Nags Head Tide Charts & Fishing
Wednesday, November 4 · NOAA station 8652226 (Jennettes Pier, Nags Head (ocean))
Tides live · forecast as of 8:29 PM ET
Tide chart and current conditions
Tide now
0.9 ft
▼ Falling · 0.5 ft/hr
Next high
4:12 AM
4.0 ft · in 7h 43m
Next low
9:52 PM
0.5 ft · in 1h 23m
Wind
6 mph SE
Light breeze
Fishing score
72 /100
Very Good
drag to pan · scroll or pinch to zoom · hover for detail
| Day | Tide | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Nov 4 | High | 3:19 AM | 3.7 ft |
| Wed, Nov 4 | Low | 9:30 AM | 0.9 ft |
| Wed, Nov 4 | High | 3:34 PM | 3.6 ft |
| Wed, Nov 4 | Low | 9:52 PM | 0.5 ft |
| Thu, Nov 5 | High | 4:12 AM | 4.0 ft |
| Thu, Nov 5 | Low | 10:31 AM | 0.8 ft |
| Thu, Nov 5 | High | 4:26 PM | 3.6 ft |
| Thu, Nov 5 | Low | 10:38 PM | 0.4 ft |
Today's Tide Times in Nags Head
Today in Nags Head, high tide arrives at 3:19 AM (3.7 ft) and again at 3:34 PM (3.6 ft), and low tide bottoms out at 9:30 AM (0.9 ft) and again at 9:52 PM (0.5 ft). That's a 3.2-foot swing — a gentle neap-cycle swing, so focus on dawn and dusk rather than mid-tide current.
The sun rises at 6:27 AM and sets at 5:03 PM, under a waning crescent (24% illuminated). With the moon near a quarter phase, tidal movement is on the mild side this week.
Tomorrow starts with a high tide at 4:12 AM (4.0 ft) — see the 7-day outlook below to plan the week.
Fishing Score · Now
59/ 100
Best windows today
- 5:00 AM – 7:00 AMVery Good
- 5:30 PM – 7:30 PMVery Good
outgoing tide · dawn bite window · light wind
Sun & Moon
- Sunrise
- 6:27 AM
- Sunset
- 5:03 PM
Waning Crescent
24% illuminated
Neap tides — gentler water movement. Fish the dawn and dusk windows.
Conditions
66°F
Partly cloudy
- Wind
- 6 mph SEgusts 10
- Waves
- 1.8 ft @ 6s
- Water temp
- 65°F
Light breeze — Great fishing conditions
7-Day Fishing Outlook
Today
75° / 59°
Very Good
Best: 5:00 AM–7:00 AM
Thu, Nov 5
75° / 64°
Very Good
Best: 5:30 AM–7:30 AM
Fri, Nov 6
75° / 66°
Very Good
Best: 6:30 AM–8:30 AM
Sat, Nov 7
66° / 56°
Very Good
Best: 7:00 AM–9:00 AM
Sun, Nov 8
62° / 52°
Very Good
Best: 8:00 AM–10:00 AM
Mon, Nov 9
61° / 54°
Very Good
Best: 4:00 AM–6:00 AM
Tue, Nov 10
63° / 56°
Very Good
Best: 4:00 AM–6:00 AM
7-Day Tide Table for Nags Head
High and low tide times and heights for the next seven days, with sunrise (↑) and sunset (↓). Heights are relative to MLLW. NOAA predictions for station 8652226; local time.
| Day | Tides | Sun |
|---|---|---|
| TodayWed, Nov 4 |
| ↑ 6:27 AM↓ 5:03 PM |
| TomorrowThu, Nov 5 |
| ↑ 6:28 AM↓ 5:02 PM |
| Fri, Nov 6 |
| ↑ 6:29 AM↓ 5:02 PM |
| Sat, Nov 7 |
| ↑ 6:30 AM↓ 5:01 PM |
| Sun, Nov 8 |
| ↑ 6:31 AM↓ 5:00 PM |
| Mon, Nov 9 |
| ↑ 6:32 AM↓ 4:59 PM |
| Tue, Nov 10 |
| ↑ 6:33 AM↓ 4:58 PM |
What's Biting at Nags Head
Activity ratings reflect typical feeding seasons — not legal seasons. Regulations, closures, and size/bag limits change; always check current NC Marine Fisheries regulations before keeping any fish.
