Bays & Fishing

Aransas the largest and closest to Rockport. 16 miles long by six miles wide, boasting a wide diversity of fishing, from open water for speckled trout to flats fishing for redfish. Oyster reefs abound in the southern part of Aransas Bay, and the eastern shoreline of the bay offers grass flats and tidal lakes. Loaded with redfish, flounder, sheepshead, drum, trout and more.

Copano Bay, tucked behind the Rockport-Fulton peninsula, is pocked with shallow oyster reefs and teeming with marine life. It’s another popular place for redfish and trout. More inland than Aransas Bay, Copano Bay provides fish with a sanctuary from the winds off the Gulf.

It’s tricky to navigate Copano Bay, especially if you don’t know the location of the reefs. Even experienced fishermen must exercise caution, and less-experienced anglers should consider hiring a guide to take them out.

St. Charles Bay is an inlet of Aransas Bay in Aransas County, Texas. It is flanked by Lamar peninsula on the west and Blackjack peninsula on the east. Goose Island State Park and the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge are located along the bay’s shores. It features long grass and sand shorelines broken up up by slews, cuts and creeks that are excellent habitat for redfish looking to ambush small prey.

St. Charles bay is serviced directly by boat ramps in Lamar and in the Pelican Island State Park. Some small boats and kayaks also launch in Cavasso’s Creek where it crosses Texas Highway 35 north of Lamar.

Redfish Bay (also the Bay that our community is located in) is a triangular shaped area between Aransas Pass, Texas and Port Aransas, Texas. It is bordered on the north by Aransas Bay and on the south by the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. Rather than being a large open water area, Redfish Bay is actually a complex of islands, grass flats and channels with the only deep water being on its southern edge next to the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. The 14,000 acres of fragile grass flats are a rich generator of nutrients for all of the area bay systems and has been designated by the Texas Parks & Wildlife as a State Scientific Area. It is the northern most extensive stands of seagrass on the Texas Coast and its protection is vital to our local fishery.

On May 1, 2006, the area was designated as a no prop zone which makes it illegal to run a boat through the stands of seagrass in a way that would cause them to be uprooted. The 14,000 acres of fragile grass flats are a rich generator of nutrients for all of the area bay systems and has been designated by the Texas Parks & Wildlife as a State Scientific Area. It is the northern most extensive stands of seagrass on the Texas Coast and its protection is vital to our local fishery.

Estes Flats is a deep water shoreline in Redfish Bay south of Rockport. The waters of Estes Flats feature drop offs, grass beds, mud and sand pot holes. They’re great places for shy but aggressive fish, such as redfish, to hide. Kayakers love Estes Flats, and boaters can start there and head into Redfish Bay to drift or push pole in the grass flats.