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Calhoun County, Matagorda Bay

Port O'Connor, Texas: the best kept secret on the Gulf Coast

A small fishing village at the bottom of Matagorda Bay, where the same harbor sends boats to the shallow flats, the granite jetties and the open Gulf. Here is what it catches, when it gathers, and how we would cook the haul.

Five JollyGringo'z bottles on a dock box at a marina

A town built for fishing

Port O'Connor was laid out in 1909 by the Calhoun County Cattle Company on the Alligator Head Ranch, land that had belonged to Thomas O'Connor of Victoria, and it took his name. By 1914 trains carried summer visitors to a hotel and a pleasure pavilion, and the town had two fish and oyster plants and an ice plant. Farmers nearby grew figs and citrus for a processing company in town.

Storms set the rhythm after that. The hurricane of 1919 ended the resort years, and for four decades this was a small village with a few bay shrimp and oyster boats. The Matagorda Ship Channel and its jetties brought deep water, a sizable shrimp fleet and a wave of Houston anglers building weekend homes, until Hurricane Carla destroyed the town in 1961. It rebuilt again.

Sport fishing now drives the local economy. The chamber of commerce points out that the barrier islands give so much shelter that weather rarely shuts fishing down completely. Redfish, speckled trout and flounder come off the shallow flats. Big reds, trout and tarpon work the jetties and Pass Cavallo, which you can only reach by boat. Offshore boats run for amberjack, grouper, kingfish, snapper, tuna, sailfish and marlin.

Pass Cavallo has an older story too. The French explorer La Salle wrecked his expedition fleet there in 1684, and the remains of his ship La Belle were later found in the bay near the entrance to the Port O'Connor jetties.

Across the bay, and on the dock

Matagorda Island lies about two and a half miles offshore. Its cast iron lighthouse, a working light from 1873 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, appears on the chamber's seal and can only be reached by boat. Birders cross the bay for the whooping cranes and other migrants that winter there, and hunters come in winter for ducks and geese.

The town's biggest food day is the spring Crawfish Fest and Cookoff at King Fisher Park, with cook-off teams, an eating contest, crawfish plates and a People's Choice tasting. The rest of the year, dinner in Port O'Connor usually starts with whatever came back in the cooler.

What is in season

Where the fish are, and when the shrimp open

Shrimp and oyster dates are Texas Parks and Wildlife rules. Fish notes come from the Port O'Connor Chamber of Commerce, which groups them by water rather than by month, so we have done the same.

WhatWhen
Redfish, speckled trout and flounder on the bay flats, and redfish from kayaksIn season nowAll year, inshore
Big reds, trout and tarpon at the jetties, the surf and Pass CavalloIn season nowAll year, by boat
Amberjack, grouper, kingfish, snapper, tuna, sailfish and marlinIn season nowOffshore days
Spring shrimping in the major bays, heads on, 15 pounds a personIn season nowMay 15 to July 15 Official dates
Fall shrimping in the major baysIn season nowAugust 15 to November 30 Official dates
Recreational oysters, Monday to Saturday, sunrise to 3:30 pm, approved waters onlyIn season nowNovember 1 to April 30 Official dates
Duck and goose hunting in the marshes, and whooping cranes on the islandIn season nowWinter

Festivals and events

Port O'Connor events

The chamber runs a small, steady calendar. These are the dates it posted for 2026; none had been set for 2027 when we checked in October 2026. Dates update every month: confirmed means the organizers posted it, expected means it follows the usual pattern.

The next twelve months in Port O'Connor

  1. Oct2026
  2. Nov
  3. Dec5
  4. Jan2027
  5. Feb
  6. Mar
  7. Apr24
  8. MayTBA
  9. Jun
  10. Jul
  11. Aug
  12. Sep

From the lineup

Packing the cooler for POC

A taco seasoning, a blackening blend and a sauce for whatever ends up fried.