Bluefish
Pomatomus saltatrix
Season: Spring and fall runs along the beach; summer offshore
Baits: Cut menhaden, Metal spoons and jigs, Topwater plugs
When blues are blitzing bait in the surf you will see birds working and bait spraying; throw a metal or a popper into it. Wire or heavy mono leader, because they bite through everything else and through each other. Bleed and ice them immediately if you plan to eat them.
Redfish
Sciaenops ocellatus
Season: Year-round, best in fall
Baits: Cut mullet, Live shrimp, Gold spoons
Sight-fish tailing reds on shallow flats on a flooding tide. Fall schools push bait against oyster bars and grass edges.
Spanish Mackerel
Scomberomorus maculatus
Season: Spring and fall runs
Baits: Silver spoons, Gotcha plugs, Live pilchards
Find birds working bait and cast fast-moving metal through the frenzy. Wire or heavy fluoro — their teeth are scissors.
Florida Pompano
Trachinotus carolinus
Season: Fall – spring surf runs
Baits: Sand fleas, Fresh shrimp, Pompano jigs
Surf fish the troughs on an incoming tide with sand fleas — the Florida winter classic. Look for diving birds over sandbars.
Striped Bass
Morone saxatilis
Season: May – October
Baits: Anchovies, Topwater plugs, Swimbaits
Work troughs and rip currents on a moving tide. Dawn topwater in flat surf is the classic bite.
Gear for These Conditions
TheAnglerStore →Matched to the species feeding at Nags Head right now.
Surf Rods
Daiwa FT Surf Spinning Rod — 10', 2-Piece Medium
Ten feet is the length most surfcasters land on: enough to clear the first break and keep a bait out past it, still short enough to cast all day without your…
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Line & Leader
Sufix 832 Advanced Superline Braid — 20 lb, 300 yd
Seven HMPE fibers plus one GORE Performance Fiber, braided at 32 picks per inch. The GORE fiber is what makes this line quiet through the guides and stubborn…
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Line & Leader
Sufix Wind-On Fluorocarbon Leader — 50 lb, 11 yd
A braided loop on one end means you connect to your main line without a knot or a swivel, and the leader winds straight through the guides onto the reel.
$15.49Shop at TheAnglerStore →
Surf Rods
Okuma Tundra Surf Spinning Rod — 7 ft, 2-Piece
Okuma build the Tundra as a surf series and say so themselves, they describe it as favoured by catfish anglers and cost-conscious surf anglers.
$25.95Shop at TheAnglerStore →
Nags Head Tide & Fishing FAQ
›What time is high tide in Nags Head today?
High tide in Nags Head today is at 3:19 AM (3.7 ft) and again at 3:34 PM (3.6 ft), measured at NOAA station 8652226 (Jennettes Pier, Nags Head (ocean)).
›What time is low tide in Nags Head today?
Low tide in Nags Head today is at 9:30 AM (0.9 ft) and again at 9:52 PM (0.5 ft).
›When is the best time to fish in Nags Head today?
Today's best fishing window at Nags Head is 5:00 AM–7:00 AM (rated Very Good, 79/100), driven by outgoing tide, dawn bite window, light wind. The score blends tide movement, dawn/dusk light, moon phase, wind, and water temperature.
›What fish are biting in Nags Head in November?
In November, the most active species at Nags Head are Bluefish, Redfish, Spanish Mackerel, Florida Pompano. See the species section above for baits, techniques, and seasons.
›How accurate is this Nags Head tide chart?
Predictions come directly from NOAA CO-OPS harmonic predictions for station 8652226 (Jennettes Pier, Nags Head (ocean)) and are the same data used in official tide tables. Actual water levels can vary with storms and barometric pressure, so treat predictions as planning guidance, not navigation data.
About Nags Head
Nags Head is the center of the northern Outer Banks and Jennette's Pier is its landmark: a thousand feet of concrete pier run by the state aquarium, open to the public, and one of the best-documented fishing piers on the East Coast. The beach is steep and the bar is close, which makes it a classic surf fishery for bluefish, red drum, Spanish mackerel and pompano in season, with the big fall run of red drum and the spring run of bluefish the two events people plan trips around. Oregon Inlet, just south, is the gateway to the Gulf Stream fleet.