How to read a tide chart for fishing: times, heights and datums

If you fish saltwater or tidal rivers, the tide controls almost everything: where fish feed, how hard the current runs, and whether you can even reach your spot. A tide chart looks like a list of numbers, but once you know what each column means, it becomes a fishing plan. Try it now with our free tide chart tool, and see the fishing library for related guides.

What is on a tide chart?

A typical tide chart (or tide table) for one station shows:

Column	Meaning	Example
Date	The day of the prediction	Oct 14
Time	When high or low water occurs (local time)	5:42 AM
Height	Predicted water level relative to the datum	4.8 ft
H / L	High or low tide	H
Moon phase	Often shown as an icon	Full moon
Sunrise / sunset	Helpful for planning light	7:01 AM / 6:28 PM

The official US source is NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS). Its tide predictions page lets you choose a station and view or download high and low tide predictions. Our tide chart is built for quick fishing-trip planning.

What does “MLLW” and the tide height mean?

Tide heights are measured from a reference level called a datum. According to NOAA’s tidal datums page:

• MLLW (Mean Lower Low Water) is the average of the lower low tide each day over the National Tidal Datum Epoch. It is the reference datum for tide predictions and nautical charts.
• MHHW (Mean Higher High Water) is the average of the higher high tide each day.
• MLW / MHW are the averages of all low and high waters.
• The National Tidal Datum Epoch is a specific 19-year period; NOAA lists the present one as 1983 through 2001.

So a high of +5.2 ft means 5.2 ft above MLLW, and a low of −0.8 ft means 0.8 ft below the average lower low. Negative tides expose extra flats, oyster bars and channel edges — great for scouting, but they can strand a boat or kayak.

Why are there two highs and two lows a day?

Most US coasts have a semidiurnal pattern: two highs and two lows each lunar day. Because the lunar day is about 24 hours 50 minutes, tide times shift later by roughly 50 minutes each day. Some places, including parts of the Gulf of Mexico, have a diurnal pattern with one high and one low; others (much of the Pacific coast) have mixed tides, where the two highs or two lows differ a lot in height.

What are spring and neap tides?

NOAA explains that spring tides occur around new and full moons, roughly twice a month, when the sun’s pull adds to the moon’s. High tides are higher and lows are lower than average. Neap tides occur about seven days later, at the first and third quarter moons, when the sun and moon are at right angles; the tidal range is smaller. The name “spring” has nothing to do with the season.

	Spring tide	Neap tide
Moon phase	New and full moon	First and third quarter
Tidal range	Largest	Smallest
Current strength	Strongest	Weakest
Fishing effect	More water movement; strong flows can be hard to fish	Gentler currents; easier in narrow passes

How do you use the tide chart to plan fishing?

Find the tidal range

Subtract the low height from the high height. A low of 0.5 ft and a high of 5.5 ft gives a 5 ft range. Bigger ranges move more water, which usually means stronger currents and more active feeding, but also more difficult boat control.

Focus on moving water

Many inshore anglers fish the two hours either side of a tide change, or the middle hours of the rising or falling tide when current is strongest. Slack water at the turn is often slow. Patterns vary:

• Rising tide: fish push onto flats, marsh edges and into creeks to feed.
• High tide: fish spread into flooded grass; look for edges and points.
• Falling tide: bait drains out of creeks and marshes; fish creek mouths and channel edges.
• Low tide: fish concentrate in channels and holes; good time to scout structure.

Adjust for your exact spot

The station on the chart may be miles away. Tides arrive later up rivers and back bays, and current peaks do not line up exactly with high and low times. Keep a log of when your spot fishes best relative to the nearest station.

Remember the weather

Predictions cover the astronomical tide. Strong onshore wind can push water higher than predicted and offshore wind or high pressure can make lows lower. Heavy river flow also changes levels.

Tide chart safety tips

• Know the time of low tide if you wade flats; incoming water can cut you off from shore.
• Do not anchor a kayak in strong tidal current. See how to choose a fishing kayak for safety gear.
• Plan launches and returns so you are not stranded on a negative low.
• Carry a printed or offline copy of the tide times in case you lose signal.

Tide chart and the best time to fish

Tide is the biggest factor in saltwater timing, but light, season and weather also matter. Our guide on the best time to fish explains how dawn, dusk, weather and solunar tables fit together. For yearly planning, the printable Fishing Calendar 2027 shows moon phases month by month, so you can spot spring-tide weeks at a glance.

Before any saltwater trip, check the license rules too; our guide to fishing licenses by state explains saltwater licenses and NOAA’s angler registry. A fish finder can show you the channel edges that the falling tide exposes.

What is the difference between tides and tidal currents?

A tide chart tells you water level. A tidal current table tells you water speed and direction. They are related but not identical: in many inlets and rivers, the strongest current arrives an hour or more after the middle of the rise or fall, and the current may keep flowing in after the predicted high (or out after the low). This is why a spot can feel “slack” at a time the tide chart says the water is still rising. NOAA also publishes current predictions for many channels and harbors. For inlets, passes and bridges, check both.

A worked example: planning a morning trip

Suppose your nearest station shows:

Tide	Time	Height
Low	5:10 AM	−0.4 ft
High	11:24 AM	5.1 ft
Low	5:31 PM	0.3 ft

Sunrise is at 6:55 AM, and the moon is two days past full, so this is a spring-tide week.

1. Range: 5.1 − (−0.4) = 5.5 ft, a big range with strong current.
2. Negative low at dawn: flats will be very exposed; launch where you will not get stuck, and use the low light to scout channels and oyster bars.
3. Best window: the first half of the incoming tide, roughly 7:00–9:30 AM, combines rising water, morning light and moving current as fish push onto the flats.
4. Late morning: as the tide nears high at 11:24, fish spread into grass edges; move to points and creek mouths.
5. Local offset: if your spot is a few miles up a creek, expect high water later than the station.

Write this plan on a card or save it offline, and compare it with what actually happens. After a few trips, you will know your spot’s personal offset and favorite tide stage.

Common tide chart mistakes

• Using the wrong station. A chart for the harbor entrance can be noticeably off for a creek, marsh or bay several miles inside. Pick the station closest to where you will actually fish, or a subordinate station with corrections for it.
• Mixing up time zones and daylight saving time. Check whether the table you are reading is in local standard time or adjusted for daylight time before you plan around a specific hour.
• Reading height as depth. Tide height is measured from the chart datum, not from the bottom where you are standing. A low number does not tell you how much water covers a particular flat or channel.
• Assuming slack water arrives exactly at high or low tide. The turn of the current often lags the turn of the tide, sometimes by a lot in rivers and inlets. Use a current prediction when the flow matters.
• Ignoring the forecast. Strong onshore winds and low pressure can push water higher than predicted; offshore winds can leave flats drier. Treat the chart as a baseline, then adjust for what the weather is doing.
• Planning only the trip out. Check when the water will drop behind you, so a launch, sandbar or wading route is still usable on the way back.

Bottom line

To read a tide chart, pick the nearest NOAA station, note the times and heights of high and low water, read heights as feet above MLLW, and check the moon phase for spring or neap tides. Then plan your trip around the moving water that suits your spot, adjust for wind and local delay, and keep notes. Open the tide chart tool to start planning your next trip.