Oak Island Tide Charts & Fishing
Thursday, November 5 · NOAA station 8659414 (Varnamtown, Lockwoods Folly River)
Tides live · forecast as of 3:12 AM ET
Tide chart and current conditions
Tide now
3.6 ft
▲ Rising · 0.7 ft/hr
Next high
5:12 AM
4.4 ft · in 1h 59m
Next low
11:35 AM
0.7 ft · in 8h 22m
Wind
4 mph ESE
Light breeze · gusts 10
Fishing score
68 /100
Very Good
drag to pan · scroll or pinch to zoom · hover for detail
| Day | Tide | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Nov 5 | High | 5:12 AM | 4.4 ft |
| Thu, Nov 5 | Low | 11:35 AM | 0.7 ft |
| Thu, Nov 5 | High | 5:24 PM | 3.9 ft |
| Thu, Nov 5 | Low | 11:44 PM | 0.4 ft |
| Fri, Nov 6 | High | 6:03 AM | 4.5 ft |
| Fri, Nov 6 | Low | 12:26 PM | 0.6 ft |
| Fri, Nov 6 | High | 6:13 PM | 3.8 ft |
Today's Tide Times in Oak Island
Today in Oak Island, high tide arrives at 5:12 AM (4.4 ft) and again at 5:24 PM (3.9 ft), and low tide bottoms out at 11:35 AM (0.7 ft) and again at 11:44 PM (0.4 ft). That's a 4.0-foot swing — a solid mid-size swing with reliable current on each side of the extremes.
The sun rises at 6:35 AM and sets at 5:16 PM, under a waning crescent (22% illuminated). Tidal range is in the middle of its two-week cycle.
Tomorrow starts with a high tide at 6:03 AM (4.5 ft) — see the 7-day outlook below to plan the week.
Fishing Score · Now
66/ 100
Best windows today
- 7:00 AM – 9:00 AMVery Good
- 2:00 PM – 4:00 PMVery Good
strong outgoing tide · dawn bite window · light wind
Sun & Moon
- Sunrise
- 6:35 AM
- Sunset
- 5:16 PM
Waning Crescent
22% illuminated
Neap tides — gentler water movement. Fish the dawn and dusk windows.
Conditions
65°F
Overcast
- Wind
- 4 mph ESEgusts 10
- Waves
- 2.9 ft @ 6s
- Water temp
- 69°F
Light breeze — Great fishing conditions
7-Day Fishing Outlook
Today
78° / 63°
Very Good
Best: 7:00 AM–9:00 AM
Fri, Nov 6
74° / 67°
Very Good
Best: 7:30 AM–9:30 AM
Sat, Nov 7
72° / 53°
Excellent
Best: 4:00 AM–6:00 AM
Sun, Nov 8
67° / 46°
Excellent
Best: 4:00 AM–6:00 AM
Mon, Nov 9
68° / 49°
Excellent
Best: 4:30 AM–6:30 AM
Tue, Nov 10
68° / 50°
Excellent
Best: 4:30 AM–6:30 AM
Wed, Nov 11
67° / 58°
Excellent
Best: 5:30 AM–7:30 AM
7-Day Tide Table for Oak Island
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 8659414; local time.
| Day | Tides | Sun |
|---|---|---|
| TodayThu, Nov 5 |
| ↑ 6:35 AM↓ 5:16 PM |
| TomorrowFri, Nov 6 |
| ↑ 6:36 AM↓ 5:15 PM |
| Sat, Nov 7 |
| ↑ 6:37 AM↓ 5:14 PM |
| Sun, Nov 8 |
| ↑ 6:38 AM↓ 5:14 PM |
| Mon, Nov 9 |
| ↑ 6:39 AM↓ 5:13 PM |
| Tue, Nov 10 |
| ↑ 6:40 AM↓ 5:12 PM |
| Wed, Nov 11 |
| ↑ 6:41 AM↓ 5:11 PM |
What's Biting at Varnamtown
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.
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.
