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Fishing East Matagorda Bay: what the data says
36,652-acre bay near Matagorda. The water tops out around 7 ft. The depth chart is built from real NOAA hydrographic survey soundings (depths referenced to low tide), so the channels, holes and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Red Drum (Redfish) fishing at East Matagorda Bay
Spring red drum (redfish) on East Matagorda Bay hold shallow, usually 1 to 7 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 7 ft. The spot to know is Caney Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for red drum (redfish) in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 1 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 1 to 7 ft | dawn & midday | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 1 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Spotted Seatrout fishing at East Matagorda Bay
Spring spotted seatrout on East Matagorda Bay hold shallow, usually 1 to 7 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 7 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring spotted seatrout. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | dawn | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dusk | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Southern Flounder fishing at East Matagorda Bay
Spring southern flounder on East Matagorda Bay hold shallow, usually 1 to 7 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 7 ft. The spot to know is Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for southern flounder in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a jighead + gulp swimming mullet or a bucktail tipped with shrimp and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft | dawn | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (white/chartreuse), Bucktail + Gulp shrimp |
| Summer | 1 to 7 ft | dawn | Jighead + Gulp swimming mullet, Bucktail tipped with shrimp |
| Fall | 1 to 7 ft | midday | 3/8 oz bucktail + Gulp (passes), Big paddletail on the jetty edge |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Slow jig + scented grub in the holes |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 6 ft
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 6 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 4 ft
- Caney Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 4 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 3 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 3 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Marina / dock area: dock line, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is East Matagorda Bay?
East Matagorda Bay is about 7 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys (charted soundings referenced to low tide), so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in East Matagorda Bay?
Anglers target red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout, southern flounder on East Matagorda Bay.
Where is the best fishing spot on East Matagorda Bay?
Caney Creek inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for red drum (redfish) in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish East Matagorda Bay?
For red drum (redfish), the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Matagorda Bay · Lavaca Bay · Espiritu Santo Bay · Aransas Bay · Copano Bay · Lake Conroe
See how East Matagorda Bay stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in Texas · best spotted seatrout lakes in Texas · best southern flounder lakes in Texas
Browse all Texas fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (ENC soundings, MLLW datum). How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.