Keep coastal tide notes as three separate records: what the tide service predicted, what the water actually did at your fishing position, and what happened while you fished. This makes a return trip easier to compare without turning one good catch into a promise that every incoming or outgoing tide will produce fish.
Start with the correct station and clock
Before leaving, find a relevant official tide prediction for the coast you plan to fish. NOAA Tides & Currents provides U.S. tide predictions, observations, current predictions, and station information. Elsewhere, use the responsible national hydrographic or meteorological service.
Copy the station name and identifier, date, time zone, units, and height datum. Save the high- and low-water times that bracket the session. A convenient nearby station is not automatically an exact description of a creek, inlet, or distant beach. Label it as a reference and keep the station consistent when comparing visits.
If your note says predicted high water is 1.2 m (3.9 ft), include the stated datum. That number is a height above a reference surface, not a measurement of the water beneath your lure. Keep phone time, prediction time, and daylight-saving settings aligned before comparing catch timestamps.
Keep water height separate from current
NOAA's tide and current FAQ distinguishes vertical water-level change from horizontal tidal current. It specifically cautions that high or low tide does not reliably coincide with slack water. Tide and current predictions are generated separately because their relationship varies by location.
Use separate lines in the journal:
- Predicted water level: station, high or low time, and height with datum.
- Predicted current, if available: current station, flood or ebb direction, maximum and slack times.
- Observed at the fishing position: water rising or falling against a fixed visible feature; surface drift direction; conditions that made presentation difficult.
If you did not measure current speed, do not give it an invented number. Surface foam moving one way is a local observation, not a complete description of the water column.
Record a short sequence through the session
Make an arrival note, another when conditions visibly change, and a departure note. Describe the water relative to a recognizable feature viewed from a safe position. Add wind, waves, clarity, reachable cover, presentation, and the periods actually fished, including blank periods. Record times when you changed position or stopped casting.
For example: arrival before the reference high-water time; rising water against the pier piling; surface debris moving left; a jig becoming harder to control; no bites during the first trial. Later, note whether the drift changed and what presentation you used then. This is more informative than writing only “caught on high tide.”
Use observations to support an exit decision
A tide notebook is not a route-safety calculation. Check official weather, coastal warnings, site notices, and access before fishing. Never rely on a prediction alone to keep a beach exit or exposed crossing available. NOAA explains in its FAQ that weather can make observed water levels differ from astronomical predictions.
For a beach session, review the National Weather Service's rip-current guidance. Do not enter hazardous surf to retrieve tackle or improve a journal observation. For afloat sessions, start with the preparation and return planning in our first kayak fishing guide; tide notes add context to that plan.
Compare the same question next time
Choose one modest question for a return visit: did the same position remain fishable during a comparable stage, or did a presentation stay controllable for longer? Compare station, timing, wind, method, and fishing effort before interpreting the catches. A blank is part of the record.
Use the free trip and catch log to store reference information alongside your observations. Keep exact locations private. The FishPal App Store listing, checked on October 31, 2026, describes private fishing records and optional live trip sharing as separate choices. Do not assume FishPal supplies a particular tide or current product; use the official service directly for the values you quote.