A Texan Angler's Fishing Guide to South Padre Island, TX

A barrier island on the southeastern corner of the state of Texas that faces the Gulf of Mexico, South Padre Island (or SPI as the locals fondly call it) is the perfect destination for those looking to make the most out of their vacation. South Padre Island is a popular resort town in Cameron County, Texas. It was named after a Spanish priest, Padre Jose Nicolas Balli, who first settled on the island when he founded a ranch called Santa Cruz de Buena Vista in 1804. Before this, however, people—specifically, nomadic Native Americans, Spanish troops, and shipwreck survivors—inhabited the island. In fact, the island was formerly owned by four different nations at different times, with Spain being the first one to claim it; followed by Mexico after the Mexican Revolution; then the Republic of Texas; and finally, the US following the US-Mexican War of 1845-1848.  

But even with so many people setting foot on the island, formal settlements weren’t established until the good priest arrived. The whole island was primarily used for ranching when the first settlers arrived. It was only in the late 1920s when Colonel Sam Robertson came and first envisioned the island as the “Miami Beach of Texas.” Since then, the whole island has seen major transformations as concrete roads, causeways, piers, resorts, and hotels were constructed throughout the years until it’s become what it is now—a popular tourist destination that attracts over a million visitors each year, all year round. 

South Padre Island boasts several relaxing and exhilarating activities that vacationers of all demographics would surely love. For instance, the island is a popular spring break stop for local and international college students in March. There are also so many water sports activities a thrill-seeker would enjoy, including jet-skiing and kiteboarding. If you want to relax, you can either bask in the sun on the island’s white-sand beaches, explore the shores on horseback through various ecological tours, or maybe get to meet some friendly aquatic mammals by going on a dolphin-watching excursion. South Padre Island's oceans are much clearer and bluer than those of Port Aransas.

South Padre Island: The State’s Mecca of Fishing 

Aside from the fun activities mentioned above, another way to enjoy the island is through fishing. As any Texan angler would tell you, fishing South Padre Island is truly an angler’s paradise. The island offers many fishing opportunities that a novice or expert would certainly appreciate. Well, it’s an island—so it’s not hard to imagine why Texans see SPI as the state’s mecca of fishing. In fact, late in the summer, the Texas International Fishing Tournament happens here every year, where lucky anglers could take home cash prizes that total close to a quarter-million dollars. Other fishing tournaments are held on the island every year, including Ladies Kingfish Tournament, the Hooters Tournament, and the Redfish Rodeo.

You can go on fishing trips South Padre Island in a variety of ways along this Texas Gulf Coast. One of the simplest ways is via shore fishing, where you can target tarpon, snook, redfish, speckled trout, and flounder. You can also choose to fish on sandy beaches, piers, or jetties—either way, it’s perfect for those who want to satisfy their fishing itch without going all out.

If you’re looking for a bit of adventure or want to experience the waters around the island without the crowd, you can also try kayak fishing. Yes, even if you don’t own a kayak, a South Padre Island fishing guide will be more than happy to point you in the right direction of where you can rent one and where you can paddle out and catch redfish, trout, flounder, snook, spanish mackerel, and sheepshead. If you want your kayak fishing more challenging, you can paddle farther out the Gulf and target cobia, red snapper, or Kingfish.

If you want a REAL challenge, a South Padre fishing charter may be your cup of tea. There are two fishing charter options—one is to join a party boat where you can fish alongside other visitors, while a private fishing charter lets you experience deep-sea fishing with just the captain and crew for company. Of course, the first option will be much cheaper. Either way, charter fishing South Padre Island can open up all the possibilities for you as seasoned fishing boat captains will not only provide you with all the equipment you will need, but they will also take you to where real Gulf monsters like amberjack, dorado, tuna, marlin, and even sharks can be caught.      

South Padre Island’s Top Fishing Locations

We highly recommend getting a fishing guide or a charter fishing boat to make the most of your fishing trip in South Padre Island fishing in the best possible way. Why? Because how else can you experience hassle-free fishing trips on the island? Yes, they’ll help you get the right equipment, give you helpful tips and techniques on how to catch certain species, and, of course, show you where you can catch them.   