Cold Water

Medium, 3.5 oz, $9

Ancho, cumin, Mexican oregano and dried lime. Our pick for redfish, snapper or flounder headed for a tortilla.

Gulf Coast Blackening

Some Heat, 3 oz, $9

Smoky and herby with a pepper build. Made for a jetty redfish or a thick slab of offshore snapper in a hot skillet.

Knock Your Sauce Off

Some Heat, 8 fl oz, $12

Red fresno, roasted garlic, guajillo, honey and lime. Drizzle it over fried fish, fried shrimp or the tacos below.

Cook it at home

Jetty fish tacos with Cold Water

Whether it is a redfish from the flats or snapper from offshore, firm white fillets make the easiest dinner in a rental kitchen. Season, sear, wrap.

What you need

  • 1.5 lb firm white fish fillets, such as redfish, snapper or flounder, skin off
  • Cold Water
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • Corn or flour tortillas, warmed
  • Shredded cabbage, sliced onion, cilantro and lime wedges
  • Knock Your Sauce Off

How it goes

  1. Pat the fillets dry and season both sides well with Cold Water. Let them sit 10 minutes.
  2. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat until it shimmers.
  3. Sear the fish 3 to 4 minutes a side, depending on thickness, until it is opaque all the way through and flakes with a fork.
  4. Break it into large flakes and pile it into the warm tortillas.
  5. Top with cabbage, onion and cilantro, squeeze over lime, and finish with a drizzle of Knock Your Sauce Off.
Worth knowing. Flounder fillets are thin and cook in about half the time. Pull them the moment they flake.

Another one from our kitchen: Cold Water Fish Tacos

Questions

Questions about Port O'Connor

Why is Port O'Connor called the Best Kept Secret on the Gulf Coast?

That is how its chamber of commerce describes it: a laid back fishing village a little more than halfway between Houston and Corpus Christi, with bay, jetty, surf and offshore fishing close to town.

What fish can you catch in Port O'Connor?

Redfish, speckled trout and flounder in the bays; big reds, trout and tarpon at the jetties and Pass Cavallo; and amberjack, grouper, kingfish, snapper, tuna, sailfish and marlin offshore. You need a boat for the big jetties and the pass.

When is the Port O'Connor Crawfish Fest?

It is held on a Saturday in late April at King Fisher Park. The 2026 festival, the 14th, was April 25. The 2027 date had not been announced when we checked in October 2026.

How do you get to Matagorda Island from Port O'Connor?

By boat. The island lies about two and a half miles from town, and its 1873 lighthouse can only be reached from the water.

Do you ship to Port O'Connor?

Yes. We ship anywhere in the U.S. Orders go out within two business days, and shipping is free over $45.

Run a shop, market or kitchen in Port O'Connor? Carry JollyGringo'z by the case. Tell us about the shop and the price sheet, the case packs and a sample bottle come straight back.

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Keep going

More Texas towns near Port O'Connor

Calhoun County

Port Lavaca, Texas

Bay shrimp, a causeway turned fishing pier and the Half Moon Reef Lighthouse

Matagorda County

Matagorda, Texas

Where the Colorado River meets the Gulf, flounder, redfish and bay oysters

Aransas County

Rockport, Texas

Fulton Oysterfest, SeaFair crab races and Aransas Bay oysters

San Patricio, Aransas and Nueces Counties

Aransas Pass, Texas

Shrimporee, Conn Brown Harbor and the old Shrimp Capital of Texas name

All 17 Texas town guides

Before you go

The organizers

More from us

Where our facts come from

We checked every date and title on this page against these sources in October 2026. Festival dates move, so confirm with the organizers before you travel.

Ships anywhere in the U.S.

Cook like Port O'Connor, wherever you are

Ten small batch rubs and sauces, low on salt so you can season heavy. Any four, 15% off, and free shipping over $45.

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Serving all of the U.S., cooking from the Gulf

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