How to find today's fishing times
Start with the place you will fish. Search a US city or ZIP code, use your device location, or enter coordinates for a particular lake or stretch of river. Choose Today to see that location's current date, or select any day in the month to compare a future trip.
The result separates major and minor solunar windows from sunrise and sunset. A window that includes sunrise or sunset is labeled so you can spot the overlap. All times follow the fishing location, including daylight-saving changes.
Once you have a day in mind, download its windows to your calendar or copy a link to the same date and location. The astronomy calculations run in your browser, so changing dates does not require a paid forecast service.
Local fishing times across all 50 states
Start with one of 50 example locations or search the city and ZIP index for a closer place. It includes Alaska, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia. City centers and ZIP coordinates are approximate, so enter the coordinates of your lake, launch, or river reach when the exact spot matters. Place names come from GeoNames.
The selected time zone keeps a trip across state lines on the right clock. Near a time-zone boundary, check the displayed zone and use the coordinate controls to override it if needed. The calendar also handles dates with no sunrise, sunset, moonrise, or moonset, which is especially useful at Alaska's higher latitudes.
Coastal anglers can use the same astronomical times. Check a tide forecast separately; moonrise, moonset, and solunar periods are not predictions of local high or low tide.
Reading a solunar table
A solunar calendar connects the sun and moon with proposed periods of fish activity. In this tool, a major period covers the hour before and after a lunar transit. The upper transit is commonly called moon overhead; the lower transit is called moon underfoot. These names describe meridian crossings, not a promise that the moon passes directly above your head.
A minor period covers the half hour before and after moonrise or moonset. The two-hour and one-hour durations follow a common solunar-table convention. They are planning windows, not exact start and stop times for feeding.
Some windows cross midnight. They appear on each date they overlap, with a previous-day or next-day label. The monthly view also marks the exact local dates of new moon, full moon, and quarter phases.
What the moon can tell you
Moon phase tells you where the moon is in its cycle. Illumination describes the fraction of its visible disk lit by the sun. Neither measurement accounts for clouds, underwater visibility, a recent stocking, or whether the fish in front of you are feeding.
Evidence for using solunar tables to predict freshwater catches is limited. Quigley and colleagues' 2023 trout-fishing study found no significant relationship between catch rate and the solunar values, moon phase, or illumination tested. That is why this calendar shows the astronomical events without assigning a catch-probability score.
If your free afternoon misses every listed window, it can still be worth fishing. Use the calendar to organize your time, then let current conditions and observations guide the day.
Turn a time window into a fishing plan
- For stocked water, check recent fish stocking near you before choosing the lake or stream.
- For trout, read about when to fish after stocking and check water temperature and local conditions.
- For a fly-fishing trip, pair the day's times with the regional hatch calendar to build a useful fly selection.
How the times are calculated
We use Astronomy Engine to calculate the moon's transits, rise and set events, phase, and illumination, plus sunrise and sunset. Location coordinates determine the observer's position; an IANA time zone determines the local date and displayed clock times.
Times are rounded to the nearest minute. Phase and illumination are sampled at local noon. Rise and set estimates assume a level horizon at sea level and standard atmospheric refraction. Hills, buildings, elevation, and unusual atmospheric conditions can change what you see. These are astronomical estimates, not tide predictions or a weather forecast.
Methods and source links reviewed September 8, 2026.
Solunar calendar questions
Does this solunar calendar work in all 50 states?
Yes. Search a US city or ZIP code, select an example location from any state, or enter the coordinates of your fishing spot. Alaska and Hawaii are included. Times follow the selected location, including local daylight-saving rules, rather than your device time zone. City and ZIP coordinates are approximate; use exact coordinates for remote water or a time-zone boundary.
What are the best fishing times today?
Choose your fishing location and select Today to see local solunar windows, sunrise, and sunset. Use those times alongside water conditions, weather, recent reports, and the feeding habits of your target species. The calendar does not predict how many fish you will catch.
What is the difference between major and minor solunar periods?
This calendar centers two-hour major windows on the moon's upper and lower transits, often called overhead and underfoot. One-hour minor windows are centered on moonrise and moonset. A calendar day does not always contain two of each event.
Is a full moon or a new moon better for fishing?
Solunar tradition favors periods around both new and full moons, but neither phase guarantees better fishing. A 2023 study of recreational freshwater trout fishing found no significant relationship between catch rate and the solunar values, moon phase, or illumination it tested.
Are the fishing times shown in my time zone?
Times use the fishing location's time zone, which may differ from your device. Daylight-saving time is applied where observed. The location panel shows the zone, and the coordinate controls let you override it near a time-zone boundary.
Why is a moonrise or moonset missing?
Not every local date contains a moonrise or moonset. At high latitudes, the moon or sun can also remain above or below the horizon for an extended period. The tool reports no event this date instead of inventing a time.
Does this calendar work for stocked trout and bass?
The astronomical times apply to the selected place, regardless of species. The tool does not use a trout or bass feeding model. Combine it with stocking reports, local observations, and species-specific advice when planning a trip.