Tides and solunar charts for fishing in Florida (East Coast) in 2024 (2024)

FAQs

What tides are best for catching fish? ›

Typically, the best times to fish are when the tide is “running” — that is, when it's on the move from high to low or vice versa. Once the water approaches the extremes of high or low tide, it slows down and stops moving, becoming what's known as “slack,” and the fish are less likely to bite.

Our tides in Southwest Florida are irregular. In most other places, there are 2 high tides and 2 low tides each day. The tide cycle is approximately 24.5-25 hours long and repeats every 14 days – but not on the west coast of Florida. Here, we sometimes have 2 tides a day, and sometimes only one.

Tide Alert is the definitive app for tide and lunar phase information, designed to provide outdoor professionals, maritime enthusiasts, and casual beachgoers with the knowledge they need to align their activities with the rhythms of the tides.

There are four lunar phases anglers need to think about – new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter. Many fishermen swear that 90% of your lifetime catches will come from the full and new moon. The idea behind fishing by moon phases is that the bigger the tide, the more active the fish.

An incoming tide, or rising tide, is considered one of the best fishing tide times. Water that enters an estuary area from the ocean can have a lower temperature, contain more oxygen, and have better clarity than the water that exists in the estuary during low tide or slack water periods.

How Tide Affects Pier Fishing. When it's high tide, there is more water closer to the beach, so the baitfish and predator fish will move closer to shore. That means that you can usually catch them all along the pier, so look for structure in the middle section of the pier that might not be as crowded as the end.

The phenomenon, called a blowout tide or a reverse storm surge, is an indicator that a hurricane is on its way. A blowout tide often occurs during low tide, when strong winds blowing directly off shore push the water out, exposing the bottom of the body of water, according to The Weather Channel.

Some areas, such as the Gulf of Mexico, have only one high and one low tide each day. This is called a diurnal tide. The U.S. West Coast tends to have mixed semidiurnal tides, whereas a semidiurnal pattern is more typical of the East Coast (Sumich, J.L., 1996; Thurman, H.V., 1994; Ross, D.A., 1995).

In addition to the gravitational pull of the sun and moon, tides also are influenced by coastline configuration, water depth, and seafloor topography, as well as hydrographic and meteorological conditions. Tides also vary by geographical location and by season.

Online predictions are more accurate and up-to-date than what is provided in the annual printed tables. NOAA tide predictions are used by both commercial and recreational mariners for safe navigation. NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services produce these tide tables on an annual basis.

Are tide charts always accurate? ›

Differences between predicted and observed tides will be greater than average during extreme weather events and during above normal river runoff to stations on tidal rivers. Errors in time and height of tide are generally larger for those areas with weaker tides.

Most fish feed at both low, and high tides. For that reason, one particular tide is usually not better fishing than the other. However the habits, and patterns of fish do change with the tides. The most successful anglers understand these patterns for the region they are fishing, and adjust accordingly.

The zone between 29.8 and 30.2 is shown as the area for best fishing. This barometer also says that better fishing occurs when the barometer is rising than when it is falling. Veteran anglers would agree that most every species of fish are more active when the barometer is steady or only slightly changing.

In some specific fisheries, the full moon is clearly key. In fact, quite a few species seem to bite best (during the day) on either side of a full moon. “Big fish seem to like to bite for a few days before full and a few days after,” says Nakamura, who runs Northern Lights out of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

Actually, fishing is best on moving tides. Low to high or vice versa. Small bait fish are pushed around by this movement and become easier pray for the larger fish. Dead tides provide little in the Way of good fishing.

The best time to go fishing is typically either early morning or late evening when food is abundant and fish naturally feed. Within an hour of sunrise and an hour after sunset are the times when fish are likely to bite the most. Fishing for some species of fish is much better at night than during the day.

The farther west you go, the less tide you have, and those fish aren't as tidal dependent.” In other words, during a neap tide with no wind, the trout around the eastern bridges become a lot less enthusiastic about feeding because there's no tide bringing them any food.

As tide levels in a bay or estuary area recede, focus your techniques on deeper channels, drop-offs, or passes that lead out toward open water. This tip on tides and fishing will apply whether you are fishing from a boat or from the shoreline.