Winter Winds and Steady Bites on the Lower Rio Grande Fishing Report

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Lower Rio Grande fishing report out of deep South Texas.

We’ve got a classic winter pattern rolling across the Valley this morning. The National Weather Service Brownsville office is calling for cool, dry air and a Fire Danger Statement with north winds around 10–20 mph and gusts pushing 30, so it’s breezy and crisp on the water. Sunrise is right around 7 AM with sunset near 6 PM, giving us a short but productive window, especially at first light and that last hour before dark.

Tide-wise along the lower coast, we’re on a modest winter tide with a softer range: a higher stage mid‑morning easing off through the afternoon, then another push after dark. Think of it as a slow inhale/exhale rather than big summer swings. That weaker movement means you’ll want to fish the *strongest* parts of each cycle: the last of the incoming and the first of the fall, when bait actually moves.

Water temps in the bays are sitting in the upper 50s to low 60s. That’s got speckled trout and redfish laid up shallow early on dark mud and scattered shell, then sliding a bit deeper into guts and channels when that north wind stiffens. Recent reports from local guides around Port Isabel, South Bay, and the Brownsville Ship Channel have been steady on slot reds, keeper trout, and a few bonus black drum and sheepshead. Numbers haven’t been crazy, but quality’s been good: solid 18–23 inch reds, 16–20 inch trout, and drum in the 3–8 pound class on bait.

Best baits right now:

- For trout and reds on artificials, throw **soft plastics** in natural colors: plum with chartreuse tail, opening night, or white on 1/8 to 1/4 ounce jigheads. Work them slow, almost dragging.
- **Slow‑sink twitch baits** and small suspending jerkbaits in bone or silver/black are money on those shallow flats as the sun warms the mud.
- If you’re soakin’ bait, **live shrimp** under a popping cork is still king, especially along channel edges and the mouths of drains. Fresh dead shrimp on the bottom will pick up black drum and sheepshead around structure.

Hot spots to key on:

- **South Bay and adjacent flats**: Wade the leeward shorelines with soft plastics and suspending baits. Look for slicks and nervous mullet; work the knee‑deep mud/shell mix slow and steady.
- **Brownsville Ship Channel edges and turning basins**: Fish the drop‑offs with live or dead shrimp on Carolina rigs for drum, sheepshead, and the occasional big red. When that north wind howls, this deeper water stays more consistent and often fishes better than the open flats.

On the freshwater side up the Rio Grande and local resacas, the cooler water has catfish and Rio Grande cichlids hugging deeper holes and brush. Stink bait, cut shad, and nightcrawlers on the bottom will still put channel cats in the bucket. Ultralight setups with small worms or tiny jigs around laydowns are taking sunfish and the occasional Rio Grande cichlid—perfect for a quiet afternoon bend in the rod.

Midday, with bright sun and wind, expect the bite to slow. That’s a good time to tuck into wind‑protected pockets, fish tighter to structure, and go smaller and slower with your presentations. The big moves will come at that mid‑morning high and again as the sun drops and the tide starts to creep in.

That’s the word from down here on the border. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.

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