Guide
The best tide for fishing
Fish feed when the water moves. Here’s how to read the tide for it, and the strongest tides this week.
- 3 min read
- Dates for 10 beach towns
- From NOAA predictions
- Fish the moving waterThe hours between the turns, when the current carries bait.
- Skip the slackRight at high and low tide the water stops and the bite often slows.
- Bigger range, stronger currentSpring tides move the most water; neaps the least.
Why moving water
Most anglers agree on one thing: fish feed when the water moves. A running tide carries bait past structure and stirs up the bottom. Around each turn of the tide the current slows to a stop for a while (slack water), and the bite often slows with it. The current runs fastest about halfway between a high and a low.
Incoming or outgoing?
- Incoming tide: cooler, clearer ocean water floods the flats and marsh edges, and redfish, trout and flounder follow it in. A favorite for inshore and flats fishing.
- Outgoing tide: bait drains out of creeks and marshes, and fish wait at creek mouths, inlets and passes. A favorite at inlets and jetties.
- Surf: many surf anglers like the last of the incoming and the first of the outgoing, when the troughs along the beach hold the most water.
None of this is a rule: local species, wind, water temperature and the season matter as much. Check your state’s fishing regulations before you go.
Strongest tides this week
- Myrtle BeachSouth CarolinaOct 315.8 ft rangeNov 65.6 ft range Today: low 5:55 AM, high 12:24 PM, low 7:00 PM
- Hilton Head IslandSouth CarolinaOct 316.7 ft rangeNov 66.7 ft range Today: high 12:37 AM, low 6:35 AM, high 1:07 PM, low 7:23 PM
- Lincoln CityOregonNov 16.3 ft rangeNov 66.7 ft range Today: high 5:56 AM, low 11:06 AM, high 4:30 PM
- SanibelFloridaOct 313.3 ft rangeNov 12.9 ft range Today: high 3:05 AM, low 12:38 PM
- ChincoteagueVirginiaOct 312.0 ft rangeNov 11.8 ft range Today: high 12:31 AM, low 6:56 AM, high 1:12 PM, low 8:04 PM
- Cape MayNew JerseyOct 315.2 ft rangeNov 65.1 ft range Today: high 12:27 AM, low 6:03 AM, high 12:47 PM, low 7:21 PM
- Tybee IslandGeorgiaOct 317.5 ft rangeNov 67.5 ft range Today: high 12:26 AM, low 6:34 AM, high 12:56 PM, low 7:22 PM
- Fernandina BeachFloridaOct 316.6 ft rangeNov 66.4 ft range Today: high 1:21 AM, low 7:07 AM, high 1:55 PM, low 8:04 PM
- Surf CityNorth CarolinaOct 315.3 ft rangeNov 65.0 ft range Today: low 5:27 AM, high 12:13 PM, low 6:47 PM
- St. Augustine BeachFloridaOct 315.4 ft rangeNov 65.3 ft range Today: high 12:27 AM, low 6:28 AM, high 12:56 PM, low 7:31 PM
The two days with the biggest range between high and low tide in the next 7 days, from NOAA predictions. Open a town for the whole week.
More guides
All guides- Spring and neap tidesWhy the tides grow and shrink every two weeks with the moon, and the dates of the coming spring and neap tides at each beach town.Read the guide
- King tidesWhat king tides are, why they come in winter and summer, and the dates of the highest predicted tides of the next 12 months at each beach.Read the guide
- The best tide for shellingWhy shelling is best on a low tide, especially a minus tide after a new or full moon, and the lowest daylight tides of the next three months.Read the guide
Tides for your beach
Today’s tides, the week ahead and a printable calendar for every month, with the water temperature.