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Redfish, Trout, and Flounder in the Rio Grande Valley for Late October
Published 6 months ago
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Artificial Lure here, coming to you with your October 27, 2025, fishing report straight from the heart of the Rio Grande Valley, Texas. It’s a classic south Texas fall morning: sunrise hit around 7:39 a.m., with sunset set for 6:54 p.m., giving us a solid day to put lines in the water. Weather's mild for late October—expect daytime temps in the upper 80s, maybe a touch over 90 in the afternoon, with patchy clouds and a light breeze rustling the river cane. KRGV Channel 5 News reported some scattered showers yesterday but things look clear today, with the wind laying down enough to make both river and coastal fishing inviting for small boats and shore-bound anglers.
Tides in the Lower Laguna Madre and along the mouth of the Rio Grande will see a low around lunchtime, bottoming out at about 0.07 feet, then building back up into the afternoon with highs peaking just before dark. According to Fishing Reminder, the bite has lined up best at first light and late afternoon during a moving tide, especially after these minor fronts pushing down from the north. We’re just past the first quarter moon, with strong tidal coefficients, meaning there’s current to stir up bait and spark a feeding window.
Down in the estuaries and flats—South Bay, Boca Chica Bay, and El Realito Bay—the mullet run is still humming along the beachfront. The jetties and surf are alive with bull redfish harassing those bait schools. Early risers tossing finger-mullet topwaters or gold spoons have done real well before the sun gets too high. Later, switching to live mullet, cut bait, or a big Gulp soft plastic along the deeper guts puts you in the mix for reds and some slot-sized black drum.
Laguna Madre side is still producing good speckled trout numbers over grass flats and potholes, especially right at sun-up on walk-the-dog style topwaters. As the morning wears on, swap to a light jighead with a white or chartreuse paddle-tail or drift a live shrimp under a popping cork—shrimp are getting thick and trout are keyed in. Local guides at Fisherman’s Wharf and down by the South Jetty report solid mid-week boxes of trout up to 24 inches, with the occasional snook ambush around tight structure—bridge pilings and rocky outcrops are best.
Don’t overlook the flounder bite. They’re stacking near the cuts and channel edges in anticipation of their migration. Dragging a mud minnow or Gulp Swimming Mullet slowly along the bottom will tempt those flat slabs. Spanish mackerel are still busting bait along the jetties, so carry a silver spoon or fast-moving plug if you’re looking for some drag-screaming fun.
If you’re headed up the freshwater stretches of the Rio Grande, the all-tackle records show some brutes swimming these waters—recent catches include blue and flathead catfish into the 30- to 60-pound range, hefty freshwater drum, and plenty of Rio Grande cichlids and sunfish in the rocky pools. Stinkbaits, fresh cut shad, and nightcrawlers are steady producers for cats, while ultralight setups and live worms are deadly for panfish and cichlids.
As for hotspots: South Bay has been red hot early in the day for redfish and trout. Boca Chica Bay’s channels are loaded with flounder and black drum right now. For the land-based crowd, the South Jetty and nearby flats at Fisherman’s Wharf are loaded with mullet and both inshore and surf species, especially around sunrise and sunset.
Best baits and lures right now: finger mullet (live or coffin cut), big Gulp or DOA soft plastics in natural colors, bone or chartreuse topwaters at daybreak, and gold spoons for covering water. For flounder, think slow: Gulp Swimming Mullet or a live mud minnow on a jighead.
Thanks for tuning in to your Rio Grande Valley fishing update—remember to subscribe for your daily bite forecast and local tips. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing ge
Tides in the Lower Laguna Madre and along the mouth of the Rio Grande will see a low around lunchtime, bottoming out at about 0.07 feet, then building back up into the afternoon with highs peaking just before dark. According to Fishing Reminder, the bite has lined up best at first light and late afternoon during a moving tide, especially after these minor fronts pushing down from the north. We’re just past the first quarter moon, with strong tidal coefficients, meaning there’s current to stir up bait and spark a feeding window.
Down in the estuaries and flats—South Bay, Boca Chica Bay, and El Realito Bay—the mullet run is still humming along the beachfront. The jetties and surf are alive with bull redfish harassing those bait schools. Early risers tossing finger-mullet topwaters or gold spoons have done real well before the sun gets too high. Later, switching to live mullet, cut bait, or a big Gulp soft plastic along the deeper guts puts you in the mix for reds and some slot-sized black drum.
Laguna Madre side is still producing good speckled trout numbers over grass flats and potholes, especially right at sun-up on walk-the-dog style topwaters. As the morning wears on, swap to a light jighead with a white or chartreuse paddle-tail or drift a live shrimp under a popping cork—shrimp are getting thick and trout are keyed in. Local guides at Fisherman’s Wharf and down by the South Jetty report solid mid-week boxes of trout up to 24 inches, with the occasional snook ambush around tight structure—bridge pilings and rocky outcrops are best.
Don’t overlook the flounder bite. They’re stacking near the cuts and channel edges in anticipation of their migration. Dragging a mud minnow or Gulp Swimming Mullet slowly along the bottom will tempt those flat slabs. Spanish mackerel are still busting bait along the jetties, so carry a silver spoon or fast-moving plug if you’re looking for some drag-screaming fun.
If you’re headed up the freshwater stretches of the Rio Grande, the all-tackle records show some brutes swimming these waters—recent catches include blue and flathead catfish into the 30- to 60-pound range, hefty freshwater drum, and plenty of Rio Grande cichlids and sunfish in the rocky pools. Stinkbaits, fresh cut shad, and nightcrawlers are steady producers for cats, while ultralight setups and live worms are deadly for panfish and cichlids.
As for hotspots: South Bay has been red hot early in the day for redfish and trout. Boca Chica Bay’s channels are loaded with flounder and black drum right now. For the land-based crowd, the South Jetty and nearby flats at Fisherman’s Wharf are loaded with mullet and both inshore and surf species, especially around sunrise and sunset.
Best baits and lures right now: finger mullet (live or coffin cut), big Gulp or DOA soft plastics in natural colors, bone or chartreuse topwaters at daybreak, and gold spoons for covering water. For flounder, think slow: Gulp Swimming Mullet or a live mud minnow on a jighead.
Thanks for tuning in to your Rio Grande Valley fishing update—remember to subscribe for your daily bite forecast and local tips. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing ge