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 Corpus Christi Bay. Nueces Bay is a shallow bay that is recognized by locals as one of the most difficult to navigate because of the large number of oyster reefs spread through the bay. Its resurgence as a world class fishery came when the state recognized its importance as a marine nursery and banned commercial netting of fish and shrimp in its boundaries.
The mouth of the Nueces River is located along the south shore of the west end of Nueces Bay. The shoreline, cuts created by the river, the sandy flats, and the oyster points in this area are good year round for redfish. The numerous reefs and grass flats on the west end or "back" of Nueces Bay are local favorites for redfish while Whitepoint to the north, along the Portland shoreline and its reefs just offshore are also very productive for both trout and redfish.
The reefs in deeper portion of the east end or "front" of the bay are good for trout year round and the flats just off west of Hwy 181, known as Porno flats are good for redfish and trout.