Here are some of the top fishing locations in the area:

Inshore Fishing can be done in three ways: on the beach, pier, or on jetties. The following are just some of the most popular inshore fishing locations:

• Holly Beach – located just north of Laguna Vista on the mainland, you can do wade fishing and catch some speckled Trout, flounder, or redfish along its grass beds. Just be careful, as it can also be dangerous, especially for the inexperienced angler, as there are holes, drop-offs, soft bottoms, oyster shells, and stingrays here.
• Pirate’s Landing Pier – situated on State Highway 100 beside the Queen Isabel Causeway, it’s the longest fishing pier in Texas where you can catch a variety of inshore fishes such as trout, croaker, sheepshead, flounder, catfish, and a lot more. You can also buy or rent fishing gear and supplies at the pier's tackle and bait shops.
• SPI Jetties – this location is the perfect fishing spot if you’re targeting bigger tarpon, sheephead, trout, or redfish without having to set foot on a boat. You can find it at the island's southernmost end, within Isla Blanca Park. You can also rent or buy all your fishing must-haves at the tackle and bait shops at the entrance.

Nearshore Fishing can be done while on a kayak. With the help of a South Padre Island fishing guide, you can get to these fishing spots while experiencing Mother Nature in all her glory:

• South Bay – within its enclave is an eight to nine-mile paddling trail where you’ll get the chance to fish for some Redfish, Trout, Snook, Jack Crevalle, Snapper, and Ladyfish along its flats while, of course, having the best views.
• Brazos Santiago Pass – sure, you can catch Tarpon, Sheephead, Trout, or Redfish on the jetties beside the pass, but doing so in a kayak is a different experience as you’ll feel like you’re one with nature here. Just a word of warning, though: this location, most of the time, is a busy pass that gets a lot of traffic, so always be wary of your surroundings when you fish here.
• Laguna Madre Bay – a long and shallow body of water on the western side of the island, the bay is home to many fish species, including Catfish, Croaker, Alligator Gar, Kingfish, Crevalle Jack, and a lot more. Imagine casting your lines in its pristine waters while having the front seat view of a Peregrine Falcon doing a high-speed dive to catch its lunch or maybe friendly dolphins keeping you company while you paddle along its waters. Yup, all these are possible while kayak fishing in the bay.

Offshore Fishing can be done via South Padre Island fishing charters. If you want to go deep sea fishing South Padre Island Texas, head far out into the Gulf of Mexico and land real monsters like amberjack, kingfish, barracuda, dorado, tuna, and marlin, this is the surefire way to go! Top offshore fishing South Padre Island spots include Port Isabel Reef, Brownsville Ship Channel, Texas Clipper, and some deep-water oil rigs.  

When’s the Best Time to Go Fishing on South Padre Island

South Padre Island boasts warm weather all year round thanks to the region’s mid to semi-arid climate, with average annual temps of 74 degrees. It only means that it’s pretty much sunny here most of the time, and yes, you can fish here throughout the year. But if you’re targeting a particular fish, here are the months when to best catch them:

• Tarpon – May to November
• Snook, Sailfish, and Bonito – April to December
• White Bass – February, and May
• Red Snapper – June and July
• Dorado, Striped Bass – May to June
• Catfish – all year except May to August
• Crevalle Jack, Kingfish, and Wahoo – from May to September
• Yellowfin Tuna – December to February
• Blue Marlin – they’re abundant in the open waters all year long
• Spanish Mackerel – March to September

Top Ten Fish You Can Catch in South Padre Island, TX

The top 10 fish species found in South Padre Island, TX, are tarpon, snook, bass, snapper, dorado, catfish, crevalle jack, tuna, marlin, and spanish mackerel.

South Padre Island’s Most Popular Activities

If you’re planning to visit this beautiful island on your next trip, here are some activities you might want to check out:

1. Go Fishing

With ample opportunities to catch different fish species, South Padre Island is truly an angler’s paradise. You can either hire a guide or a South Padre Island fishing charter and experience Island fishing at its best! Speaking of best, the best way to end your fishing trip is to take your fresh catch to a restaurant that will turn your catch into a hearty meal! Anglers seeking the thrill of reeling in a trophy fish can also enjoy a bay fishing trip on South Padre Island. Get your fishing tackle and live bait ready for some action!

2. Hit The Beach

Of course, the first thing you should do on such a picturesque island is to wallow its sandy beaches that stretch for more than 30 miles. You can bask in the sun, swim in its pristine waters, or, to make your stay more memorable, go horseback riding—you know, as a true Texan would!

3. Meet and Greet the Local Fauna

With exciting nature tours such as dolphin watching, island hopping, and Laguna Madre nature trail tours, you’ll get the chance to come face to face with the local fauna or enjoy the stunning views. You can also visit Sea Turtle, Inc., an organization dedicated to the overall welfare of sea turtles. Here you will not only get the chance to meet some sea turtles in person, but you’re also helping the organization’s worthwhile cause.

Visit South Padre Island now and find out why it’s one of the Lone Star State’s true gems!