Alligator Reef, Hawk Channel tide chart
Florida · near Islamorada (5 mi) · NOAA station 8723861 · times in local time (EDT)
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Tides today, Sunday, October 11
- Low 3:27 AM 0.2 ft
- High 9:53 AM 2.8 ft
- Low 3:53 PM 0.7 ft
- High 9:59 PM 2.6 ft
Were today's predicted times right where you were?
Sunrise 7:19 AM · Sunset 7:00 PM · New moon (0%)
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Fishing forecast
Hour by hour at Alligator Reef, Hawk ChannelBest times
1:00 AM–2:00 AM and 7:00 PM–8:00 PM
New moon (0% lit)
Rain radar
Biting around here in October
- Snook In seasonMoving tide at night around docks and passes (watch closed seasons)
- Redfish In seasonShallow flats on a rising tide
- Spotted seatrout In seasonGrass flats with moving water
- Spanish mackerel In seasonClean moving water near inlets and piers
- Pompano In seasonSurf troughs on the incoming tide
General seasonal guide for Florida. Seasons, sizes and limits vary, so check your state rules before keeping fish.
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Weather and conditions at Alligator Reef, Hawk Channel
Loading the National Weather Service forecast… Open it on weather.gov.
Marine forecast: Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out 20 NM
Loading the latest National Weather Service forecast… Open it on weather.gov.
Marine radio: weather channels and VHF
NOAA Weather Radio
- 162.450 MHz WX5 WWG60, Tea Table Key, FL (4 mi)
- 162.425 MHz WX4 WNG663, Princeton, FL (49 mi)
VHF marine channels
- Ch 16 Distress, safety and calling
- Ch 9 Boater-to-boater calling
- Ch 22A Coast Guard safety broadcasts
- Ch 13 Bridge-to-bridge (big ships, drawbridges)
- Ch 68, 69, 71, 72, 78A Recreational chat
Weather radio broadcasts are continuous; VHF channels are the US standard. Local harbors and bridges may use others, so check your chart.
Live readings from NOAA and the National Weather Service, loaded when you open this page.
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Tide times this week
| Day | High and low tides | Sunrise / sunset | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Oct 11 | L 3:27 AM 0.2 ftH 9:53 AM 2.8 ftL 3:53 PM 0.7 ftH 9:59 PM 2.6 ft | 7:19 AM / 7:00 PM | New moon (0%) |
| Mon Oct 12 | L 4:07 AM 0.3 ftH 10:32 AM 2.7 ftL 4:33 PM 0.9 ftH 10:36 PM 2.5 ft | 7:20 AM / 6:59 PM | New moon (2%) |
| Tue Oct 13 | L 4:46 AM 0.4 ftH 11:11 AM 2.6 ftL 5:12 PM 1.0 ftH 11:14 PM 2.4 ft | 7:20 AM / 6:58 PM | Waxing crescent (6%) |
| Wed Oct 14 | L 5:25 AM 0.6 ftH 11:51 AM 2.5 ftL 5:52 PM 1.2 ftH 11:52 PM 2.3 ft | 7:21 AM / 6:57 PM | Waxing crescent (12%) |
| Thu Oct 15 | L 6:06 AM 0.8 ftH 12:32 PM 2.4 ftL 6:34 PM 1.4 ft | 7:21 AM / 6:57 PM | Waxing crescent (19%) |
| Fri Oct 16 | H 12:33 AM 2.2 ftL 6:51 AM 1.0 ftH 1:17 PM 2.2 ftL 7:22 PM 1.6 ft | 7:21 AM / 6:56 PM | Waxing crescent (28%) |
| Sat Oct 17 | H 1:19 AM 2.1 ftL 7:42 AM 1.2 ftH 2:08 PM 2.2 ftL 8:20 PM 1.7 ft | 7:22 AM / 6:55 PM | First quarter (38%) |
Tidal currents near Alligator Reef, Hawk Channel
From NOAA's current predictions for Long Key, drawbridge east of, 9.5 miles away. Slack is when the current turns and the water is calmest; flood runs in with the rising tide and ebb runs out with the falling tide. Times are the peak of each run, in knots. The flood runs toward the N (0°) and the ebb toward the SSW (202°). The strongest current this week is 1.5 knots.
