NOTE: I will be in the field most of this week, and bringing you the stories I can reach – all things considered. That includes more posts at The Wholistic Fly Fisher, the new YouTube Channel dedicated to those of us (that means ALL OF US) men who love the mind, body and soul of fly fishing as long as we possibly can! (link) There won’t be a “Monday Morning Sidewalk” column tomorrow, and it’s a pretty safe bet I will not post much of anything here this week. Have a good, safe and memorable holiday tomorrow, and enjoy the week ahead as things begin to turn for the better the next couple of weeks. Get out the sunscreen! THIS REPORT compiled and filed by Chet GyPT.

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Texas Fishing and Fly Fishing May 24–31, 2026

Texas fishing is transitioning hard into early-summer patterns this week, and the overall outlook is strong statewide. Water temperatures continue climbing rapidly, bait movement is increasing along the coast and inland reservoirs, and fish are becoming more locked into predictable feeding windows.

The big Texas fishing trend this week:

👉 Low-light fishing is dominating almost everywhere in Texas.

Morning and evening periods are consistently outperforming midday, especially with warming surface temperatures and increasing boat traffic heading into Memorial Day week.

🌗 MOON PHASE & FEEDING WINDOWS

• Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent → First Quarter
• Major Feeding Windows:
  • Sunrise through ~8:30 AM
  • 6:30 PM through dark
• Secondary Window: Cloud cover and wind can extend bites midday

This week’s moon phase typically favors:

• More shallow redfish movement
• Aggressive bass feeding periods
• Better topwater opportunities early and late
• FIND YOUR TIDES – TEXAS TIDES

🌊TEXAS GULF COAST FISHING & FLY FISHING REPORT

OVERALL COASTAL PATTERN

The Texas Gulf Coast is entering one of the better fishing periods of the spring-to-summer transition. Water temperatures are climbing into highly productive ranges, shrimp and baitfish activity is increasing, and redfish are feeding aggressively in shallow water during moving tides.

This Week’s Key Coastal Pattern:

👉 Incoming evening tides + sunrise slick calm conditions

UPPER TEXAS COAST FISHING

Galveston / Trinity Bay / East Bay

Conditions

• Water clarity improving in protected areas
• Southeast winds increasing late week
• Best bite: early morning and sunset

Best Targets

• Redfish
• Speckled trout
• Flounder beginning to improve near drains

Best Strategy

• Fish wind-protected marshes early
• Focus marsh drains and flooded grass late evening
• Incoming tide significantly outperforming outgoing

Fly Fishing

Best flies:

• White/chartreuse Clousers
• Spoon flies
• Shrimp patterns

Prime Window

🕖 6 PM to dark

MIDDLE TEXAS COAST FISHING

Matagorda / Port O’Connor / Rockport

This region may be the best overall balance of:

• water clarity,
• bait movement,
• and fish consistency this week.

Pattern

• Reds cruising shallow grass
• Trout over sand pockets early
• Better topwater activity developing daily

Best Fly Fishing Approach

• Calm mornings for sight casting
• Slow strips in potholes
• Fish shorelines with moving bait

Best Window

Sunrise through 9 AM and final 2 hours before dark

LOWER LAGUNA MADRE TEXAS

Still arguably the top pure fly fishing destination in Texas right now.

Conditions

• Stable water temps
• Cleaner visibility
• Excellent shallow-water movement

What’s Happening

• Redfish tailing early
• Trout feeding over grass flats
• Calm mornings producing excellent visibility

Best Flies

• Small tan shrimp
• Weedless baitfish patterns
• Bonefish-style flies

Prime Time

🌅 First light through midmorning

TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT

NORTH TEXAS / DFW

Bass Fishing

The post-spawn feed is now fully underway.

Best Pattern

• Wind-blown banks
• Shad activity near points
• Shallow early → deeper structure midday

Fly Fishing

Excellent time for:

• Baitfish streamers
• Poppers at sunrise
• Woolly Buggers along vegetation edges

White Bass

Most creek activity tapering, but lake schooling activity still possible at dawn.

HILL COUNTRY RIVERS FISHING

Guadalupe River

• Trout still possible in deeper early runs
• Bass activity increasing rapidly

Llano / San Marcos

Fishing very well for:

• Guadalupe bass
• Sunfish
• Largemouth bass

Best Flies

• Small poppers
• Crawfish streamers
• Dry-dropper rigs

Best Window

Early morning before recreational traffic builds

CENTRAL TEXAS LAKES REPORT

Central Texas lakes are entering classic early-summer fishing behavior this week, with water temperatures rising quickly and fish becoming more concentrated around structure and bait movement.

