Help and FAQ

Short answers about how TexCast works. Reviewed 2026-10-02. The app has longer help articles and a search box.

Getting started

Is TexCast free?

Yes. You do not need an account to use it.

Can I hide the cards I do not use?

Yes. Tap the title of a card on a water page to fold it up or open it again. The app remembers your choice on this device until you change it.

Does it work offline?

Pages you have already opened can load with a weak or no signal. Water and Learning Center photos are saved on your phone as you view them, so a photo you have not seen yet shows a drawing instead until you have a signal. To get a guide ready before you lose signal, open it and tap Save offline (beside Share at the top): that keeps its photos on your phone. Live readings need a connection and show the time they were last observed. On a water's Map tab, Save this water for offline keeps that water's pins (ramps, access points, piers, reefs and the other layers) and their directions on your phone. The street and satellite map pictures are not included, so the background can be blank with no signal. Remove saved pins deletes them.

Where do I log a catch?

Tap the notebook button in the top bar on a phone, or in any water page header. The Catch log page, under More, has a big Log a catch button.

Where did the Texas law button go?

The Legal guide is under More, in Settings as Legal & Navigability, and linked from the map. The top bar button now logs a catch.

Where did the FAQ page go?

Help and the FAQ are one page now. One search box covers both, and a switch under it flips between Guides and Questions. The old /faq address still opens it on Questions.

Why does Home say "We don't have a page at this address"?

The link or address you opened is not one of our pages, for example a typo or an old link, so TexCast opens Home instead. Use the menu to find a river, lake or coast. At the bottom of the Today tab on a river, lake or coast page, a Facts about this water card lists a few facts, each with its source and date, such as the lake's conservation pool, species TPWD names, the gauge and public ramps nearby.

Reading conditions

Why does a reading say Unavailable?

The source did not answer, or the last reading is too old to trust. TexCast shows Unavailable or a dash instead of a zero or an old number. On a My Waters card the dash has a short reason under it, such as Not reporting or No gauge.

Does TexCast tell me whether it is safe to wade or launch?

No. TexCast never tells you it is safe to wade, launch, boat or go out. It shows readings and when they were taken, and a label only where we have sourced limits for a gauge. It cannot see the spot where you will stand, and conditions can change fast. Check official sources, the weather and local conditions, and use your own judgment. Your safety on the water is your responsibility.

Does a high Trip Outlook score mean it is safe to go?

No. The Outlook is a planning estimate for fishing conditions, not a safety rating. Always check the weather, the water and local conditions yourself.

Can I rely on TexCast for storm and flood warnings?

No. Alerts can arrive late or be missed. Use the National Weather Service, local media or a weather radio for severe weather.

Why does my trip day say No score?

Weather and flow are only dependable a few days out. For dates beyond the forecast, about a week, TexCast waits until the forecast reaches that date.

The measured tide does not match the prediction. Is something broken?

No. Predictions come from the moon and sun. Wind, pressure and runoff can raise or lower the real water, and the gap is shown so you can see it.

Can I use the tide or buoy data to navigate?

No. The data is for fishing planning only and is not for navigation. Use official charts and the NOAA marine forecast.

What do the graph colors mean?

The tide and river graphs are one blue fill. Only the lake fill bar runs red to cyan, and that is height, low to high. It is a scale, not a score, and not a safe or unsafe line.

Where does the data come from?

Public sources: USGS river gauges, NOAA tides and buoys, the National Weather Service, TPWD for stocking, limits and ramps, and the Texas GLO for piers. Each card names its source.

What is the wind tip on the coast?

A general technique note, such as which bank to start on. It is not a forecast, and it hides itself when the wind reading is missing or older than 90 minutes.

The time on a reading is not the time it is now. Why?

That is the time the gauge took the reading, which can be minutes or hours earlier. We always show it so you can judge for yourself.

Why is the buoy so far from my bay?

Galveston (42035) is currently the only Texas buoy we use. It is an offshore reading, and conditions in the bays can differ.

Is the Guadalupe flow the dam release?

No. It is the USGS gauge downstream of Canyon Dam. For official release information, use the USACE link on the card.

What is the Bite outlook card?

On a water's Fish tab, under the fish you pick, it compares the measured water temperature with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service range for that fish, and shows pressure, light and wind as readings without scoring them. It draws the range as a bar with your temperature marked on it. The range is where adult fish grow best, not when they bite. Largemouth, smallmouth and white bass, channel catfish, black and white crappie, bluegill, redear and green sunfish, smallmouth buffalo, common carp, rainbow trout, flathead catfish, inland striped bass and flounder have a range so far, and red drum and spotted seatrout have the range they tolerate. A water with no temperature gauge has a box for a temperature you measured yourself (a fish finder or a thermometer): it stays on your phone, shows as Your reading with its time, and expires after 6 hours.