| Day | Slack water and peak currents |
|---|---|
| Sun Oct 11 | Slack 1:18 AMEbb 3:26 AM 1.5 knSlack 6:29 AMFlood 10:19 AM 1.3 knSlack 2:05 PMEbb 3:56 PM 1.3 knSlack 6:42 PMFlood 9:59 PM 1.2 kn |
| Mon Oct 12 | Slack 1:47 AMEbb 3:56 AM 1.5 knSlack 7:05 AMFlood 10:46 AM 1.2 knSlack 2:45 PMEbb 4:33 PM 1.2 knSlack 7:21 PMFlood 10:35 PM 1.1 kn |
| Tue Oct 13 | Slack 2:19 AMEbb 4:29 AM 1.5 knSlack 7:43 AMFlood 11:16 AM 1.2 knSlack 3:26 PMEbb 5:12 PM 1.1 knSlack 8:06 PMFlood 11:17 PM 1.1 kn |
| Wed Oct 14 | Slack 2:55 AMEbb 5:05 AM 1.4 knSlack 8:22 AMFlood 11:50 AM 1.1 knSlack 4:09 PMEbb 5:53 PM 1.0 knSlack 8:57 PM |
| Thu Oct 15 | Flood 12:03 AM 1.0 knSlack 3:36 AMEbb 5:45 AM 1.3 knSlack 9:06 AMFlood 12:31 PM 1.1 knSlack 4:55 PMEbb 6:40 PM 0.9 knSlack 9:53 PM |
| Fri Oct 16 | Flood 12:54 AM 0.8 knSlack 4:22 AMEbb 6:29 AM 1.2 knSlack 9:57 AMFlood 1:18 PM 0.9 knSlack 5:46 PMEbb 7:38 PM 0.8 knSlack 10:55 PM |
| Sat Oct 17 | Flood 1:52 AM 0.7 knSlack 5:16 AMEbb 7:22 AM 1.0 knSlack 10:58 AMFlood 2:17 PM 0.8 knSlack 6:46 PMEbb 9:01 PM 0.7 kn |
Current predictions can differ a lot over short distances: check the station location on NOAA before planning a passage.
Best fishing times at Alligator Reef, Hawk Channel
The bite score (0 to 100) adds up what anglers watch most: moving water (a tide running harder than usual here scores higher), solunar periods (major periods of about two hours centred on the moon overhead or underfoot, minor periods of about an hour on moonrise and moonset), dawn and dusk light, and how close it is to the new or full moon. Best times are the stretches of the day scoring near that day's top.
| Day | Bite score | Best times | Major periods | Minor periods |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Oct 11 | 98 · Excellent | 1:00 AM–2:00 AM, 7:00 PM–8:00 PM | 12:35 AM–2:35 AM, 12:58 PM–2:58 PM | 7:47 AM–8:47 AM, 7:04 PM–8:04 PM |
| Mon Oct 12 | 81 · Excellent | 1:00 AM–3:00 AM, 2:00 PM–3:00 PM | 1:21 AM–3:21 AM, 1:44 PM–3:44 PM | 8:43 AM–9:43 AM, 7:41 PM–8:41 PM |
| Tue Oct 13 | 63 · Good | 3:00 PM–4:00 PM, 2:00 AM–4:00 AM | 2:08 AM–4:08 AM, 2:32 PM–4:32 PM | 9:40 AM–10:40 AM, 8:22 PM–9:22 PM |
| Wed Oct 14 | 43 · Fair | 3:00 AM–4:00 AM, 4:00 PM–5:00 PM | 2:57 AM–4:57 AM, 3:22 PM–5:22 PM | 10:36 AM–11:36 AM, 9:07 PM–10:07 PM |
| Thu Oct 15 | 27 · Slow | 3:47 AM–5:47 AM, 4:13 PM–6:13 PM | 11:29 AM–12:29 PM, 9:56 PM–10:56 PM | |
| Fri Oct 16 | 29 · Slow | 4:38 AM–6:38 AM, 5:04 PM–7:04 PM | 12:20 PM–1:20 PM, 10:49 PM–11:49 PM | |
| Sat Oct 17 | 34 · Slow | 5:29 AM–7:29 AM, 5:53 PM–7:53 PM | 1:06 PM–2:06 PM |
A planning aid, not a guarantee. Wind, water clarity, bait and pressure changes matter too; the forecast above adds live wind and pressure when you open the page.
