Every spot page answers two questions: how good is fishing likely to be today (the bite outlook) and when should I go (the best times). Here is exactly how we work them out.
The bite outlook (1 to 5 fish)
We start every day at an average score and adjust it up or down:
- Moon (small factor). Solunar theory is popular with anglers, but scientific studies are mixed - some find a small effect for certain species, others none. So the moon only nudges the score a little. New and full moons do bring the biggest tides, which we already count.
- Tide range (saltwater) - a strong factor. Moving water moves bait, and bait moves fish. We compare each day's tide range with that station's average for the year.
- Recent stocking (lakes) - a strong factor. Hatchery trout are easiest to catch in the first days after release. Lakes stocked in the last week get a big boost, and in the last three weeks a smaller one.
- Wind. Light wind helps. Strong wind makes fishing harder and less safe.
- Storms, rain and fronts. Thunderstorms lower the score, and so does a sharp temperature drop from one day to the next.
- Cloud cover gives a small boost, as fish are often less spooky in low light.
The result maps to Poor, Fair, Good, Very good or Excellent. We always show the top reasons, so you can judge for yourself.
Best times to fish
We combine dawn, dusk, the major and minor solunar periods and (for saltwater) the hour before each tide change. When several of these overlap we mark the window as Prime.
What we don't know
We can't see water temperature at every spot, water clarity, fishing pressure or what the fish ate yesterday. Local knowledge, bait shops and your own eyes are still the best guides. The bite outlook is an estimate, not a promise.
How often it updates
Weather and bite outlooks refresh every hour. Tide predictions are stored a year ahead and refreshed weekly. Stocking data refreshes every day. If a data source is down, we keep showing the last good data and switch to a backup where we have one.