Two Public Ramps Put Port Mansfield on the Laguna Madre

Port Mansfield has two public ramps for trailered boats. They are the handoff between road and water in a county whose towns sit inland. The Laguna Madre bay system averages about three feet deep. The Gulf is roughly nine miles away by boat through Port Mansfield Pass.

The two-ramp count is the steady fact. Open lanes, fees, and services can change. Confirm the ramp and water conditions with the navigation district before towing east.

For ten days in 2026, one ramp took on a second job. Texas Parks and Wildlife used the Port Mansfield Navigation District Ramp as a crab-trap drop-off point. The event ran from February 20 through March 1, during the annual wire-trap closure. It was temporary, not a standing service. Recovered traps went to marked collection areas. The goal was more than clearing old gear. The cleanup fights "ghost fishing," when a lost trap keeps catching marine life with no one tending it. A public ramp can be where a fishing day begins and where old working gear finally leaves the bay.