Bite time & moon phase calculator
Pick a date and the closest city. We'll work out the solunar feeding windows, the moon phase and whether you're on a spring tide.
- 09:06 – 11:06
- 21:06 – 23:06
Moon overhead and underfoot — roughly two hours each. Be on the water early.
- 03:06 – 04:06
- 15:06 – 16:06
Moonrise and moonset — around an hour each, still well worth fishing.
20% illuminated, 25 days into the cycle. Neap tides mean less water movement; focus on structure and the change of light.
Get these bite times emailed each week
One email a week with the best feeding windows, moon phase and what's firing around Australia. Free.
How to use bite times
Solunar theory says fish feed hardest when the moon is directly overhead or directly underfoot. Those two windows are the major periods; moonrise and moonset give you two shorter minor periods. Where a major period lines up with dawn, dusk or a tide change, you have the best few hours of the day.
Times here are approximate and calculated for the longitude of the city you pick, so treat them as a window rather than a stopwatch. Always check official tide predictions and local conditions before heading out.
Species that key off the tide
Bite windows matter most for these fish — read the profile, then plan the session.
- BarramundiFeeds best dawn and dusk on a run-in tide
- BreamFeeds best tide changes at dawn and dusk
- Mulloway (Jewfish)Feeds best night, around the tide change
- Dusky FlatheadFeeds best run-out tide over sand flats
- Mangrove JackFeeds best hot afternoons and evenings on a high tide
- Sand WhitingFeeds best rising tide over shallow sand flats
Tidal waters to fish them
- Adelaide River, Northern TerritoryTidal river — moving water fishery
- Daly River, Northern TerritoryTidal and freshwater river — moving water fishery
- Hawkesbury River, New South WalesLarge estuary system — moving water fishery
- Port Phillip Bay, VictoriaLarge enclosed bay — moving water fishery
- Moreton Bay, QueenslandBay, islands and flats — moving water fishery
- Coffin Bay, South AustraliaSheltered bay and estuary — moving water fishery
Where to fish for today's bite window right now
The Local Knowledge Fish Finder scores real Australian spots against live tide, moon phase, wind, water temperature and season, then ranks the best places to start today — with marine charts and depth contours built in.
- ▸ Ranked pins for today's bite window near you
- ▸ Depth contours and seamarks on the chart
- ▸ Live tide, moon, wind and water temp
- ▸ Free for 7 days, then $7.99/month