Best Regional Lakes

• Lake Travis
• Lake Buchanan
• Lake LBJ
• Belton Lake
• Stillhouse Hollow
• Lake Georgetown

🎣 Bass Fishing Outlook

Key Texas Fishing Patterns

👉 Wind-blown points and rocky structure are producing the most consistent bites.

Morning activity remains strong around:

• shallow rock,
• flooded brush,
• and marina edges.

By midday, fish are shifting deeper along:

• ledges,
• drop-offs,
• and submerged structure.

Texas Fly Fishing Opportunities

Central Texas is becoming increasingly good for:

• largemouth bass,
• Guadalupe bass,
• and sunfish on fly tackle.

Best Flies

• Small baitfish patterns
• Crawfish streamers
• Foam poppers at sunrise
• Clousers near rocky banks

Best Fly Fishing Times This Week

🌅 First light through 8:30 AM
🌇 Evening low-light periods

Lake Travis & Highland Lakes Fishing Patterns

Water clarity is generally good, especially on calmer mornings.

Best Strategy

• Fish shaded rocky banks early
• Target bait concentrations near points
• Watch for schooling activity at dawn

Topwater opportunities are improving weekly as temperatures climb.

Texas White Bass & Hybrid Striper This Week

Some scattered schooling action remains possible early mornings on:

• Lake Buchanan
• Belton
• Stillhouse Hollow

Look for:

• surface bait activity,
• diving birds,
• and wind-driven points.

⚠️ Central Texas Conditions To Watch

• Heavy recreational boat traffic developing by midday
• Wind increasing later afternoons
• Surface temps climbing quickly on smaller lakes

Smart Move This Week

👉 Fish early, stay mobile, and follow bait movement rather than structure alone.

EAST TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT

East Texas is setting up for a very solid late-spring fishing week, especially for anglers willing to fish early and focus on vegetation, creek channels, and submerged timber. Water temperatures are now firmly in the productive range, and fish are transitioning into stable feeding patterns.

Major Pattern This Week

👉 Bass are moving into predictable summer structure while still feeding aggressively during low-light periods.

Best East Texas Lakes Fishing This Week

• Lake Fork
• Sam Rayburn
• Toledo Bend
• Lake O’ the Pines
• Caddo Lake

• Largemouth Bass

Best Pattern

• Early topwater around grass and timber
• Wind-blown secondary points
• Shad activity near creek mouths at sunrise

Midday Adjustment

As the sun rises, bass are sliding:

• deeper into timber,
• under docks,
• and along shaded vegetation lines.

Fly Fishing

Excellent opportunities around:

• cypress trees,
• grass edges,
• and shallow wood cover.

Best Flies

• Deer hair poppers
• White baitfish streamers
• Olive Woolly Buggers
• Crawfish patterns near timber

Best Window

🌅 Sunrise through 9 AM
🌇 Final hour before dark

Crappie

Crappie are transitioning toward:

• brush piles,
• standing timber,
• and deeper creek structure.

Best Strategy

• Slow vertical presentations
• Fish 10–18 feet near cover
• Early morning bite strongest

🌿 Caddo Lake Special Note

Caddo remains one of the most unique freshwater fly fishing destinations in Texas right now.

Best Opportunity

• Bass around lily pads and cypress roots
• Topwater fly action early morning can be excellent

Best Fly

Black or chartreuse poppers near shaded structure.

🎯 BEST BETS IN TEXAS THIS WEEK

🥇 #1 — Mid-Coast Redfish at Sunset

Incoming tides and warming water are creating outstanding shallow-water opportunities.

🥈 #2 — Lower Laguna Sight Casting

Probably the most reliable fly fishing in Texas right now.

🥉 #3 — North Texas Bass on Windy Banks

Post-spawn fish feeding aggressively during low-light periods.

⚠️TEXAS FISHING CONDITIONS TO WATCH

• Holiday weekend boat traffic increasing statewide
• Southeast winds strongest afternoons on coast
• Midday heat beginning to slow shallow bites

TEXAS FLY FISHING OUTLOOK THIS WEEK

Region	Best Target	Best Time
Lower Laguna	Redfish	Sunrise
Mid-Coast	Reds & Trout	Evening
Hill Country	Guadalupe Bass	Early AM
DFW Lakes	Largemouth Bass	Windy Sunset

🧠 STRATEGIC TAKEAWAYS

Texas is now shifting into dependable summer fishing behavior:

• Fish early or late
• Fish moving water
• Fish where bait is concentrated
• Wind creates opportunity inland
• Tides matter more than ever on the coast

If you only get one shot this week:

👉 Be on a Texas coastal flat during the final two hours before sunset on an incoming tide.

FINAL WORD FISHING TEXAS THIS WEEK

This is one of the better transition weeks Texas anglers get all year.

The anglers who:

• stay mobile,
• focus low-light windows,
• and follow bait movement

…are going to find fish consistently almost statewide this week.