Tide times should dictate when you fish saltwater locations, but what about when you’re fishing a non-tidal freshwater system? How do you know when fish are actively feeding?

Sunrise and sunset are always productive times and your freshwater fishing should revolve around these events. However, it’s still worthwhile studying the tide charts of nearby saltwater locations to find other peak feeding times in the fresh. There obviously won’t be any tidal movement, but the tides are a controlled by the moon, and moon phase does influence fish behaviour in the fresh as well as the salt.

As well as the typical four tide times each day, it’s worth noting the ‘moonrise’ and ‘moon set’ times. The moonrise is not always after dark; you may have noticed it occasionally against an afternoon’s blue sky. Similarly, the moon set can be long enough after sunrise that you have a gentleman’s hours fishing option.

Moonrise and set can spark some activity underwater and it’s worth experimenting in your area to see what times of year they fish well. And if you’re lucky, sunrise and set, moonrise and set, and the tide times might all fall in to sync so you’ll have the perfect excuse to fish all day!