Galveston Island State Park provides a range of opportunities for the fisherman. But you won’t catch anything unless you get your line wet …
Fishing the beach in late December
On the beach-side, you can wade-fish in the surf or take the more leisurely approach and fish from the beach. What you might catch depends on time, tide, wind direction and whether or not bait fish are present; however, the Texas Triumvirate — speckled trout, redfish and flounder — can all be caught from the beach over the course of a year. Seasonal visitors include mackerel, jacks, ladyfish and trophy-sized drum; sharks, rays and panfish such as sand and gulf trout, whiting and croakers are present most of the year.
On the bay-side, you can fish from the bank, wade-fish or fish from a kayak. Again, the Texas Triumvirate is there for the taking.
We see many visitors fishing in Lake Como, from the boardwalk across Butterowe Bayou (part of the Clapper Rail Trail; see Hiking and Biking), and from the banks of the various bayous in the Park. Others use one of the three kayak put-ins to expand their search.
The Park’s fishing spots
Do I need a fishing license?
No fishing license is required for anyone fishing within the boundary of a Texas State Park. The TPWD website provides more information on the Free Fishing in State Parks program.
Additional resources
The Weather Channel provides daily and extended fishing forecasts for the Park.
NOAA provides information on tides. Scroll down to the link for Jamaica Beach, which is the closest listing to the Park.
Kayak fishermen (and women!) can check out TexasKayakFisherman.com for more information. For example, one message-board thread advises beginners how best to fish the Park.
