On the water guide

Kayak trails, windsurfing, jet skis, parasailing and sailing on the Coastal Bend, and what to know before you launch.

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Overview

The National Park Service says the Laguna Madre is a very shallow body of water and that special consideration needs to be taken for navigation. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is the maintained shipping channel, with an average depth of 12 feet, and large boat and barge traffic is common there.

Paddlers have two marked trails to know about. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) says the Lighthouse Lakes Paddling Trail was the very first Texas paddling trail. It is a series of four loops from 1.25 to 6.8 miles through a black mangrove estuary near the historic Lydia Ann Lighthouse. TPWD also describes a paddling trail at Mustang Island State Park with three segments and 20 miles of trail, where paddlers get close-up views of coastal birds.

What to do

Rockport & Fulton

The Rockport-Fulton visitor bureau lists launch spots for kayakers and waders. One is Howard Murph Park, which it says gives access to the Copano Bay kayak site. The bureau also names the gravel shoreline at the north end of the Highway 188 bridge, which opens onto the calm water of Port Bay with oyster reefs, grass flats and tidal creeks. Goose Island State Park is a third launch spot, according to the bureau.

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Lamar & Goose Island

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Aransas Pass

The Port Aransas tourism bureau calls the Lighthouse Lakes Paddling Trail a challenge for seasoned paddlers. The launch is Lighthouse Lakes Trails Park - Kayak Launch. The Corpus Christi visitor bureau says Coastal Bend Kayak is in Aransas Pass and runs beginner, intermediate and advanced paddles, including trips on the Lighthouse Lakes and the paddling trail at Mustang Island State Park.

  • Aransas Pass Public Boat Ramp

    Free public boat ramp in Aransas Pass with quick access to Redfish Bay.

  • Bay Rat Boats

    Self-drive boat rentals with an on-site bait shop, run by a husband and wife team who walk you through operating the boat before you leave the dock.

  • Best Fishing Charter LLC

    Bay fishing trips on a 25-foot boat in the Aransas Pass and Corpus Christi area, for families, friends and serious anglers.

  • Chris's Marine

    Aransas Pass boat service and parts shop, the call when the motor argues.

  • Coastal Bend Kayak

    Daytime guided kayak tours through Redfish Bay toward the lighthouse, plus straight rentals and guided kayak fishing.

  • GlowRow Port Aransas

    The Redfish Bay launch of the LED night kayak tour, running a low-tide lighthouse route.

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Ingleside & Portland

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Port Aransas

TPWD says Mustang Island State Park has a paddling trail whose three segments follow the western shoreline of the island in Corpus Christi Bay for 20 miles. For a first paddle, the bureau points beginners to Fish Pass. It also describes parasailing with Chute 'Em Up Parasailing/ Port A Parasail, and jet ski trips around Mustang Island and on the coast and bay with Gettin' Salty Watersports Inc.

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Corpus Christi & Padre Island

Worldwinds Windsurfing says its location serves windsurfers from beginners to advanced sailors, with steady year-long wind, warm and shallow water and easy water access. The Corpus Christi visitor bureau lists Bird Island Basin in Padre Island National Seashore for beginner-friendly conditions and JP Luby Beach for more advanced wave action. Wind & Wave Watersports says it offers kayak, paddleboard, surfboard, boogieboard and wetsuit rental services. Padre Island Jet Ski says it is on North Padre Island at the Marker 37 Marina and runs tours by appointment. For a boat ride, Harrison's Landing runs the Japonica, a 50 foot, open air touring boat.

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When to visit

TPWD says the Lighthouse Lakes trails are for kayaks, and it does not recommend canoes because of the strong, prevailing southeasterly winds.

The National Park Service says windsurfing is a popular activity at Bird Island Basin. The Corpus Christi visitor bureau lists kiteboarding and wing foiling among the wind sports it covers, and describes the local winds as steady.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, according to NOAA. Storms sometimes form outside those dates. Check the forecast from the National Weather Service in Corpus Christi and follow local officials.

When to visit the Coastal Bend

Getting around

The National Park Service says most boaters use the Bird Island Basin Boat Ramp to launch into the Laguna Madre. Paddle craft can launch from the shoreline at the Bird Island Basin Day-use Area, and operating a motorized vessel in the designated windsurfing area is prohibited.

In shallow water the park recommends a trolling motor or push pole, because seagrass beds and tidal mud flats are easily scarred by boat hulls and large motors. Texas law requires every child under 13 to wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket aboard a recreational vessel under 26 feet while it is underway. Texas law requires each occupant of a personal watercraft to wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket, and limits riders to headway speed within 50 feet of shore, people or other boats.

For boaters in Rockport, the visitor bureau lists Cove Harbor Marina with two boat ramps and Rockport Harbor Marina at Navigation Circle, and it lists the Copano Causeway ramp off Highway 35 North.

Where to stay

Salty Breeze Cottage

Rockport & Fulton, TX

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