What is the Angler's read?

On a water's Fish tab, a 0 to 100 rating of conditions right now (Favorable, Mixed or Tough) from rules of thumb anglers use: pressure change over 3 hours, light around sunrise and sunset, wind, cloud cover and the moon. It is not science: no study confirms the rules, the points are our own scale, and fish bite when they want. It rates conditions, not how many fish you will catch, and it is separate from the Go, Caution or No-go score. A reading we do not have is skipped, and with fewer than three readings there is no score.

Where does the Rain tile come from?

The Rain tile shows rain measured by the nearest USGS rain gauge within 15 miles that is reporting: the totals for the last hour, the last 24 hours and the last 7 days in three boxes, and one bar for each of the last 7 blocks of 24 hours counting back from the gauge's newest reading. It names the gauge, how far away it is and when it last reported, and says provisional when USGS has not yet reviewed the numbers. Rain can differ a lot from place to place, so a gauge several miles away is a guide, not a measurement of your exact spot. If no gauge is close, or a period has gaps in its record, the tile shows a dash instead of a total. The numbers are saved on your device for about an hour, so reopening a water does not ask again.

Why do some waters show Dissolved oxygen?

Where a USGS sensor within 15 miles measured dissolved oxygen in the last 3 hours, the water shows a Dissolved oxygen tile in milligrams per liter, with the sensor, its distance and when it reported. Only a few waters have a sensor nearby, so most show no tile. TexCast does not say whether a reading is good or bad for fish; it is the number the sensor measured. Readings change through the day and can differ across a water.

What do the UV labels (Low to Extreme) mean?

The UV number comes from the weather forecast for that day. The label next to it (Low 0 to 2, Moderate 3 to 5, High 6 to 7, Very High 8 to 10, Extreme 11 and up) is the standard UV index scale used by the World Health Organization and the U.S. EPA, and the sun advice for each level is condensed from The Weather Network's UV page. It is a forecast, not a reading from where you are standing, and it is general sun-safety advice, not medical advice.

What does the turbidity (FNU) number mean?

Turbidity is how cloudy the water is, measured by a USGS sensor in FNU. A higher number means cloudier water. USGS publishes no cutoffs that turn the number into clear, stained or muddy, so TexCast does not either. Instead the tile compares the reading with that same gauge's own USGS record for the same date of the year, and says clearer than usual, about usual or cloudier than usual, with the usual range and how many years back it. Not every gauge has a long enough record; those show only the number. The tile also shows when the reading was taken.

Why do some waters show a gage camera?

Where USGS has a camera watching the same stream gage a water uses, the Water tab shows its newest photo with the time it was taken. The photo is the camera's own, and a photo that is more than 6 hours old says so; one older than two days is not shown. Only a few waters have a camera, and it watches the gage, which can be some distance from where you fish. Photos come from the USGS National Imagery Management System. TexCast does not store them. A whole river page also lists the USGS cameras within a mile of its line, each opening to its own photo.

Where can I see salinity?

On the coast's Today tab, a Salinity tile appears for waters within 15 miles of a NOAA tide station that publishes it: Eagle Point and Morgans Point for Galveston Bay, and Ingleside and Viola Turning Basin for Corpus Christi Bay. It shows the measured value in parts per thousand with the station, its distance and when it was observed. Other bays have no salinity station nearby, so no tile is shown.

Rivers, lakes and coast

What is the news card near the bottom of a Today tab?

It shows recent news stories for the town beside a coast water, or for the lake or river itself, in two groups: Fishing news, and Around town, Around the lake or Around the river (events, openings, closures, water levels, flooding and weather) for when the bite is slow. TexCast only collects the headline, the publisher, the date and the link; the story is on the other site, and we do not write or check it. Best-of lists, hotel and restaurant roundups, property listings, ads, crime stories and political or social-issue stories are left out on purpose, in this card and in the Home news. The card says when the stories were searched, and it does not show when nothing recent was found.

Why does a lake or bay show no water temperature?

Water temperature comes from a gauge, and many lake and bay gauges measure level but not temperature. When this water's own gauge has no temperature sensor, TexCast uses the nearest gauge that reports one (within 10 miles for lakes, 30 for bays; rivers do not borrow another river's temperature) and shows its name, its distance and its own observed time, or on the coast the nearest offshore buoy. If none qualifies, it says why. My Waters cards on Home use the same choice, so a water shows the same temperature there as on its own page. On the coast it may also show an estimate from a sea-surface model, marked with a tilde and 'not measured'; an estimate is never used to pick what to throw.

