Galveston named a top U.S. fishing destination
If Galveston’s beaches don’t impress you, maybe its fishing will.
Fishing Booker, an online booking company that helps find fishing destinations, recently ranked Galveston as the second-best fishing destination in the United States for 2023.
Mary Beth Bassett from Visit Galveston said she’s not surprised.
“Fishing in Galveston is action-packed all year long and anglers can expect to land a wide variety of saltwater fish — whether from the bay or the Gulf,” Bassett said. “Folks can cast a line from the sand or atop one of several piers, and there are many experienced guides.”
Galveston Bay is unique because it has a combination of fresh and saltwater so there is a wide variety of fish to catch. The bay is known for its redfish, speckled trout, sheepshead, flounder, and black drum. Anglers who fish near Galveston’s offshore oil rigs for deep-sea fishing can catch tuna, mahi mahi, king mackerel, and amberjack, which often weigh in at over 50 pounds.
Galveston Bay is also the seventh largest estuary in the United States at 35 miles long and up to 19 miles wide — and it’s unusually shallow with an average depth of 7 feet.
Finding the ‘sweet spots’
On top of the availability and variety of fish to catch, there are several local fishing enthusiasts
that help anglers find the “sweet spots” that help anglers find what they’re looking for, Bassett said.
“A great spot for fishing here is at Seawolf Park. Technically on Pelican Island, the park is positioned at the gateway to the Gulf of Mexico,” Bassett said. “This means all the fish traveling from the Gulf to Galveston Bay and the bayou system swim past the park. The granite riprap at the park provides shelter for many varieties of bait fish that attract larger fish.”
Bassett said another great spot for fishing is at Galveston State Park on the island’s West End. Anglers can also kayak at Clear Lake, fish for crabs at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, fish off the longest manmade pier in the world — Texas City Dike — or simply fish from the shore at Galveston beaches.
Anyone who is 17 or older needs a license to fish in Galveston Bay.
While much of the fish caught in Galveston Bay is safe to eat, anglers should check the seafood consumption advisories for some species in certain areas. Anglers should also report injured wildlife, such as dolphins, sea turtles and birds and other wildlife.
Here are Fishbooker’s full rankings for the Best US Fishing Cities for 2023:
• San Diego
• Galveston
• Panama City, Fla.
• Miami
• Charleston, S.C.
• Boston
• Rochester, N.Y. • Muskegon, Mich.
• St. Louis
• Colorado Springs, Colo.
• Portland, Ore.
• Juneau, Alaska