Patterns on the Monday Morning Sidewalk

Sometimes, when I walk, I stare at the ground the whole time. I think it’s always that I am looking to find something, something of some value. With the changes in the local North Texas environment, the changes in water management and the changes in people pressure, I am doing a lot of staring at the water these days. The thing is? finding something of value, a fish, is a lot like staring at the sidewalk these days. It happens. Fish can happen, but the rarity has climbed so high that I hit the old haunts just to, as Jesse Jackson said, “Keep Hope Alive.”

I cannot imagine a day when I catch sixteen carp in one day, around here, ever again.

Lets get on to the Texas Fly Fishing report for this week, and forget all the aggravations closing in … for just one more week, and a long weekend to boot!

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TEXAS WEEKLY FISHING & FLY FISHING REPORT

May 18–25, 2026

Texas is sliding deeper into late-spring fishing patterns this week, and overall conditions are shaping up very well statewide. Water temperatures continue climbing, bait activity is increasing, and fish are becoming more predictable—especially during low-light periods.

The major theme this week:
👉 Early and late windows are outperforming midday almost everywhere in Texas.

🌕 MOON PHASE & MAJOR FEEDING WINDOWS

• Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent → First Quarter
• Best Feeding Times:
  • Sunrise through ~9:00 AM
  • Sunset through dark
• Secondary Window: Midday feeding increases on windy/cloudy days

This moon setup usually creates:

• More reliable shallow-water movement
• Better evening redfish activity
• Strong bass ambush behavior near cover

TEXAS GULF COAST FISHING REPORT

OVERALL COASTAL PATTERN

The Texas coast continues improving weekly. Water temperatures are climbing into prime ranges, bait is thickening along shorelines, and redfish are pushing aggressively into shallow marsh and grass systems.

BIGGEST FACTOR THIS WEEK:

👉 Incoming evening tides + lower wind mornings

UPPER TEXAS COAST FORECAST (Galveston / Trinity / East Bay)

Conditions

• Water clarity: Fair to improving
• Winds: Typical southeast spring pattern
• Best bite: Late afternoon into sunset

Target Species

• Redfish
• Speckled trout
• Black drum along marsh edges

Best Strategy

• Fish protected shorelines early
• Move into marsh drains and flooded grass late
• Incoming tide is dramatically better than outgoing this week

Fly Fishing

Best flies:

• Spoon flies
• Kwan patterns
• Small baitfish streamers

Best Window

🕓 5 PM to dark

MID-COAST FISHING FORECAST (Matagorda / Port O’Connor / Rockport)

This may quietly be the best overall coastal region this week.

Why

• Cleaner water
• Consistent bait movement
• Less pressure than upper coast

Best Areas

• Sand-and-grass potholes
• Shoreline guts
• Back lakes with moving water

Fly Fishing Outlook

Very good sight-casting opportunities developing on calm mornings.

LOWER LAGUNA MADRE

Still arguably the strongest fly fishing destination in Texas right now.

Pattern

• Redfish cruising shallow sand pockets
• Trout active over grass flats early
• Calm mornings offering excellent visibility

Best Approach

• Wade quietly
• Long casts
• Slow strips

Prime Time

Sunrise through 10 AM

TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT

NORTH TEXAS / DFW

Bass Fishing

The post-spawn feed is strengthening.

Key Pattern

• Wind-blown banks
• Shallow cover early
• Points and drop-offs by midday

Fly Fishing

• White/chartreuse Clousers
• Olive Woolly Buggers
• Small baitfish patterns

White Bass

Still some activity in creek systems, but definitely tapering.

FLY FISHING HILL COUNTRY RIVERS

Guadalupe River

• Trout hanging deeper early morning
• Bass becoming more active daily

Llano / San Marcos

Excellent action for:

• Guadalupe bass
• Sunfish
• Largemouth bass near structure

Fly Suggestions

• Poppers early
• Small streamers late
• Dry-dropper setups midmorning

🌲EAST TEXAS FISHING

Conditions continue stabilizing after spring rains.

Best Opportunities

• Largemouth bass around vegetation
• Crappie moving toward deeper brush

Strategy

Slow presentations are outperforming aggressive retrieves.

Best Play

• Early morning topwater
• Fish deeper structure after 10 AM

Reservoir conditions vary significantly region to region.

BEST FLY FISHING BETS IN TEXAS THIS WEEK

🥇 #1 — Evening Redfish on the Mid-Coast

Incoming tide + sunset = strongest coastal pattern this week.

🥈 #2 — Lower Laguna Fly Fishing

Best consistent sight-fishing conditions in Texas.

🥉 #3 — North Texas Bass

Wind-blown banks producing aggressive fish during low light.

⚠️ CONDITIONS TO WATCH

• Southeast winds increase later this week
• Afternoon boat traffic growing on popular lakes
• Coastal clarity may fluctuate after windy days

FLY FISHING SPECIFIC OUTLOOK

Best Overall Fly Fishing This Week

Region	Target	Best Time
Lower Laguna	Redfish	Sunrise
Mid-Coast	Reds/Trout	Evening
Hill Country	Guadalupe Bass	Early Morning
DFW Ponds/Lakes	Bass	Windy Evenings

STRATEGIC TAKEAWAYS

This is becoming a classic transition-to-summer week in Texas:

• Fish are feeding harder but shorter
• Low-light periods matter most
• Moving water is everything on the coast
• Wind-blown structure is key inland

If you only fish one window this week:
👉 Fish the Texas coast late evening on an incoming tide.