Southern Flounder
Paralichthys lethostigma
Season: Spring and fall; the fall run to the passes is the event
Baits: Live mud minnows, Finger mullet, Gulp! shrimp on a jig head
Drag a bait slowly along the bottom at channel edges, jetty rocks and the down-current side of structure on an outgoing tide. In the fall, flounder stack in passes and inlets on their way to the Gulf or ocean; fish the drop-offs then.
Spotted Seatrout
Cynoscion nebulosus
Season: Year-round, best in cooler months
Baits: Live shrimp under a popping cork, Soft plastics, Topwaters
Drift grass flats in 2–6 feet with a popping cork ahead of the drift. Gator trout hunt alone in skinny water at dawn.
King Mackerel
Scomberomorus cavalla
Season: Spring and fall, when water is in the 70s
Baits: Live menhaden or bluefish, Slow-trolled ribbonfish, Spoons
From ocean piers, the classic setup is a live bait suspended off the end on a trolley rig under a float. Wire leader and treble stinger hooks; a king hits from behind and bites a bait in half. From a boat, slow-troll live baits along color changes and over nearshore structure.
Whiting (Southern Kingfish)
Menticirrhus americanus
Season: Spring through fall; the most reliable surf fish on the Gulf and South Atlantic
Baits: Fresh dead shrimp, Sand fleas, Cut squid
Small hooks, small baits, close in. Whiting feed in the first trough and the wash, often within a long cast of dry sand, on a rising tide. A two-hook bottom rig with a pyramid or bank sinker, left still, is all it takes. Good eating and no size pressure, so a great starter target.
Gear for These Conditions
TheAnglerStore →Matched to the species feeding at Varnamtown right now.
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 →
Soft Baits
Zoom Fluke 4" — Smokin' Shad, 10-Pack
Same darting soft-jerkbait profile in the standard body, in a translucent shad pattern that covers most clear-water situations.
$3.99Shop at TheAnglerStore →
Terminal Tackle
Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp Offset Circle Sea Hook — 4/0, 50-Pack
The circle hook does the work for you: no strike, just let the rod load and the hook finds the corner of the jaw on its own.
$15.97Shop at TheAnglerStore →
Tools
Rapala 8" Super Stainless Steel Pliers
Eight inches of stainless with an internal spring that holds the jaws open, so you can work one-handed while the other hand is busy holding a fish.
$32.99Shop at TheAnglerStore →
Varnamtown Tide & Fishing FAQ
›What time is high tide in Oak Island today?
High tide in Oak Island today is at 5:12 AM (4.4 ft) and again at 5:24 PM (3.9 ft), measured at NOAA station 8659414 (Varnamtown, Lockwoods Folly River).
›What time is low tide in Oak Island today?
Low tide in Oak Island today is at 11:35 AM (0.7 ft) and again at 11:44 PM (0.4 ft).
›When is the best time to fish in Oak Island today?
Today's best fishing window at Oak Island is 7:00 AM–9:00 AM (rated Very Good, 79/100), driven by strong 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 Oak Island in November?
In November, the most active species at Oak Island are Redfish, Southern Flounder, Spotted Seatrout, King Mackerel, Whiting (Southern Kingfish). See the species section above for baits, techniques, and seasons.
›Is this the tide chart for Oak Island?
Yes — Varnamtown (NOAA station 8659414) is the closest official tide prediction station to Oak Island, North Carolina, so these are the tide times anglers and boaters in Oak Island plan around.
›How accurate is this Oak Island tide chart?
Predictions come directly from NOAA CO-OPS harmonic predictions for station 8659414 (Varnamtown, Lockwoods Folly River) 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 Varnamtown
This is the live tide dashboard for Varnamtown, built on NOAA station 8659414 (Varnamtown, Lockwoods Folly River) on the cape-fear. Tide predictions update continuously, and the fishing score blends the tide swing with weather, light, and moon phase to point you at the best windows of the day. Varnamtown is the closest NOAA tide station to Oak Island, North Carolina — if you fish, paddle, or boat out of Oak Island, these are the tide predictions to plan around.