What's Biting | Galveston Fishing Pier

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WHAT'S BITING

Your complete guide to Gulf Coast fishing — species, seasons, bait & pier tips from the people who fish it every day.

🐟 Species Guide 📅 Seasonal Calendar 🎣 Bait & Gear Tips ⏰ Best Times

Right Now on the Pier

Seasonal Activity

Gulf of Mexico, Galveston — tap any month below to see what's biting, the best methods, and current TPWD limits.

Monthly Gulf Activity May — Peak Season

↓ Tap a month to see what's biting

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Red DrumRedfish

—

Year-round (peak fall)

Live shrimp, cut bait, mullet, spoons, soft plastics

3/day · 20–28" (1 over 28" w/tag)

Speckled TroutSpotted seatrout

—

Spring – Fall

Live shrimp, croaker, Ladyfish, soft plastics, topwaters

3/day · 15–20" (1 over 28")

Black DrumBottom feeder

—

Winter – Spring

Shrimp, crab, cut bait

5/day · 14–30" (1 over 52")

FlounderAmbush predator

—

Fall run, spring

Finger mullet, Gulp, mud minnows

5/day · min 15"

SheepsheadPier pilings

—

Winter – Spring

Live shrimp, fiddler crab

5/day · min 15"

Spanish MackerelFast water

—

Spring – Summer

Spoons, jigs, live bait

15/day · min 14"

King MackerelKingfish

—

Summer – Fall

Live bait, trolling, ribbonfish, slide line

3/day · min 27"

Jack CrevalleHard fighter

—

Summer

Live bait, topwater, large spoons

No bag/size limit

SharksMultiple species

—

Summer

Cut bait, large live bait

1/day (varies by species)

TarponSilver King

—

Summer

Live mullet, crabs

1/day · min 85"

CobiaLing

—

Spring – Summer

Live bait, jigs

1/day · min 40"

WhitingSurf species

—

Year-round

Shrimp, Fishbites

No limit

CroakerBottom feeder

—

Summer

Shrimp, Fishbites

No limit

Sand TroutSmaller cousin

—

Summer

Shrimp, jigs, Fishbites

No limit

Gafftop CatfishCommon at pier

—

Year-round

Live shrimp, cut bait, mullet

No limit

Source: Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept. (TPWD) 2025–2026 regulations. Always check current limits at tpwd.texas.gov before keeping a catch — rules change.

Species Deep Dive

Species Guide

Everything you need to catch them — seasonality, habitat, and pier-tested tips.

Hot

Red Snapper

Lutjanus campechanus

Season

Mar – Oct

Best Time

Early morning

Depth

30–200 ft

Rod

Heavy

Pier tip: Drop cut mullet or squid to the bottom near the end of the pier. Use a heavy sinker. Sunrise bites are best.

Cut mulletSquidBottom rigHeavy rod

Hot

Flounder

Paralichthys lethostigma

Season

Apr – Nov

Best Time

Dusk & dawn

Habitat

Sandy bottom

Rod

Light–medium

Pier tip: Drag live shrimp slowly across the sandy bottom near structure. Flounder ambush — slow is key.

Live shrimpFinger mulletSlow drag

Strong

Speckled Trout

Cynoscion nebulosus

Season

Year-round

Best Time

Early AM

Habitat

Grass flats

Rod

Medium

Pier tip: Work soft plastics or live shrimp under a popping cork near pilings. Overcast mornings produce the biggest trout.

Soft plasticsLive shrimpPopping cork

Running

Kingfish

Scomberomorus cavalla

Season

May – Sep

Best Time

Midday

Speed

Fast fighter

Rod

Heavy

Pier tip: Troll live cigar minnows off the end of the pier near bait schools. Wire leader is essential — kings have serious teeth.

Cigar minnowsWire leaderLive bait

Slowing

Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus

Season

Nov – Apr

Best Time

Incoming tide

Habitat

Pilings

Rod

Light

Pier tip: Fish fiddler crabs or barnacles scraped right off the pier pilings. Sheepshead are bait stealers — small hook, set fast.

Fiddler crabBarnaclesSmall hook

Building

Redfish

Sciaenops ocellatus

Season

Jun – Nov

Best Time

High tide, AM

Habitat

Shallow flats

Rod

Medium

Pier tip: Look for the black spot near the tail — that's your redfish. Live shrimp under a cork or cut crab works great during high tide.

