Sargassum at Stewart Beach (Galveston): today's conditions
Clear
All good, go
Stewart Beach holds the eastern entrance to Galveston Island, where Broadway runs into the seafront. A municipal park with a broad apron of sand, it is the city's family beach, the one Houston day-trippers head for at the weekend.
Before you load the car, the answer is here: a 0 to 5 rating computed for Stewart Beach, a map that places the beach inside its sector, and a bulletin refreshed each morning. Clean sand, strands wandering somewhere off the coast or a landing in its first hours: the difference shows instantly.
Stewart Beach on the sargassum map
What to know about this beach
Like every stretch of Texas coast FanGass follows, Stewart Beach looks southeast across the open Gulf of Mexico. No headland shields it and there is no leeward side in the Caribbean sense: when the Gulf current sets onshore, the entire shoreline takes delivery at once.
Timing is what defines this beach. Rafts enter Texas waters from the south, around South Padre, and creep northward as the season advances, which leaves Galveston among the last sectors reached. Sitting near the island's eastern tip, Stewart Beach often watches mats stream past East Beach, its neighbour against the jetty, before anything touches its own sand.
Frequently asked questions
Does Stewart Beach see sargassum before or after south Texas?
After, in most seasons. Rafts make landfall around South Padre first and then push north along the coast, which leaves Galveston among the last sectors affected.
How does it compare with East Beach next door?
Both beaches share the same southeast frontage and usually behave alike. East Beach, pressed against the jetty at the pass, can trap mats that merely drift past Stewart Beach offshore.
How do I check the sand before driving from Houston?
Use the FanGass rating at the top of this page: it runs from 0 to 5 and is recalculated every morning. A look the evening before and another at breakfast is enough to decide.
Is there a riskier period at Stewart Beach?
Yes: the window when weed moving up from the south finally reaches Galveston, mostly in the warm months. Outside that stretch the beach usually stays clear.