Q.Tides & Fishing
How do I read a tide chart for fishing?
A.
Look for the high and low tide times for your nearest tide station, identify the moving-water windows (the 2-3 hours flanking the midpoint of each tide), and overlap those with your available fishing time. Most charts also show tide range — bigger ranges (spring tides) produce stronger current and more aggressive feeding.
NOAA tide tables and most fishing apps show the four tide changes per day with predicted heights. Cross-reference your station's data with sunrise/sunset to identify dawn-dusk plus moving-water overlaps — the highest-leverage windows of any day. Tide guide pages cover regional stations.