# Matagorda, TX



## tex68w (Apr 24, 2018)

We are relocating to the Bay City area soon for work. It looks like I will be able to get to the bay in Matagorda within 25 minutes from our front door. I don't know those waters at all as all of my fishing has always been from POC down to Baffin. Is East Matagorda Bay any good? What about kayak or paddle board areas reachable from that area? I wouldn't mind taking my paddle board down and throwing some flies in some skinny stuff if it's reachable within reason from wherever I can park my truck. 

We will be without a boat until the spring so I'll have to be able to reach fishing spots via auto/foot/paddle board/kayak for the next six months or more. Any suggestions or pointers from those in the know? Are there any fly fishing specific guides in that area?


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## Cozumel Annie (Jan 13, 2018)

I would think you could launch a Kayak in St. Mary's Bayou off the Colorado and enter into East Matty from the West. There are a series of bayous that enter the bay. My go to spot for Trophy Trout is the North Shoreline of East Matty in the Fall/Winter. After 2-3 days after a Northern blows through the North shoreline clears up and it's all sight casting. East Matty is known for big trout. I fish all over the Gulf Coast, but when the cold starts coming this is where I'll be.



tex68w said:


> We are relocating to the Bay City area soon for work. It looks like I will be able to get to the bay in Matagorda within 25 minutes from our front door. I don't know those waters at all as all of my fishing has always been from POC down to Baffin. Is East Matagorda Bay any good? What about kayak or paddle board areas reachable from that area? I wouldn't mind taking my paddle board down and throwing some flies in some skinny stuff if it's reachable within reason from wherever I can park my truck.
> 
> We will be without a boat until the spring so I'll have to be able to reach fishing spots via auto/foot/paddle board/kayak for the next six months or more. Any suggestions or pointers from those in the know? Are there any fly fishing specific guides in that area?


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

Cozumel Annie said:


> I would think you could launch a Kayak in St. Mary's Bayou off the Colorado and enter into East Matty from the West. There are a series of bayous that enter the bay. My go to spot for Trophy Trout is the North Shoreline of East Matty in the Fall/Winter. After 2-3 days after a Northern blows through the North shoreline clears up and it's all sight casting. East Matty is known for big trout. I fish all over the Gulf Coast, but when the cold starts coming this is where I'll be.


Did they ever fix that chinquapin Road?


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## Salty Dog (Jan 29, 2005)

There are no local fly fishing specific guides. May be a few who come in from other areas here and there but no local guides who specialize in it. 

There are plenty of places to launch a kayak or paddleboard. There are spots up and down the road from Matagorda to the beach and you can also go down the beach via 4x4 and drive back in to some launch points. You'll have to do some exploring. You can also drive down and launch at Oyster Lake by the bridge. I see people launch off cemetary road and paddle all the way to gulf cut some. And I have seen folks launch at Chinquapin and paddle across the canal to the bay. 

You can reach a ton of good fishing by launching off the road and paddling in off beach road. Also tons of good stuff coming in off the beach. 

With a poling skiff you have tons of opportunities. The bays are big and open so you do get limited by wind, weather and distance but there are almost always other options available on the days the bay is too rough. You can fish the back lakes off the ICW as an example.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

Bay city to the ramp at the ICW at the San Bernard is about 40 minutes. Thereâ€™s a lot of shallow stuff accessible by kayak around that ramp. Iâ€™ve fished a lot of the marshes around there and pulled out redfish, trout and flounder, some sighted and some fishing shallow structure. 

Sargent is even closer, 25/30 minutes from BC. I havenâ€™t fished over there much. Cedar lakes might be accessible via 4wd along the beach. Mitchellâ€™s cut too. The ramp on the ICW doesnâ€™t look too far from Mitchellâ€™s cut either. 

Palacios is close too. 

My experience is that any shallow marsh will have at least redfish in it much of the time. But most if not all the ones Iâ€™ve been to arenâ€™t wadeable. Kayaks work, just limited on range.


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## Cozumel Annie (Jan 13, 2018)

Captain Tom Horbey would probably trailer his boat from POC for a little extra $$. He has fished East Matagorda and knows it well.



Salty Dog said:


> There are no local fly fishing specific guides. May be a few who come in from other areas here and there but no local guides who specialize in it.
> 
> There are plenty of places to launch a kayak or paddleboard. There are spots up and down the road from Matagorda to the beach and you can also go down the beach via 4x4 and drive back in to some launch points. You'll have to do some exploring. You can also drive down and launch at Oyster Lake by the bridge. I see people launch off cemetary road and paddle all the way to gulf cut some. And I have seen folks launch at Chinquapin and paddle across the canal to the bay.
> 
> ...


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## Fishsurfer (Dec 14, 2014)

4X4 up the beach to 3 Mile lake, Hog island, Brown Cedar cut and Mitchel's cut near Sargent. South shoreline with a lot of bayous, lakes and marsh.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

Fishsurfer said:


> 4X4 up the beach to 3 Mile lake, Hog island, Brown Cedar cut and Mitchel's cut near Sargent. South shoreline with a lot of bayous, lakes and marsh.












Anyone with a fly rod could have some fun here, especially with a paddle board or kayak.


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