Best daylight low tides in the next two weeks
The lowest water that falls between sunrise and sunset, for tide pooling and beachcombing.
- 0.7 ft at 3:53 PM on Sunday, October 11
- 0.8 ft at 1:56 PM on Saturday, October 24
- 0.9 ft at 4:33 PM on Monday, October 12
- 0.9 ft at 1:12 PM on Friday, October 23
- 1.0 ft at 5:12 PM on Tuesday, October 13
- 1.1 ft at 12:27 PM on Thursday, October 22
Tide table: October 11 to November 10, 2026
Full 2026 tide table Full 2027 tide table
| Day | High and low tides | Sunrise / sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Sun Oct 11 | L 3:27 AM 0.2 ftH 9:53 AM 2.8 ftL 3:53 PM 0.7 ftH 9:59 PM 2.6 ft | 7:19 AM / 7:00 PM |
| Mon Oct 12 | L 4:07 AM 0.3 ftH 10:32 AM 2.7 ftL 4:33 PM 0.9 ftH 10:36 PM 2.5 ft | 7:20 AM / 6:59 PM |
| Tue Oct 13 | L 4:46 AM 0.4 ftH 11:11 AM 2.6 ftL 5:12 PM 1.0 ftH 11:14 PM 2.4 ft | 7:20 AM / 6:58 PM |
| Wed Oct 14 | L 5:25 AM 0.6 ftH 11:51 AM 2.5 ftL 5:52 PM 1.2 ftH 11:52 PM 2.3 ft | 7:21 AM / 6:57 PM |
| Thu Oct 15 | L 6:06 AM 0.8 ftH 12:32 PM 2.4 ftL 6:34 PM 1.4 ft | 7:21 AM / 6:57 PM |
| Fri Oct 16 | H 12:33 AM 2.2 ftL 6:51 AM 1.0 ftH 1:17 PM 2.2 ftL 7:22 PM 1.6 ft | 7:21 AM / 6:56 PM |
| Sat Oct 17 | H 1:19 AM 2.1 ftL 7:42 AM 1.2 ftH 2:08 PM 2.2 ftL 8:20 PM 1.7 ft | 7:22 AM / 6:55 PM |
| Sun Oct 18 | H 2:14 AM 2.0 ftL 8:41 AM 1.3 ftH 3:04 PM 2.1 ftL 9:24 PM 1.7 ft | 7:22 AM / 6:54 PM |
| Mon Oct 19 | H 3:16 AM 2.0 ftL 9:45 AM 1.4 ftH 4:02 PM 2.1 ftL 10:26 PM 1.6 ft | 7:23 AM / 6:53 PM |
| Tue Oct 20 | H 4:21 AM 2.1 ftL 10:45 AM 1.3 ftH 4:58 PM 2.2 ftL 11:19 PM 1.4 ft | 7:23 AM / 6:52 PM |
| Wed Oct 21 | H 5:22 AM 2.2 ftL 11:39 AM 1.2 ftH 5:49 PM 2.3 ft | 7:24 AM / 6:51 PM |
| Thu Oct 22 | L 12:05 AM 1.1 ftH 6:17 AM 2.3 ftL 12:27 PM 1.1 ftH 6:37 PM 2.4 ft | 7:24 AM / 6:50 PM |
| Fri Oct 23 | L 12:48 AM 0.8 ftH 7:08 AM 2.5 ftL 1:12 PM 0.9 ftH 7:21 PM 2.4 ft | 7:25 AM / 6:50 PM |
| Sat Oct 24 | L 1:29 AM 0.5 ftH 7:55 AM 2.6 ftL 1:56 PM 0.8 ftH 8:04 PM 2.5 ft | 7:26 AM / 6:49 PM |
| Sun Oct 25 | L 2:10 AM 0.3 ftH 8:41 AM 2.8 ftL 2:39 PM 0.7 ftH 8:48 PM 2.6 ft | 7:26 AM / 6:48 PM |
| Mon Oct 26 | L 2:53 AM 0.1 ftH 9:27 AM 2.8 ftL 3:23 PM 0.7 ftH 9:32 PM 2.6 ft | 7:27 AM / 6:47 PM |
