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Shore spot · BeachGalveston Bay SystemRed Drum · Open

East Beach (R.A. Apffel Park)

29.34°N · 94.73°W

Species

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Best score for the day · 6 PM
86/100
GOOD

Now 79 · 11 AM CDT

BEST WINDOW
8 AM-7 PM
Tide ebbing
TPWD · Galveston Bay System · Red Drum openRegulations ↗3 per day · 20–28" slot

14-Day Forecast

Data from: ECMWF + GFS + BlueCaster
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24-Hour Conditions

All times CDT

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Conditions
Time
11 AM
Now
Score
79
Good
Tide
0.9 ft ▼
Ebbing
Current
—
Ebb
Wind
10 kn
E · steady
Sea state
Flat
1.5 ft @ 4 s SE
Air temp
76°
Warm
Weather
Overcast
100% cloud
Hour 11 AM. Score 79 Good. Tide 0.9ft Falling ▼. Current -0.9kn Ebb. Wind 10kn E G14. Sea 1.5 ft @ 4 s SE Flat. Air 75.6°.

Why this score

Current
0.2 kn light
Prime

Current regulations

In effect now

What you can keep at this spot today

Red Drum
Retention open
Daily limit
3 per day
Possession
6 in possession
Size
20–28" slot
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Slot 20-28 inches. Per license year, one red drum over the max length may be retained with a Red Drum Tag and one more with a Bonus Red Drum Tag; tagged fish are in addition to the daily bag and possession limit. Digital tags must be reported via the Texas Hunt & Fish app or online. Possession limit is double the bag limit. Valid Sep 1, 2026 through Aug 31, 2027.
Other species here
Southern Flounder Retention openBlack Drum Retention openSpotted Seatrout Retention open
Always check with TPWD ↗

Source: TPWD · Galveston Bay System · synced today

Seasonality

52-week view · today highlighted

When Red Drum is best at this spot

Shoulder seasonShoulder season for Red Drum
~8 more weeks in shoulder
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Peak seasonShoulder seasonOff season

SHORE PROFILE

FISHED FROM
Beach
ACCESS
On foot
No boat needed
GETTING THERE
Drive to the east end of Seawall Boulevard to the park, which charges a vehicle fee in season. There is beach parking right at the surf.
HOW IT'S FISHED
Surf fishing with cut bait

About East Beach (R.A. Apffel Park)

East Beach at R.A. Apffel Park is a sand beach on the eastern tip of Galveston Island, where the Galveston Bay System opens to the Gulf of Mexico. Spotted seatrout peak from March through May, and anglers target them with live shrimp under popping cork rigs or with soft plastic paddle tails on jig heads worked along the beach. Red drum take over from August through October and respond to drift fishing with live finger mullet or live croaker, with cut mullet and cracked blue crab fished on the bottom as a steady alternative. Southern flounder move through from September to November, when anglers jig soft plastic paddle tails and shrimp-tipped jigs or bottom fish live mud minnows close to the sand. Black drum hold here from January through March and feed readily on fresh dead shrimp and blue crab fished on the bottom.

CUSTOM ALERT
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East Beach (R.A. Apffel Park) is one of the spots we track around Galveston. More spots in Galveston · All of Texas.

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