How do I see waters farther from me?

Open Change water and pick a Distance: 25 mi, 75 mi, 150 mi or Any. The list of waters near you is based on your general location. The app remembers the distance you picked on this device. Searching by name always looks across all of Texas, including USGS gauges anywhere in the state that have a recent reading (tap the star on one to save it to My Waters).

Why does a ramp say hand-launch when I see a concrete ramp?

Those badges are based on the access point's name, so they are a guide, not an inspection. Confirm access, surface and fees before you go, and tell us with Send feedback if a badge looks wrong.

The ramp says Open. Can I count on that?

No. Ramp status is a guide and can be out of date. Check with the park or marina before you tow a boat out.

Are the piers and ramps checked for accuracy?

Piers are a snapshot of the Texas GLO list, with the save date shown. Ramps come from TPWD. Conditions at a site can change, so confirm access before you drive out.

Why does a shop say hours unknown?

We show Open or Closed only when the hours come from a real listing. Otherwise call ahead.

This lake has no zebra mussel badge. Is it clean?

Not necessarily. No badge means we have no data on file. Drain your boat either way.

Can I eat the fish I catch here?

TexCast cannot tell you whether a fish is safe to eat. Check the consumption advisories in the Fish tab and the Texas DSHS site. Our list is still being filled in, so no entry does not mean no advisory.

Trout stocking

A stocking date changed. Which is right?

TPWD's page is the official word. Weather and hatchery delays can change dates, and cancelled dates are crossed out here once TPWD updates.

Near me is greyed out on the Trout page.

Near me needs your general location. It shows with a dashed outline until you add a ZIP under General location in Settings; tap it and the page tells you the same. On Home, the greeting links straight to Settings while the default location is in use.

Why does a lake show zero stocked for a year?

TPWD lists no stocking for that lake that year, so zero is the real count.

Why does the Trout tab have a dot or look bolder?

It follows the trout season. A dot means the season starts soon, and a bolder tab means stockings are on. Out of season the tab stays and its page says when TPWD is expected to post the next schedule.

Can I follow the trout schedule in a feed reader?

Yes. TexCast publishes an Atom feed at texcastfishing.com/trout-stocking/feed.xml. Once TPWD has posted a winter schedule it has one entry for the season and one for each week of listed stockings, with the day TexCast read TPWD's page. Dates can move or be cancelled, so check TPWD before you go. Before the schedule is posted, and after the season, the feed has no entries.

Trips

Can I change a trip's dates?

Yes. Tap the pencil on the trip in Trips, or open the trip, tap the three dots at the top and choose Edit.

I stayed an extra day after my trip ended. How do I add it?

Open the finished trip and tap I stayed longer: add a day under the recap. Or log a catch that day and tick Still on this trip? Add today to it. You can also change the end date with the pencil. The trip becomes active again.

What picture does a trip use?

A photo of one of your catches on the trip, if you added one: your biggest fish with a photo, unless you pick another. Open the trip, tap the three dots at the top and choose Choose cover photo, or go back to the automatic pick. Otherwise the photo of a water on the trip, otherwise a drawing of a river, lake, coast or fishing dock. Catch photos stay on your device.

How does TexCast decide a personal best?

A fish counts when you had caught that species before the trip and an earlier catch recorded the same measurement, weight against weight or length against length. It only uses catches in your log, and shows your previous best next to the new one.

Where is my trip recap?

Open the trip after its last day. The recap is at the top, with Share recap, Save picture, Print / PDF and Plan this trip again. Home shows a banner for a week after a trip with catches.

Can I remove a day from a trip?

Yes. Scroll to the day on the trip page and tap Remove this day under it, then confirm. Its stops are removed with it. Removing the first or last day just shortens the trip; removing a day in the middle moves the later days up one date. A one-day trip cannot lose its only day: delete the trip instead.

My stops are out of order. Can TexCast fix it?

Stops with a time sort themselves into time order when you set a time. Stops without a time stay where you put them; move those with the arrow buttons .

What are the marked days on the calendar?

Your trips, the days you logged a catch, and TPWD trout stocking days.

How do I share a water or an article?

Tap Share on a water page, a map water card or a Learning Center article. On a phone it opens your share sheet; on a computer it copies the link. It sends only that public page, and no one needs an account to open it.

Catch log

Where are my catches stored?

On this device. If you sign in, they sync to your account and appear on your other devices. Clearing site data removes the device copy, so export a CSV now and then.