Live shrimpCut crabCork rig

Hot

Pompano

Trachinotus carolinus

Season

Spring & Fall

Best Time

Incoming tide

Habitat

Sandy surf

Rod

Light–medium

Pier tip: Pompano run just beyond the breakers in sandy troughs. Sand fleas or fresh shrimp on a small hook on the bottom — they feed when water moves.

Sand fleasFresh shrimpBottom rig

Strong

Jack Crevalle

Caranx hippos

Season

Spring & Fall

Best Time

Schooling

Fight

Extremely hard

Rod

Medium–heavy

Pier tip: Birds diving + water boiling = jacks pushing baitfish. Cast a fast-moving spoon into the chaos. Tight drag — jacks will smoke you.

Live baitfishSilver spoonsFast jigs

Year-round

Gafftop Catfish

Bagre marinus

Season

Year-round

Best Time

Night fishing

Habitat

Bottom, pilings

Rod

Light–medium

Pier tip: Everywhere at the pier — especially at night. Great for beginners. Watch the spines — they're sharp.

ShrimpCut baitBottom rig

Year-round

Whiting

Menticirrhus spp.

Season

Year-round

Best Time

Incoming tide

Habitat

Sandy surf

Rod

Light

Pier tip: Excellent beginner fish and great table fare. School in the surf zone. Sand fleas or shrimp on a small hook on the bottom — reliable even when others aren't biting.

Sand fleasShrimpSurf zone

Sharks of the Gulf

Pier Sharks

Species you may encounter from the Galveston pier — always handle with care and release quickly when possible.

Texas regulations: Non-offset, non-stainless steel circle hooks required for shark fishing. One shark per angler per day. Minimum size 24" for Blacktip, Atlantic Sharpnose, and Bonnethead. Always handle with care and release quickly when possible.

Summer Peak

Blacktip Shark

Carcharhinus limbatus

Season

May – Sep

Size

4–5 ft avg

Fight

Acrobatic leaps

Rod

Heavy

Pier tip: The most common shark at the pier. Known for spectacular jumps. Oily cut bait — mullet or mackerel — with wire leader. Peaks in August.

Cut mulletWire leaderCircle hook

Summer

Bull Shark

Carcharhinus leucas

Season

Jun – Sep

Size

6–8 ft

Fight

Powerful

Rod

Extra heavy

Pier tip: Strong, stubborn fighters. Large cut baitfish on heavy wire leader. Known to follow shrimp boats — summer nights at the end of the pier produce big ones.

Large cut baitWire leaderNight fishing

Spring–Fall

Atlantic Sharpnose

Rhizoprionodon terraenovae

Season

Apr – Oct

Size

2–4 ft

Difficulty

Beginner

Rod

Medium

Pier tip: Most common small shark at the pier — great for first-timers. Shrimp, cut mullet, or squid all work. Medium tackle is enough.

ShrimpCut mulletBeginner

Spring & Fall

Bonnethead Shark

Sphyrna tiburo

Season

Apr–May, Sep–Oct

Size

3–4 ft

Diet

Shrimp & crab

Rod

Light–medium

Pier tip: Smallest of the hammerhead family — shovel-shaped head. Bottom feeders that love shrimp and crab. Light tackle makes them a blast.

ShrimpCrabLight tackle

Summer

Spinner Shark

Carcharhinus brevipinna

Season

May – Sep

Size

4–6 ft

Known for

Spinning leaps

Rod

Heavy

Pier tip: Named for acrobatic spinning jumps. Often found near baitfish schools in summer. Similar tackle setup to blacktips.

Cut baitLive baitfishWire leader

Trophy

Hammerhead Shark

Sphyrna mokarran / lewini

Season

Jun – Sep

Size

6–10+ ft

Rarity

Occasional

Rod

Extra heavy

Pier tip: A genuine trophy catch — the pier has produced legendary hammerhead sightings. Heavy shark gear, large whole baitfish, big drag capacity. Release strongly encouraged.

Large whole baitHeavy wireCatch & release

From the Pier

Pro Tips

Hard-won wisdom from the people on the pier every day.

⏰

Best Times of Day

The hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset are almost always the most productive windows. Tides matter more than the clock.

🌊

Know Your Tides

Incoming tide pushes baitfish toward structure and gets predators feeding. A strong moving tide almost always beats a slack tide.

🎣

Pier Positioning

The end of the pier reaches deeper water — better for snapper and kingfish. The middle near the pilings is prime sheepshead and flounder territory.

⛅

After a Storm

The first clear day after a cold front passes can produce phenomenal fishing. Fish go deep during the front and come back up hungry.

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