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Best red drum (redfish) lakes in Texas

7 Texas waters hold red drum (redfish), 7 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The copper flats brawler of the Atlantic and Gulf — tailing in inches of water over grass and oysters, schooling at the passes in fall.

1. Matagorda Bay — 103 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, Sheepshead
2. Aransas Bay — 26 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, Sheepshead
3. Sabine Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder
4. East Matagorda Bay — 7 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder
5. Copano Bay — 11 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, Sheepshead
6. Lavaca Bay — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder
7. Espiritu Santo Bay — 14 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder

When to fish red drum (redfish) in Texas

• Spring 1–8 ft — Warming water pulls reds onto grass flats and oyster bars — sight-fish the flood tide, work bar edges on the drop.
• Summer 2–12 ft — Early and late over grass; midday fish slide to channel edges and shaded docks. A gold spoon never stops working.
• Fall 3–20 ft — The season — bull reds stage at inlets and passes on the mullet run, slot fish gorge on the flats.
• Winter 3–15 ft — Clear-water schools pod up in deep holes and dark-bottom flats that soak up sun — slow, small, quiet.

Also in Texas: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best white bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best striped bass lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best spotted seatrout lakes · best southern flounder lakes

Red Drum (Redfish) elsewhere: Florida