| Tue Oct 27 | L 3:38 AM 0.0 ftH 10:15 AM 2.9 ftL 4:09 PM 0.7 ftH 10:19 PM 2.6 ft | 7:27 AM / 6:47 PM |
| Wed Oct 28 | L 4:25 AM 0.0 ftH 11:04 AM 2.8 ftL 4:57 PM 0.8 ftH 11:08 PM 2.6 ft | 7:28 AM / 6:46 PM |
| Thu Oct 29 | L 5:16 AM 0.1 ftH 11:56 AM 2.7 ftL 5:50 PM 0.9 ft | 7:28 AM / 6:45 PM |
| Fri Oct 30 | H 12:02 AM 2.5 ftL 6:12 AM 0.2 ftH 12:52 PM 2.6 ftL 6:48 PM 1.0 ft | 7:29 AM / 6:44 PM |
| Sat Oct 31 | H 1:01 AM 2.4 ftL 7:14 AM 0.5 ftH 1:51 PM 2.5 ftL 7:55 PM 1.1 ft | 7:30 AM / 6:44 PM |
| Sun Nov 1 | H 1:07 AM 2.4 ftL 7:23 AM 0.6 ftH 1:54 PM 2.5 ftL 8:05 PM 1.0 ft | 6:30 AM / 5:43 PM |
| Mon Nov 2 | H 2:16 AM 2.3 ftL 8:34 AM 0.8 ftH 2:58 PM 2.4 ftL 9:13 PM 0.9 ft | 6:31 AM / 5:42 PM |
| Tue Nov 3 | H 3:27 AM 2.4 ftL 9:41 AM 0.8 ftH 3:59 PM 2.4 ftL 10:14 PM 0.7 ft | 6:32 AM / 5:42 PM |
| Wed Nov 4 | H 4:32 AM 2.4 ftL 10:42 AM 0.8 ftH 4:55 PM 2.4 ftL 11:08 PM 0.5 ft | 6:32 AM / 5:41 PM |
| Thu Nov 5 | H 5:31 AM 2.5 ftL 11:35 AM 0.8 ftH 5:45 PM 2.5 ftL 11:56 PM 0.4 ft | 6:33 AM / 5:41 PM |
| Fri Nov 6 | H 6:22 AM 2.6 ftL 12:24 PM 0.8 ftH 6:31 PM 2.5 ft | 6:33 AM / 5:40 PM |
| Sat Nov 7 | L 12:40 AM 0.3 ftH 7:08 AM 2.6 ftL 1:08 PM 0.8 ftH 7:13 PM 2.5 ft | 6:34 AM / 5:40 PM |
| Sun Nov 8 | L 1:21 AM 0.2 ftH 7:50 AM 2.6 ftL 1:49 PM 0.8 ftH 7:53 PM 2.4 ft | 6:35 AM / 5:39 PM |
| Mon Nov 9 | L 2:01 AM 0.2 ftH 8:29 AM 2.6 ftL 2:28 PM 0.8 ftH 8:31 PM 2.4 ft | 6:35 AM / 5:39 PM |
| Tue Nov 10 | L 2:40 AM 0.3 ftH 9:07 AM 2.5 ftL 3:07 PM 0.9 ftH 9:08 PM 2.3 ft | 6:36 AM / 5:38 PM |
Heights are in feet above mean lower low water (MLLW), the zero line on most US nautical charts. A minus height means the water drops below that line.
Around Alligator Reef, Hawk Channel
Boat ramps
Marinas
- Bud n'Mary's Marina 4.1 mi
- Bayside Marina 4.7 mi
- Caribee Boat Sales & Marina 4.9 mi
- Coral Bay Marina 4.9 mi
Fishing piers and docks
- Cheeca Lodge Pier 4.6 mi
- Bayside Marina 4.7 mi
Distances from the tide station. Places from © OpenStreetMap contributors; links open in Google Maps.
Fish in the waters around Alligator Reef, Hawk Channel
40 kinds of fish, sharks and rays have been recorded within 15 km (about 9 miles) of this spot, most often Bluehead, Redband Parrotfish, Bicolor Damselfish. The bar shows how many records each has.
