Artificial Lure here with your Rio Grande, Texas fishing report for Thursday, November 20, 2025, and let me tell y’all, it’s shaping up to be a classic late fall day on the border. Sunrise hit at 6:52 a.m., with sunset coming up around 5:46 p.m. today according to Tide-Forecast, giving you a solid window for making the most of the bite.

We kicked off the morning with a brisk breeze rolling off the water. Skies started off crystal clear but expect some afternoon cloud cover moving in. Temperatures are comfortable, sitting right in the low-70s, and humidity is down, so it’s one of those rare days where you can fish hard and not break a sweat. According to the National Weather Service marine forecast for the lower Laguna Madre near Brownsville, we’re under “drier and warmer than normal” fall conditions that should keep fish active throughout the day.

The tidal swing this morning showed a low tide right around 8:40 a.m., with the high sneaking back in just after lunchtime, so plan your wade fishing and shallow boat runs accordingly. Those incoming tides can really light up the bite, especially around the river mouth and feeder creeks according to the local tide predictions from NOAA.

The Rio Grande’s brackish stretches are still giving up a mixed bag, but the real story this week is redfish and black drum moving in tight to the grass lines and ledges – the TPWD’s saltwater reports say the drum are thick and hitting well on dead shrimp, while the reds are smashing cut mullet and fresh table shrimp. If you’re hungry for a trout, your best bet is the stretch around Boca Chica to Brownsville Ship Channel, working 2-3 foot oyster with live shrimp under a popping cork or a soft plastic—Captain Sally Black says to match those soft plastics to local mullet colors for best results.

Freshwater flows are down, so the catfish bite’s better in deeper channel holes and around submerged timber on cut bait. Crappie are holding steady in 10-15 feet with jigs and minnows, especially up river near brush and tree limbs. Bass are still decent early on buzzbaits and flukes, but as soon as that sun climbs up, you’ll want to slow it down with Texas rigs or watermelon creature baits along docks and gentle drop-offs.

Folks are reporting steady action with smaller reds, slots, and a handful of over-sized drum—nothing crazy on the flounder front but you still might luck into one around old bridge pilings with a glo or chartreuse soft bait. Captain Experiences highlights that the tried-and-true light tackle and live bait approaches are connecting, but don’t discount slow-rolled artificials—especially when wind ruffles the surface.

Bait shops in town have reported brisk sales of fresh dead shrimp, cut mullet, and paddle tail soft plastics in root beer, electric chicken, and chartreuse—the colors to throw when water gets muddy with that northerly wind. If you’re floating live bait, don’t sleep on finger mullet or mud minnows in your spread.

Hot spots for today:
- Boca Chica flats, especially the grassy inside bends near the spillway—easy access from shore or kayak, and the reds are staging.
- The old Brownsville Ship Channel points, where deeper pockets meet the main current.
- Don’t forget those feeder creeks around the Sabal Palm Sanctuary as the tide transitions—they’re stacked with drum and a few hungry specks.

That’s your boots-on-the-ground rundown for November 20th—weather’s prime, tides are working in your favor, and the fish have been active enough to keep slabs flying over the rails all week. Thanks for tuning in to your Rio Grande report with Artificial Lure. For more like this, make sure to subscribe and never miss a bite. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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