

Can you eat the fish you catch in South Padre Island?

That is a health question, and it is answered officially rather than by us. Texas Department of State Health Services publishes the fish consumption advisory covering these waters, where an interactive viewer shows advisories and possession bans by waterbody. Read it before you keep a meal — we give no eating advice.

Texas DSHS fish consumption advisory

Do you need a licence to fish South Padre Island?

Yes. A Texas fishing license covers this water, required from age 17. TPWD sets the rules and is the one that counts.

What a Texas license costs, and who is exempt

What size fish can you keep in Texas?

It depends on the species, and several have slot limits rather than a simple minimum. Open to harvest today: red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout (speckled trout), black drum, southern flounder. Seasons here change mid-year by agency order, so the status is re-checked every morning.

Red drum (redfish) limits · Spotted seatrout (speckled trout) limits · Black drum limits · Southern flounder limits · Check a length against the rules