Fall speckled trout fishing on the Texas coast is starting to turn on. The first real fronts are pushing water out of the marsh, the shrimp are moving, and the birds have started to work. Before you fill the box, though, know the rules. For the license year that started September 1, 2026, TPWD's spotted seatrout rule is three fish a day, 15 to 20 inches. A trout over 28 inches can be kept only with a Spotted Seatrout Tag, plus one more on a Bonus tag, and those fish don't count against the daily bag. That's a different structure from the one-over-30 rule many anglers got used to. Read it twice.
Here's the read on October and November, and how to fish it.
What the fronts are doing
Every cold front in fall does the same three things. It drops the water temperature, it blows water out of the back lakes, and it pushes bait toward the passes. Trout follow the bait. As the water cools from summer temperatures, specks leave the deeper summer spots and start feeding along the marsh edges, drains and shorelines. After a hard front they'll drop back into deeper guts and channels for a day or two, then slide right back up when it warms.
So fish the calendar by fronts, not by weekends. The day after a front clears, go deep. Two or three days after, as the water warms and the wind lays down, go shallow.
Where they are
Drains on a falling tide. When a front pulls water out of the marsh, every cut and bayou mouth turns into a feeding spot. Trout set up at the mouth, facing the current, and pick off shrimp and small mullet coming out. Fish the down-current side of the drain, and cast so your bait swings across the mouth.
Under the birds. October and November bring the bird action fall anglers wait for. Gulls diving tight over one spot usually mean trout pushing shrimp to the surface. Approach from upwind, cut the motor short, and drift in. Running through the middle of the birds pushes the fish down and ruins it for every other boat.
Shell and grass edges. On calm, warming days between fronts, trout move back to shallow shell pads and grass edges in two to four feet of water, especially early in the morning.
How to fish it
Soft plastics on a jighead. A paddle-tail or shrimp-tail plastic on a 1/4-ounce jighead covers most fall situations. Go to 1/8 ounce over shallow shell and 3/8 ounce in a deep gut or a strong drain. Dark colors in stained water, lighter and clear colors in clean water.
The popping cork. It's still the most dependable rig on the coast. Run a soft plastic or live shrimp 18 to 30 inches under a popping cork along a drain or grass line. Pop it hard, then let it sit. Most strikes come on the pause.
Topwater at first light. On a calm, overcast morning between fronts, a walking topwater over shallow shell is the best way to find a bigger fish. That's the over-28 fish the tag is for. Under the tag rule in place since September 2024, if you plan to keep one, the tag needs to be filled out before the fish goes in the box.
For a closer look at lures versus bait, read our Texas coast breakdown of lures, live bait and the popping cork.
The rod
Fall trout fishing on the coast is mostly a medium-light to medium spinning rod game. You need enough tip to cast a 1/8-ounce jig into the wind and enough backbone to turn a big trout away from the shell. The Favorite Fishing Ol' Salty spinning rod is built for inshore saltwater. If you need a reel too, the Ol' Salty spinning combo pairs them. For a step up, the Magictail inshore rods are designed for this kind of fishing. Based on the specifications and our experience with similar gear, a 7-foot medium-light rod with a fast action is the most versatile length for a trout setup. See the rest of the saltwater fishing collection too.
Wading anglers should dress for the front, not for the forecast high. A waterproof wading jacket such as the Whetstone Waterproof Wading Jacket keeps a north wind off you at waist depth. Our Texas waders guide covers the bottom half.
Take care of what you release
With a three-fish limit and a 15-to-20 slot, you'll release more trout than you keep. Wet your hands, keep them in the water when you can, and get the hook out fast. Trout don't handle long photo sessions well. A fish worth a picture is worth a quick one.
Same water, other species
Fall puts three good fish in the same marsh. The bull reds are at the passes, as covered in our bull red run guide. The flounder run is under way ahead of the November 1 closure. The flounder breakdown has those details. And the trout are on the drains. For a complete coastal setup, see the Texas Gulf Coast gear guide.
Watch the fronts, fish the falling tide, and fill out the tag before the big one goes in the box. Tight lines.