Does the catch log save my location?

Only if you pin one. The pin and any photo stay on this device. If you are signed in you can tick Save this spot to my account for a catch, and only then is that spot stored with your account; photos never sync.

How do I keep my photos if I get a new phone or clear my data?

On the Catch log page, tap Download backup and keep the file. On the new phone, tap Restore from backup and choose it. Photos and pins are not synced to your account, so the backup is the only copy.

Can I log a catch at a pier?

Yes. In Log a catch, search for the pier by name (like Fulton) and pick it, or tap Log a catch here on a pier card. A pier catch is filed under the coast. Piers have no tide or flow gauge, so only the weather and moon are saved with it.

Does the photo set the date of my catch?

Yes, when the photo has a date inside it. When is filled in from it unless you already changed it. If the photo has no date, TexCast may use the file date and tells you to check it. The photo's location can be used as the pin with the Use the photo's location button, if the photo recorded one.

Can I add a photo to a catch?

Yes, one per catch. When you log a catch, tap Add a photo. Then tap Frame photo to zoom and move it so the fish is where you want it (drag, pinch, or the buttons); zoom out or tap Fit to show the whole photo; the whole photo is kept and only the zoom and position are saved, on this device. It is stored on this device only, up to 100 photos, so export or keep a copy elsewhere if it matters. Clearing site data removes them, and on iPhone Safari may clear them after a week unless TexCast is added to your Home Screen.

Can I log a trip when I did not catch anything?

Yes. In the Quick log sheet, switch to Fished, no catch, pick how long you fished and save. It keeps the conditions, is not counted as a catch, and you can delete it any time.

What is Your patterns in the Catch log?

A summary of the conditions on your own catches next to your trips with no catch. It shows after 5 catches and 3 trips with no catch, is worked out on your device, and does not predict a bite.

What is saved with each catch?

The water, date, species, size and lure you enter, plus the weather, moon phase and, where available, flow or tide, water level, air pressure and how it was changing, cloud cover and water temperature.

How do I see my past notes when fishing a water again?

Tap Fish here again on any catch in your log, or tap a pin on My spots. When that water opens, your past catches, top lures and personal notes appear at the top of the Today and Fish tabs.

How do I view full details or telemetry for a logged catch?

Tap any catch in your recent catches list on a water page or in your Catch log. The detail modal shows your catch photo, measurements, notes, stamped environmental readings (water temp, wind, flow or tide) from the time of the catch, and a button to view any pinned location.

How do I get my catches into a spreadsheet?

On the Catch log page, tap Export CSV .

I picked the wrong water. Can I fix it?

Yes. On the Catch log, tap the pencil on the catch, then Change water. You can also change it while logging a new catch.

How do I add a catch to a trip?

You do not have to. If a trip of yours covers the date, Add to trip is already on when you log the catch. Untick it to leave the catch out.

How do I delete a catch?

Tap the trash button on the entry in the Catch log, then confirm. A photo and pin are deleted with it and cannot be brought back.

Maps and directions

Why is there no Send to phone button on my phone?

It is for computers, so you can take directions to your phone. On a phone, tap Directions directly.

Can I see a whole river and save its access points?

On a river page, tap See the whole river, just under the water's name. Or tap the water name to change water, and search for the river: a row marked WHOLE RIVER opens it. The page shows the river's full line from TPWD's Streams map, every public TPWD ramp along it, and the individual stops on it. Save on this device keeps an access point, or all of them, on your phone only. They are public ramps, not your location, and you can remove them one by one. The page also lists your own catches on that river, grouped by the access point you picked in Fished near, or by stop when you did not pick one. Catches you pinned show on its map too, with a My catches button to hide them. A river we have no line for is not listed. Ramps TPWD has no record of are not shown.

Where can I see how deep a lake is?

Open a lake: the Water tab shows a Deepest point tile and the Map tab's Depth map card shows it too, in feet at conservation pool. Some Texas Water Development Board reports state the deepest point they measured; for the others it is calculated from the survey's own table and the lake's conservation pool, and the tile says which, with the survey year. Lakes with neither show no number. On the Map tab, if the board has surveyed the lake, a Depth map card links to its official contour map and survey report (PDFs) and shows the survey date, with earlier surveys under it. The map shows the lake bottom as it was surveyed, so it can differ from today. It is not for navigation. On many lakes the Map tab also has a Depth contours chip that draws the survey's contour lines on the map. Orange lines are shallow, blue lines are deep, and thicker lines are deeper. The key in the map's top-left corner folds away with its Key button. Each line is the lake-bottom elevation in feet above sea level, so the depth at a spot is the lake level minus the line's value; hover or tap a line to see it, with about how deep it is at conservation pool. The same lines show on the full-screen map when you turn on Depth contours there. A lake with no survey has no card, and TexCast does not estimate depths.

