Bays of the Texas Coastal Bend

The Bays of the Texas Coastal Bend encompass 3 distinct estuarial or bay regions. To the north, the Mission-Aransas Estuary System receives inflow from the Mission and Aransas rivers. This estuary includes Aransas Bay, Copano Bay, Port Bay, St. Charles Bay, and Mesquite Bay.

The middle section of the Texas Coastal Bend Bay system is influenced by the Nueces River Estuary System. The Nueces estuary system includes several distinct areas including Corpus Christi Bay, Oso Bay, Nueces Bay, Redfish Bay, and the bay sides of Harbor Island, and Mustang Island.

The southern section of the Texas Coastal Bend is less influenced by estuarial waters and is a unique system of tidal flows in the Upper Laguna Madre and the hyper-saline waters of Baffin Bay. Baffin Bay was originally a valley formed by a small river system that drained into the Gulf of Mexico. Through prehistoric periods, the sea levels rose, flooding the river valley and Padre Island formed as a barrier, effectively cutting off the area from the Gulf.

  • Redfish Bay
  • Nueces Bay
  • Corpus Christi Bay

Aransas Bay is a big bay at the northern end of the Texas Coastal Bend. It is roughly 16 miles long and 6 miles wide.

The southern most bay in the Texas Coastal Bend is Baffin Bay. This large bay complex is unique in many ways.

Created by the convergence of Copano Creek, the Mission River, and the Aransas River, Copano Bay is a rich marine habitat which is dotted with oyst

The largest bay in the Texas Coastal Bend is Corpus Christi Bay.

Mesquite Bay is the northern most bay in the Coastal Bend region. It is home to the much loved Cedar Bayou.

Nueces Bay was carved out of the plains of the Texas Coastal Bend by the Nueces River as its journey from the Texas Hill Country terminated at Corp

Created by the fresh water flow of Oso Creek into Corpus Christi Bay, Oso Bay is a shallow muddy bay south of Corpus Christi Bay.

Port Bay is a small shallow extension off the south end of Copano Bay.

Redfish Bay is a triangular shaped area between Aransas Pass, Texas and Port Aransas, Texas.

A small protected bay in the northern most part of the Texas Coastal Bend, St. Charles Bay is local favorite for redfish.

The Upper Laguna Madre is a long narrow bay that runs south from Corpus Christi Bay past Baffin Bay to the Land cut.