Exploring the Bays Around Port O’Connor, Texas: A Fishing Paradise on the Gulf

Port O’Connor, Texas, isn’t just a sleepy coastal town—it’s a gateway to some of the richest and most productive bays on the entire Texas Gulf Coast. With easy access to a complex network of estuaries, channels, flats, reefs, and marshes, anglers from all over the state (and beyond) flock to Port O’Connor for an unmatched saltwater fishing experience. At Lured Out, Captain Wes Bodden has spent years learning the ins and outs of these waters, guiding clients to redfish, speckled trout, flounder, and more throughout the seasons.

Whether you’re booking your first trip to the area or returning for another round of legendary fishing, understanding the bays around Port O’Connor can enhance your trip and help you get the most out of your time on the water.

1. Espiritu Santo Bay
Located just northeast of Port O’Connor, Espiritu Santo Bay is one of the crown jewels of Texas inshore fishing. The name means “Bay of the Holy Spirit,” and it certainly lives up to its reputation. This bay features miles of shallow grass flats, oyster reefs, and marsh cuts that attract redfish, trout, and flounder throughout the year.

Espiritu Santo is especially prized for its sight-casting opportunities. Clear water and calm conditions allow anglers to target cruising redfish and specks in less than two feet of water. Due to its relatively protected shorelines, it’s also a great area for fly fishing and kayak fishing.

Fishing hotspots in this bay include:

Shoalwater Bay

Mitchell’s Cut

The grass flats near South Pass

These areas hold bait and provide shelter for predators, especially during the early morning hours or high tides.

2. Matagorda Bay
To the north of Port O’Connor lies the massive Matagorda Bay system, which encompasses a range of environments from wide open water to back lakes and marshes. Although Matagorda Bay is accessible from several towns, Port O’Connor gives you unique access to the southern and eastern fringes, which are often less pressured and highly productive.

Anglers fishing in Matagorda can expect:

Trophy-sized trout on reefs and deeper shell beds

Bull redfish staging near cuts and jetties

Flounder along sandy drop-offs, especially in fall

Because of its size and exposure to wind, Matagorda is best fished with an experienced guide like Captain Wes, who knows how to read the weather, tides, and seasonal movement of fish across such a large system.

3. San Antonio Bay
Sitting just west of Port O’Connor, San Antonio Bay is a remote, lightly developed bay system with excellent water quality and year-round fish activity. The area is fed by several freshwater inflows, making it a dynamic estuary system that supports shrimp, baitfish, and the game fish that pursue them.

San Antonio Bay is known for:

Schooling redfish along grass banks

Speckled trout near shell reefs and tidal guts

Quiet backcountry marshes are ideal for flounder

Bird activity here often reveals feeding frenzies in deeper channels or along current edges, especially during fall and winter when birds dive on shrimp pushed to the surface by predator fish.

4. West Matagorda Bay
To the far north and west of Port O’Connor lies West Matagorda Bay, a bit more off the beaten path for local guides but a productive option for anglers looking for solitude and fewer boats. Accessing this bay typically involves a longer boat ride, but can reward you with outstanding fishing on submerged reefs and flats.

Redfish and trout often hold near:

Half Moon Reef

The Palacios Flats

Cullen Bayou areas

These deeper waters also present opportunities for seasonal migrations of Spanish mackerel, black drum, and jack crevalle, especially near open water channels during summer months.

5. Powderhorn Lake and the Wildlife Management Area
Closer to town, Powderhorn Lake and the adjacent Powderhorn Wildlife Management Area offer fantastic fishing, birding, and scenic beauty. This area includes tidal lakes, creeks, and grassy marshes perfect for kayak fishing, wading, and exploring on foot or by skiff.

It’s an excellent choice for anglers looking to sight-cast to redfish or hook into flounder staging along the muddy channels leading to the bay. The surrounding marshes also serve as critical nursery grounds, making this a key habitat for juvenile fish, shorebirds, and crabs.

Why These Bays Matter for Anglers
What makes the Port O’Connor area so special is the diversity of its water systems. On any given day, a guide like Captain Wes Bodden can choose between open bays, secluded marsh lakes, narrow bayous, and current-swept reefs depending on conditions and client goals. This flexibility ensures that whether it’s windy, overcast, cold, or blazing hot, there’s always somewhere productive to fish.

More importantly, these bays offer something for every style of angler:

Wading artificial lure fanatics

Drifting bait with family

Sight casting with fly tackle

Chasing birds with spinning gear

Gigging flounder in calm back lakes

With various habitats, anglers can target the Texas inshore trifecta—redfish, trout, and flounder—in a single day.

Fish the Bays with Lured Out
At Lured Out, Captain Wes Bodden brings years of on-the-water experience to every trip. His knowledge of each bay system, combined with his attention to client experience, means you’ll get more than just a day of fishing—you’ll get a whole coastal adventure tailored to the tides, season, and your style of angling.

Whether you want to chase trophy specks at sunrise in Espiritu Santo Bay or explore a hidden redfish flat in the San Antonio backcountry, Captain Wes has the expertise and equipment to make it happen.

Book your next fishing trip in Port O’Connor today, and discover why these bays make the area one of the best inshore fisheries on the Gulf Coast.

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