PORT MANSFIELD

Population 731

Altitude 11

General

Until 1948, the little-used highway from Raymondville to point on Laguna Madre called Redfish Bay was raveled by occasional fishermen going to deserted beaches. No community marked the road's end at the water's edge. People of Willacy County, employing own financing, set about creating the port. They build wharves, docks, and turning basin; laid out the townsite, and called it Port Mansfield. Ship channel was completed in 1962, slicing across shallow Laguna Madre, through Padre Island into deep waters of Gulf of Mexico. Today colorful shrimp fleet plies the Gulf from home docks at Port Mansfield; former "occasional" fishermen have lots of company - sports editors rate Port Mansfield one of the 10 best fishing spots in the nation! U.S. Weather Bureau and U.S. Coast Guard Station.

Attractions

• BOATING AND FISHING - Launching ramps, marine supplies, docking facilities, and both wet and dry storage available. Fishing by boat or from piers in Laguna Madre; fishing and beachcombing on Padre Island; deep-sea fishing location and proverbial luck, catches may include redfish, speckled and sand tout, sheepshead, flounder, croakers, skipjack, drum, tarpon, sailfish, marlin, kingfish, mackerel, ling, pompano, bonito, red snapper, warsaw, and others.

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