Tide predictions
Orcas, Orcas Island, WA
- Next high
- 6:04 pm · 6.96 ft
- Next low
- 1:23 pm · 5.36 ft
- Direction
- Falling
- Water temp
- 52°F
- 7-day range
- -2.5–8.2 ft
Predictions from 2026-10-13 | NOAA 9449798
- Today's range
- 8.17 ft
- Tide turns
- 4
- Daylight
- 10h 58m
- Moon illumination
- 8%
- Fishing outlook
- Good
In brief
On Oct 13, 2026, NOAA predicts high tides at 8:27 am (7.45 ft) and 6:04 pm (6.96 ft), and low tides at 12:48 am (-0.72 ft) and 1:23 pm (5.36 ft) at Orcas, Orcas Island, WA. Times are local; heights are feet above mean lower low water.
Source: NOAA tide predictions, station 9449798
Seven-day tidal daybook
Today's tide times
- Low12:48 am-0.72 ft
- High8:27 am7.45 ft
- Low1:23 pm5.36 ft
- High6:04 pm6.96 ft
Heights above MLLW · local time.
Sun and moon today
Sunrise
7:29 am
Sunset
6:27 pm
10h 58m of daylight
Moon phase
Waxing Crescent
8% illuminated
Moonrise / set
11:22 am
sets 7:23 pm
Tides are between spring and neap right now. The range is moving between its monthly extremes.
Solunar fishing periods
| Period | Window | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Major | 2:20 pm – 4:20 pm | Moon overhead |
| Major | 2:20 am – 4:20 am | Moon underfoot |
| Minor | 10:52 am – 11:52 am | Moonrise |
| Minor | 6:53 pm – 7:53 pm | Moonset |
Solunar theory holds that fish feed hardest when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods). Today rates Good (3/4) because the moon is waxing crescent.
Best fishing tides today
| Window | Around | Tide height |
|---|---|---|
| 11:18 pm – 2:18 am | low tide at 12:48 am | -0.72 ft |
| 6:57 am – 9:57 am | high tide at 8:27 am | 7.45 ft |
| 11:53 am – 2:53 pm | low tide at 1:23 pm | 5.36 ft |
| 4:34 pm – 7:34 pm | high tide at 6:04 pm | 6.96 ft |
Fish generally feed hardest when water is moving. These are the windows either side of each tide change, when flow is strongest.
Seven-day tide table
| Date | High tides | Low tides |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, Oct 13 | 8:27 am (7.45 ft), 6:04 pm (6.96 ft) | 12:48 am (-0.72 ft), 1:23 pm (5.36 ft) |
| Wed, Oct 14 | 9:23 am (7.50 ft), 6:28 pm (6.69 ft) | 1:24 am (-0.80 ft), 2:21 pm (5.83 ft) |
| Thu, Oct 15 | 10:23 am (7.47 ft), 6:51 pm (6.40 ft) | 2:04 am (-0.63 ft), 3:38 pm (6.10 ft) |
| Fri, Oct 16 | 11:31 am (7.42 ft) | 2:48 am (-0.28 ft) |
| Sat, Oct 17 | 12:37 pm (7.38 ft) | 3:38 am (0.18 ft) |
| Sun, Oct 18 | 1:32 pm (7.38 ft) | 4:35 am (0.65 ft) |
| Mon, Oct 19 | 2:13 pm (7.38 ft), 11:10 pm (5.14 ft) | 5:39 am (1.07 ft), 9:18 pm (4.95 ft) |
Frequently asked questions
What time is high tide at Orcas, Orcas Island today?
The next high tide at Orcas, Orcas Island is at 6:04 pm local time, reaching 6.96 ft above MLLW. The next low tide is at 1:23 pm (5.36 ft).
How many tides does Orcas, Orcas Island get per day?
Orcas, Orcas Island has mixed semidiurnal tides, which means two highs and two lows a day of noticeably different sizes. This week the paired highs differ by 1.2 ft on average and the lows by 5.8 ft. Times shift roughly 50 minutes later each day as the moon advances, which is why a printable weekly or monthly table is more useful than a single day's times.
When is the lowest tide this week at Orcas, Orcas Island?
