How we pick the best times

Fish feed more at some times of day than others. For many years, fishing almanacs have printed tables that predict those feeding times from the moon. We figure the same tables for your exact spot, fresh every day.

The two best times each day

Twice a day the moon passes over your spot, once high in the sky and once on the far side of the earth. The hour before and the hour after each pass is a best time to fish. On this site we label them "Moon overhead" and "Moon underfoot". Each best time lasts about two hours.

The two good times each day

Moonrise and moonset are good times to fish. Each lasts about one hour, half an hour before and half an hour after the moon rises or sets.

The daily rating

Every day gets a rating from 0 to 100, shown as Poor, Fair, Good, or Best. The points work like this:

• Every day starts with 25 points, because the best and good times happen every day.
• Up to 30 more points for the moon phase. Fishing is usually better close to a new moon or a full moon, so days near those score highest.
• 25 points if a best time falls at sunrise or sunset, when fish often feed.
• 10 points for each good time that falls at sunrise or sunset, up to 20 points.

Plain talk about accuracy

This method is called the solunar method. It was first published by John Alden Knight in 1926 and has been printed in almanacs ever since. The ratings are estimates based on the moon and sun only. Weather, water conditions, and the fish themselves have the final say. A Poor day can still fish well, and a Best day is not a promise of fish.

Tide times and heights come from NOAA and are predictions, not measurements. More about our data.