Smithfield Tide Charts & Fishing
Friday, November 13 · NOAA station 8638421 (Burwell Bay)sample data — live feed unavailable
Tides live · forecast as of 9:49 AM ET
Tide chart and current conditions
Tide now
3.5 ft
▼ Falling · 0.3 ft/hr
Next high
10:50 PM
5.9 ft · in 13h 0m
Next low
3:30 PM
-0.5 ft · in 5h 40m
Wind
15 mph NW
Fresh breeze · gusts 22
Fishing score
52 /100
Good
drag to pan · scroll or pinch to zoom · hover for detail
| Day | Tide | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov 13 | Low | 4:20 AM | 2.1 ft |
| Fri, Nov 13 | High | 9:00 AM | 3.6 ft |
| Fri, Nov 13 | Low | 3:30 PM | -0.5 ft |
| Fri, Nov 13 | High | 10:50 PM | 5.9 ft |
| Sat, Nov 14 | Low | 5:20 AM | 2.1 ft |
| Sat, Nov 14 | High | 9:50 AM | 3.5 ft |
| Sat, Nov 14 | Low | 4:20 PM | -0.5 ft |
| Sat, Nov 14 | High | 11:40 PM | 6.0 ft |
Today's Tide Times in Smithfield
Today in Smithfield, high tide arrives at 9:00 AM (3.6 ft) and again at 10:50 PM (5.9 ft), and low tide bottoms out at 4:20 AM (2.1 ft) and again at 3:30 PM (-0.5 ft). That's a 6.4-foot swing — big, fast-moving water that concentrates feeding fish.
The sun rises at 6:43 AM and sets at 4:58 PM, under a waxing crescent (15% illuminated). Tidal range is in the middle of its two-week cycle.
Tomorrow starts with a low tide at 5:20 AM (2.1 ft) — see the 7-day outlook below to plan the week.
Fishing Score · Now
56/ 100
Best windows today
- 5:30 AM – 7:30 AMVery Good
- 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMExcellent
strong incoming tide · dusk bite window
Sun & Moon
- Sunrise
- 6:43 AM
- Sunset
- 4:58 PM
Waxing Crescent
15% illuminated
Moderate tidal range this week.
Conditions
53°F
Clear
- Wind
- 15 mph NWgusts 22
- Waves
- —
- Water temp
- 62°F
Fresh breeze — Casting gets harder — fish the lee
7-Day Fishing Outlook
Today
53° / 43°
Excellent
Best: 5:30 AM–7:30 AM
Sat, Nov 14
50° / 37°
Excellent
Best: 6:00 AM–8:00 AM
Sun, Nov 15
53° / 37°
Very Good
Best: 1:30 PM–3:30 PM
Mon, Nov 16
54° / 42°
Excellent
Best: 2:30 PM–4:30 PM
Tue, Nov 17
55° / 43°
Excellent
Best: 4:00 AM–6:00 AM
Wed, Nov 18
56° / 45°
Excellent
Best: 4:30 AM–6:30 AM
Thu, Nov 19
59° / 46°
Excellent
Best: 5:30 AM–7:30 AM
7-Day Tide Table for Smithfield
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 8638421; local time.
| Day | Tides | Sun |
|---|---|---|
| TodayFri, Nov 13 |
| ↑ 6:43 AM↓ 4:58 PM |
| TomorrowSat, Nov 14 |
| ↑ 6:44 AM↓ 4:57 PM |
| Sun, Nov 15 |
| ↑ 6:45 AM↓ 4:56 PM |
| Mon, Nov 16 |
| ↑ 6:46 AM↓ 4:56 PM |
| Tue, Nov 17 |
| ↑ 6:47 AM↓ 4:55 PM |
| Wed, Nov 18 |
| ↑ 6:48 AM↓ 4:54 PM |
| Thu, Nov 19 |
| ↑ 6:49 AM↓ 4:54 PM |
What's Biting at Burwell Bay
Activity ratings reflect typical feeding seasons — not legal seasons. Regulations, closures, and size/bag limits change; always check current VMRC regulations before keeping any fish.
Striped Bass (Atlantic)
Morone saxatilis
Season: Spring and fall migrations; summer in New England (check regs)
Baits: Live or chunk bunker (menhaden), Clams, Live eels
Stripers feed where moving water pushes bait against structure: inlet mouths, jetty tips, bridge shadows, rips and points. Fish the stronger part of the tide, and dawn, dusk and night, especially in summer. Chunks or clams on the bottom from the beach, eels or swimbaits at night along rocks. Circle hooks on bait; release fish carefully, most of the catch goes back.
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.
Cobia
Rachycentron canadum
Season: Spring migration along the beaches, again in the fall
Baits: Live eels, Live pinfish or menhaden, Big bucktail jigs
A sight-fishing target that cruises just under the surface along the beach, often shadowing rays, turtles or buoys. From a pier or jetty, watch the up-current side and have a heavy jig ready to pitch. They follow a hooked fish to the boat and can be caught in pairs.
Atlantic Croaker
Micropogonias undulatus
Season: Late spring through summer
Baits: Bloodworms, Squid, Shrimp
A bottom fish that runs in schools over sand and mud, especially in the Chesapeake and its rivers. Two-hook bottom rig, small hooks, bait on the bottom. Evenings and the hours around a tide change are usually best from piers and shorelines.
Summer Flounder (Fluke)
Paralichthys dentatus
Season: Late spring through early fall (check regs)
Baits: Squid strips, Live killifish (minnows), Gulp! swimming mullet
Drift or slowly retrieve a bait along sandy and gravel bottom near channel edges, inlets and drop-offs. Moving water is everything: fluke face into the current and ambush bait, so a slack tide usually means a slow bite. Bounce the bottom and give a second before setting the hook.
Gear for These Conditions
TheAnglerStore →Matched to the species feeding at Burwell Bay 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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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.
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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.
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Burwell Bay Tide & Fishing FAQ
›What time is high tide in Smithfield today?
High tide in Smithfield today is at 9:00 AM (3.6 ft) and again at 10:50 PM (5.9 ft), measured at NOAA station 8638421 (Burwell Bay).
›What time is low tide in Smithfield today?
Low tide in Smithfield today is at 4:20 AM (2.1 ft) and again at 3:30 PM (-0.5 ft). Today includes a minus tide — a good window for exploring structure that's normally underwater.
›When is the best time to fish in Smithfield today?
Today's best fishing window at Smithfield is 5:00 PM–7:00 PM (rated Excellent, 85/100), driven by strong incoming tide, dusk bite window. The score blends tide movement, dawn/dusk light, moon phase, wind, and water temperature.
›What fish are biting in Smithfield in November?
In November, the most active species at Smithfield are Striped Bass (Atlantic), Spotted Seatrout. See the species section above for baits, techniques, and seasons.
›Is this the tide chart for Smithfield?
Yes — Burwell Bay (NOAA station 8638421) is the closest official tide prediction station to Smithfield, Virginia, so these are the tide times anglers and boaters in Smithfield plan around.
›How accurate is this Smithfield tide chart?
Predictions come directly from NOAA CO-OPS harmonic predictions for station 8638421 (Burwell Bay) 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 Burwell Bay
Burwell Bay is one of the chesapeake-bay tide stations in NOAA's official prediction network. The chart above shows the live prediction for station 8638421 (Burwell Bay) — the same harmonic data printed in official tide tables — paired with local weather, water conditions, and our fishing score so you can time a session here without cross-referencing three sites. Burwell Bay is the closest NOAA tide station to Smithfield, Virginia — if you fish, paddle, or boat out of Smithfield, these are the tide predictions to plan around.