Copano Bay in Texas

Trip Overview

Copano Bay to Goose Island
Length: 4 miles
Duration: 2 1/2 hours

In trying to get up the courage to paddle in the open ocean, I decided to cross Copano Bay as a test. Having paddled for about 7 years now on rivers and lakes, my mind still has this fear of the open water. Just the thought of having a bank or shore there close by is reassuring and the thought of not having one nearby is downright scary! I had wanted to paddle across the bay following a series of small platforms, but the water was too choppy, so I headed for the bridge pilings and used them as a mental crutch to cross the bay.

It's interesting seeing the underside of the big bridge and the only sound was that of the traffic on the bridge. The old bridge has been turned into a fishing pier and there were people lined up the whole length of it-I stayed on the south side so as not to get tangled up in the many lines. Got to see a few pulling up fish-that's an interesting sight, seeing the fish slowly flying straight up in the air (the lines are invisible)! Looks like a UFO was beaming them up!

Once across that huge expanse of open water(and still alive), I headed down the shore exploring the islands and homes along the way. The sun was going down as I paddled up to the boat ramp after circling the island-the Copano Bay bridge was outlined by the orange and yellow colors and looked so small. Maybe next time I'll attempt to cross the bay, but for now, I'm perfectly content staying close to shore as I explore the bays along the coast.

Directions:

The bridge is on Tx 35 just east of Fulton

Launches:

Put-in: west end of Copano Bay bridge in Fulton
Take-out: Goose Island State Park