- Bluehead Thalassoma bifasciatumSalt water · 5959 records
- Redband Parrotfish Sparisoma aurofrenatumSalt water · 4827 records
- Bicolor Damselfish Stegastes partitusSalt water · 4721 records
- Slippery Dick Halichoeres bivittatusSalt water · 4208 records
- Striped Parrotfish Scarus iseriSalt water · 4082 records
- White Grunt Haemulon plumieriiSalt water · 4021 records
- Yellowhead Wrasse Halichoeres garnotiSalt water · 3800 records
- Ocean Surgeon Acanthurus bahianusSalt water · 3413 records
- Blue Tang Acanthurus coeruleusSalt water · 3306 records
- Clown Wrasse Halichoeres maculipinnaSalt water · 3152 records
- Yellowtail Snapper Ocyurus chrysurusSalt water · 2873 records
- Bluestriped Grunt Haemulon sciurusSalt water · 2473 records
- Doctorfish Acanthurus chirurgusSalt water · 2265 records
- Stoplight Parrotfish Sparisoma virideSalt water · 1986 records
- Bridled Goby Coryphopterus glaucofraenumSalt water · 1964 records
- French Grunt Haemulon flavolineatumSalt water · 1721 records
- Sergeant Major Abudefduf saxatilisSalt water · 1428 records
- Hogfish Lachnolaimus maximusSalt water · 1424 records
- Greenblotch Parrotfish Sparisoma atomariumSalt water · 1323 records
- Porkfish Anisotremus virginicusSalt water · 1315 records
- Bar Jack Caranx ruberSalt water · 1204 records
- Cocoa Damselfish Stegastes variabilisSalt water · 1200 records
- Grey Snapper Lutjanus griseusSalt water · 1146 records
- Gray Angelfish Pomacanthus arcuatusSalt water · 1088 records
- Sharpnose Puffer Canthigaster rostrataSalt water · 1070 records
- Spotted Goatfish Pseudupeneus maculatusSalt water · 1027 records
- Blue Chromis Chromis cyaneaSalt water · 1011 records
- Masked Goby Coryphopterus personatusSalt water · 902 records
- Spotfin Butterflyfish Chaetodon ocellatusSalt water · 858 records
- Schoolmaster Snapper Lutjanus apodusSalt water · 856 records
- Tomtate Grunt Haemulon aurolineatumSalt water · 847 records
- Foureye Butterflyfish Chaetodon capistratusSalt water · 841 records
- Brown Chromis Chromis multilineataSalt water · 830 records
- Puddingwife Wrasse Halichoeres radiatusSalt water · 788 records
- Bermuda Sea Chub Kyphosus sectatrixSalt water · 768 records
- Graysby Cephalopholis cruentataSalt water · 729 records
- Redtail Parrotfish Sparisoma chrysopterumSalt water · 689 records
- Rock Beauty Holacanthus tricolorSalt water · 655 records
- Harlequin Bass Serranus tigrinusSalt water · 641 records
- Princess Parrotfish Scarus taeniopterusSalt water · 634 records
Records from GBIF datasets released under CC0 or CC BY 4.0 (museum collections, surveys and community sightings). It shows what has been found here, not a complete list. Check your state rules before keeping fish.
About the tides at Alligator Reef, Hawk Channel
Alligator Reef, Hawk Channel gets two high tides and two low tides almost every day, and the two highs are close in height. Over the next month the water typically rises or falls about 1.7 ft between a high and the next low.
The biggest swings in this window come around Tuesday, October 27, when the day's range reaches 2.9 ft, and again around Sunday, October 11 (2.5 ft). Those spring tides follow the new and full moon by a day or two. The calmest day is Monday, October 19, with only 0.8 ft between the day's highest and lowest water.
The lowest tide of the month is 0.0 ft at 3:38 AM on Tuesday, October 27. There are 2 minus tides (lows below the chart's zero line) in this window: the best times for tide pools, clamming and walking the flats.
The highest predicted tide is 2.9 ft at 10:15 AM on Tuesday, October 27. Onshore wind or a storm can push the real water level above that.
This is a subordinate station: NOAA calculates its times and heights by adjusting a nearby reference station, so expect them to be a few minutes or a few tenths of a foot off on any given day.
Station details
- NOAA station ID: 8723861
- Type: subordinate (adjusted from a reference station)
- Location: 24.8500, -80.6183
Reference station: Government Cut, Miami Harbor Entrance.