The lowest tide at Orcas, Orcas Island in the next seven days is -0.80 ft at 1:24 am on 2026-10-14. The highest is 7.50 ft at 9:23 am on 2026-10-14.
What time does the tide turn (slack water) at Orcas, Orcas Island?
Slack water, when the current is weakest, falls roughly midway between a high and a low. Today that is around 4:37 am, 10:55 am, 3:43 pm. These are estimates from the tide times; true slack can lag the turn by up to an hour in a narrow channel or river mouth.
Is this a spring tide or a neap tide at Orcas, Orcas Island?
Tides here are currently between spring and neap. The moon is waxing crescent (8% illuminated). Spring tides, the biggest range between high and low, follow the new and full moon, when the sun and moon pull in line. Neap tides, the smallest range, follow the quarter moons.
What is the tidal range today at Orcas, Orcas Island?
Today's range is 8.2 ft between the highest high and the lowest low. The average daily range here over the next month is about 7.6 ft, so today is larger than usual.
Is there a minus tide at Orcas, Orcas Island today?
Yes, Orcas, Orcas Island has a minus tide today. The 12:48 am low reaches -0.72 ft, below the MLLW reference level, which is what "minus tide" means. Minus tides expose tidepools, mudflats and shellfish beds that are normally underwater, and are the best windows for tidepooling and clamming.
What time is the lowest tide today at Orcas, Orcas Island?
The lowest tide today at Orcas, Orcas Island is at 12:48 am at -0.72 ft above MLLW. The lowest predicted tide over the next month at Orcas, Orcas Island is -2.49 ft.
What is the rule of twelfths for tides?
The rule of twelfths estimates how much water moves in each hour of a roughly six-hour tide: 1/12 of the range in the first hour, then 2/12, 3/12, 3/12, 2/12 and 1/12. Water moves fastest in the middle two hours and barely moves near high and low slack. With Orcas, Orcas Island's range today of about 8.2 ft, that is roughly 0.7 ft in the first hour and about 2.0 ft during each of the two middle hours.
What is the best tide for fishing at Orcas, Orcas Island?
Most inshore anglers prefer moving water rather than slack tide, so the two hours either side of a high or low, when the rule of twelfths says flow is fastest, tend to fish best. Using today's predictions, the strongest movement is between 12:48 am and 8:27 am. Local conditions, wind and season matter as much as the tide itself.
Is it better to go to the beach at high or low tide?
Low tide exposes the most sand and the widest walking beach, and is best for tidepooling and shelling. High tide suits swimming and launching boats, though it leaves less dry beach. At Orcas, Orcas Island the difference between the two is about 8.2 ft of water height.
What is the rule of 6 for tides?
"Rule of 6" is another name for the rule of twelfths above. It is the idea that a tide takes about six hours to run, and that the water moves by a different fraction of its range in each of those six hours. Some people also use it as shorthand for the roughly six-hour gap between a high and the next low, which at Orcas, Orcas Island averages about 6.0 hours today.
How accurate are these tide predictions?
The tide times on this page are NOAA's astronomical predictions for station 9449798, typically within about 10 minutes on timing and half a foot on height. They account for the sun and moon but not the weather. A strong onshore wind, a storm surge or unusually high or low barometric pressure can push the real water level well above or below the prediction. Never use them for navigation or life-safety decisions. NOAA's own page for this station carries the official record.
What datum are these heights measured from?
All heights are feet above mean lower low water (MLLW), the standard NOAA tidal datum for US coastal predictions, the average of the lower of the two daily low tides. A reading of 0.0 ft means water at that reference level, and a negative reading means below it.
How warm is the water at Orcas, Orcas Island?
The nearest water-temperature reading to Orcas, Orcas Island is 52 °F (11.4 °C), measured 11:36 am at NDBC buoy FRDW1, 5 miles away. It has fallen 1.6 °F in the last 24 hours.
Going out on the water? Marine forecast for Northern Inland Waters, 21 miles away: wind, seas and any advisories.
Predictions from NOAA CO-OPS station 9449798. Water temperature from NDBC buoy (station FRDW1), 5 miles from this station, read 11:36 am. All Washington tide charts.