How do I turn on the radar or piers on the map?

Open Map Recon . Radar and National Weather Service (NWS) watches and warnings are in the layers button in the map's top right corner (tap it to open the list), and both start on. Piers is a chip along the top when you open Map Recon from a coastal water, and it starts off.

Account and privacy

What does Share anonymous fishing results send?

Only when you turn it on: for each new catch or trip with no catch, caught or not, hours fished, species, the water, the month, the time of day relative to sunrise, and rounded conditions. That is all, and it is not tied to you or your account. Records cannot be found or deleted later; turn it off to stop sharing.

Do you track where I go?

No. We do not keep a location history and we never sell data. Your ZIP is used for distances, and it is not a street address. The weather service is asked for the forecast at your general location, rounded to about a mile.

I cleared my browser data and lost everything.

Anything stored only on the device is removed with site data. If you were signed in, sign in again and it syncs back. If not, it cannot be recovered, which is why the Catch log has Export CSV.

Rules and safety

Is the Legal guide legal advice?

No. It is general information citing Texas Natural Resources Code § 21.001. Verify with TPWD or the General Land Office.

How current are the fishing limits?

Each limit shows its TPWD source and the date we last checked it. Rules change and our copy can be out of date, so check TPWD, and remember that following the current regulations is your responsibility.

Can I buy a license here?

No. The checklist links to TPWD's retailer finder and txfgsales.com.

More tools

Where can I find fishing classes or a kids' fishing day?

Open More, then Classes & events. It lists TPWD's fishing classes, ranger-led fishing, kids' derbies and fly clinics, with a link to TPWD for details and sign-up. These are not tournaments.

A tournament listing is wrong or missing.

Bass Champs and Texas Team Trail are read from their own schedules each week; other events are entered by hand from the host's page. Use Suggest an event on the Tournaments page and we will check it.

The app will not update to the newest version. What can I do?

Open More, then About TexCast, and use App version. Check for updates compares the version you are running with the latest published one. If it says a newer version is available and the update prompt does not work, tap Reload with newest files. It clears the saved app files and loads the latest version. Your catches, trips and settings stay on your device.

How does the Tackle & Lures Calculator work?

The calculator lists lure types for five conditions you choose: environment, clarity, cover, depth zone, and surface light, and shows how many of the four condition checks each lure fits. It is TexCast editorial guidance, not a prediction of what will bite. Saved rods only break ties.

How does Find a rig work?

In Tackle, open Rigs and pick the water (river, lake or saltwater), the depth, the current and, if you like, the fish (trout or bass). Water pages link here with the water, season depth and fish already filled in. The list shows rigs whose sources say they suit those conditions, and leaves out any rig that does not say. A rig can also be left out because its sources never mention depth or current. It is a general guide, not a promise of what will bite.

How does the Nymphing method picker work?

In Tackle, open Nymphing and pick the water depth, the current and anything else that is true, such as wind or low, clear water. The list shows methods known to suit that, and leaves out any with no known fit. Anglers draw the lines between styles a little differently. It is a general guide, not a promise of what will bite.

How does My Tackle work?

My Tackle (its own page: More, then My tackle, or the top row of Tackle & Lures) has two parts, both kept in your device's own storage and never sent to TexCast. Rods saves your rod, reel and line setups, with an optional model number for finding a similar rod or a warranty claim, so the setup guide can match lures to gear you own. Tackle box is where you list lures, line, hooks and other tackle you own or want, with counts and colors or sizes. You can copy or share the list, save it to a file as a backup, and delete it all at any time.

Where does the tackle science data come from?

The Tackle basics cards list the sources used for each explanation, and numbers are shown as ranges because anglers disagree at the edges. The other science cards are TexCast editorial guidance on line density, stretch and light. Each of those names a reference standard, but we have not verified those citations yet, so treat it as a general guide.

How do I print a card or save a PDF?

Use the Print button on the card, or your browser's Print for the whole page, and choose Save as PDF to keep a file.

Why does it say I am offline?

Your phone has no connection right now. Saved pages, your catch log and your trips still open, but readings on screen may be old, so check the time shown on each one. They update on their own when you are back online.

How do I report a bug or suggest something?

Tap Report a problem in the footer, under More or in Settings. If it cannot send, it offers an email to hello@texcastfishing.com.

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