Data Sources & Methodology

Fishing v1 is designed for shore, pier and nearshore recreational fishing conditions. It does not cover offshore or boat-fishing safety.

The Fishing Score is calculated by CoastalNow from tide movement, wind, wave/sea state, weather, time of day, a low-weight lunar factor, and optional water-temperature context. It is a planning comparison metric; it does not predict whether you will catch fish.

CoastalNow first calculates activity quality and then applies a separate Safety Gate. A serious hazard can cap the score or replace the numerical recommendation with NOT RECOMMENDED. Good tide or weather conditions can never cancel a hard safety stop.

Missing values are not silently converted into favorable conditions. Optional missing factors use a fixed neutral-unknown treatment, while missing critical safety or forecast data lowers confidence or prevents a normal recommendation.

High and Medium confidence locations may enter numerical rankings. Limited and Unavailable locations remain visible for transparency but are excluded from the primary ranking. If fewer than three hours remain before local midnight, CoastalNow reports that no full three-hour window remains rather than mislabeling the location as a data failure.

Some CoastalNow locations use a local NOAA tide station. Others are explicitly labeled Nearby NOAA when the best available official station is nearby rather than at the exact location. The station used is disclosed on the location's Tide page and Activity source block.

For NOAA subordinate stations that do not provide a full 30-minute prediction series, CoastalNow may display an estimated curve between official NOAA high/low predictions. That estimated curve is a CoastalNow visualization and is not represented as an official NOAA 30-minute prediction.

Time and height answer different questions. The high/low listing gives the predicted time of a local tidal turning point and the predicted water-level height at that time. The height is not water depth at a particular beach or boat ramp. CoastalNow displays station-local times, including daylight-saving adjustments when applicable, so compare the time zone label before planning around a tide event.

What does MLLW mean? NOAA's Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) is a reference level, not the floor of the waterway. A predicted height of -0.3 ft means 0.3 ft below that station's MLLW reference; it does not mean the water has a negative depth. A 4 ft tide at one station cannot automatically be compared with a 4 ft reading at another station as if both share the same physical elevation.

How is CoastalNow's daily comparison calculated? For each available local date, CoastalNow subtracts the lowest predicted low-tide height from the highest predicted high-tide height. For example, a high of 5.8 ft and a low of 0.6 ft give a 5.2 ft daily high-to-low difference. The comparison helps a visitor spot dates with relatively larger or smaller predicted height changes within that location's seven-day schedule. The highest high and lowest low may not be consecutive events; this number is not an official measure of tidal-current strength or flooding risk.

Why is tomorrow different? Predicted tide timings and heights follow local astronomical tide patterns, so the high/low events and their times shift across the week. Actual observed water levels can depart from astronomical predictions because of wind, atmospheric pressure, local geography and other conditions. Check official warnings and local information when conditions matter for access or safety.

Nearby-station limitations matter. Some pages use the closest workable NOAA reference station rather than a gauge at the named beach. Its forecast is clearly attributed on the page. Do not treat a nearby-station prediction as a precise measurement for a different inlet, channel or shoreline. For certain subordinate stations, NOAA provides official high/low events but not a full interval curve; any fitted curve on CoastalNow is a visualization, not a series of official interval predictions.

For the underlying definitions and station capabilities, see NOAA's tide-prediction guide and NOAA's tides and currents FAQ.

CoastalNow identifies NOAA/NOS/CO-OPS and the National Weather Service as the sources of government data used on Activity pages. CoastalNow's score, best-time window, explanations, page design and rule-based methodology are separate CoastalNow outputs.

CoastalNow is an independent service and is not an official NOAA or National Weather Service product. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by NOAA or NWS. CoastalNow does not use NOAA or NWS agency logos to imply endorsement.

For source-data rights, limitations and official terms, refer to the linked NOAA and NWS agency pages above. CoastalNow does not claim ownership of the underlying NOAA/NWS source data.

Coastal conditions can change quickly. A CoastalNow score is not a statement that conditions are safe. Current official warnings, closures, posted signs, local authorities, lifeguards and first responders always take priority over CoastalNow.