Fishing guide
Fishing bite times
Bite times are the parts of the day when fish are most likely to feed, set by the moon. Here's how they work, why some days are better than others, and how to use them with the tide.
What are fishing bite times?
Fishing bite times, also called solunar times, are periods in the day when fish and other animals are thought to be most active. The idea was popularised by the American angler John Alden Knight in the 1920s and 1930s. He gathered old fishing lore and found that it kept coming back to the moon, then published tables predicting the best times from the moon's position.
Every day has two kinds of period:
- Major periods, about 2 hours long, centred on the moon being directly overhead (its highest point) and directly underfoot (its lowest point, on the far side of the earth). There are two most days, roughly 12 hours apart.
- Minor periods, about 1 hour long, centred on moonrise and moonset. Most days have two, but on some days the moon doesn't rise or set at all.
How the moon affects fishing
The moon pulls on the sea, which is what makes the tide. Solunar theory holds that it also sets a daily rhythm for when fish feed, peaking when the moon is overhead or underfoot.
New moon and full moon fish best
Around the new moon and the full moon, the sun, earth and moon line up. Their pull adds together, which gives the biggest tides of the month (spring tides) and the strongest tidal currents. Bite times on the days either side of a new or full moon are rated the best of the month. Around the first and last quarter moons, the sun and moon pull at right angles, tides are smaller (neap tides), and bite times rate lower.
Dawn and dusk
Many fish feed harder in low light. When a major or minor period falls close to sunrise or sunset, that day rates higher. A major period right on dawn, a few days from the full moon, is about as good as it gets.
Why the times move
The moon takes about 24 hours and 50 minutes to come back to the same place in the sky, so each day's bite times arrive about 50 minutes later than the day before. The tide shifts later by about the same amount, for the same reason.
Using bite times with the tide
In the sea, moving water often matters as much as the moon. Current stirs up food and gets fish moving, while slack water at the very top or bottom of the tide can go quiet. A few ways to put the two together:
- Look for overlap. The best windows are when a bite period lines up with the tide on the move, especially the last couple of hours of the incoming tide.
- Favour big-tide days. Days near the new and full moon bring both the best bite ratings and the strongest flow.
- Mind the conditions. Strong wind, a big swell or dirty water can outweigh any bite time. Check the surf and wind forecast too.
- Use it to choose, not to stay home. If you can only go on Saturday, go. Bite times help most when you're picking between a morning and an evening, or between two days.
Every GetSalty location page shows the tide, swell, wind and that day's fishing bite times together, so you can see the overlap at a glance.
What the ratings mean
Each day gets a rating from the moon's phase and whether its periods fall near sunrise or sunset:
Do bite times really work?
The evidence is mixed. Studies have found that some fish species change how active they are with the moon's phase, and anglers' records often show more catches around the new and full moon. But fish also respond to light, temperature, weather and food, and no table can promise a bite. Treat bite times as one useful guide among several, alongside the tide, the weather and local knowledge.
Whenever you fish, check MPI's recreational fishing rules for the size and bag limits in your area.
Common questions
What are fishing bite times?
Fishing bite times are the parts of the day when fish are expected to feed most actively, worked out from the position of the moon. They are also called solunar times. Each day has two major periods and usually two minor periods.
What is the difference between a major and a minor bite time?
A major period lasts about two hours and is centred on the moon being directly overhead or directly underfoot (on the other side of the earth). A minor period lasts about an hour and is centred on moonrise or moonset. Major periods are thought to be the stronger of the two.
Is fishing better on a full moon or a new moon?
Both. Solunar theory rates the days around the new moon and the full moon as the best of the month, because the sun and moon line up and pull together. Those are also the days of the biggest (spring) tides and the strongest tidal currents.
Why do bite times change every day?
The moon rises, crosses overhead and sets about 50 minutes later each day, because it takes roughly 24 hours and 50 minutes to come back to the same place in the sky. Bite times follow it, so they move later each day too.
Do bite times work in salt water?
Many sea anglers use them, but in salt water the tide matters as much as the moon. The best chance is usually when a major or minor period lines up with moving water, such as the last of the incoming tide, and with dawn or dusk.
Are fishing bite times guaranteed?
No. They are a guide to when fish are more likely to feed, not a promise. Weather, wind, water temperature, clarity, bait and location all matter. Use bite times to choose between otherwise similar times to go.
Bite times and tides for popular fishing spots
- Auckland
- Whitianga
- Tauranga
- Gisborne
- Napier
- New Plymouth
- Raglan
- Paihia
- Wellington
- Nelson
- Picton
- Kaikōura
- Timaru
- Dunedin
- Bluff
Or pick any beach, bay or harbour on the map.