How to read a tide table for fishing

Start with the place and local date

Choose the actual fishing spot, rather than a nearby city with a familiar name. Check the map position, the spot time zone and the date. Keep arrival, fishing and return times on the same local-time basis.

Read heights with their reference

High and low tides mark water-level extremes. Heights use a reference level, or datum; they are not the water depth at your feet. Compare heights only when the reference and units match.

Read the high and low events around your planned visit. Their height difference gives the tidal range for that pair. Keep the units visible when making a note.

Make a plan you can revisit

In a FishMeteo public spot, open the date and read its listed tide events alongside the hourly weather. Keep the spot link with your trip notes so you can return to the same place instead of comparing different locations by accident.

Keep the table in context

A tide table is not a timetable for fish bites. Write down what you intend to compare: access to the shore, your chosen hours and the conditions you actually find. Record an uneventful trip as carefully as a productive one.