When fish feed: the solunar windows
Fish don’t feed at random. Solunar theory — described by John Alden Knight in 1926 — ties feeding activity to the moon’s position. Each day brings two major periods, when the moon is directly overhead and directly underfoot, and two minor periods, at moonrise and moonset. These are the windows when the bite most often turns on.
Major vs. minor periods: what the difference means on the water
The two are not interchangeable, and treating them the same is the most common mistake anglers make with a solunar table. A major period happens when the moon is at its highest point overhead (upper transit) or directly opposite on the other side of the earth (lower transit). Majors are the stronger signal and run roughly two hours — typically an hour either side of the transit itself.
A minor period is tied to moonrise and moonset and runs about one hour. Minors are shorter and generally weaker, but they are far from throwaways: a minor that lands at first light on a rising barometer will routinely out-fish a major at noon under a bluebird sky. Because moonrise shifts roughly 50 minutes later each day, the minors walk through the daylight hours over the course of a lunar month — which is why the same lake fishes differently at 7am one week and 7am the next.
Reading today’s table, row by row
Each row in the forecast above is one day. Working across it:
- The day rating (0–100) combines moon phase with how well the day’s periods line up against dawn and dusk. It is a comparison between days, not a promise about any single one — use it to choose which day to take off work.
- Major and minor times are given in the location’s own time zone, computed from its latitude and longitude — not converted from a single national table. Two towns an hour apart genuinely have different transit times.
- Moon phase and illumination set the ceiling. Feeding activity peaks around the new and full moon (syzygy) and flattens through the quarters.
- Sunrise and sunset are shown so you can spot overlaps at a glance — the single most useful thing on the page.
How to actually plan a session around it
- Favor higher-rated days. The day rating peaks near the new and full moon.
- Fish the overlaps. A major or minor period that lands at dawn or dusk is the classic “magic hour” — prioritise these above everything else.
- Be early and stay through. Activity builds into a period rather than switching on. Arrive 30 minutes before it opens.
- Don’t fight the conditions. Solunar times tell you when fish are predisposed to feed. A cold front, muddy water, or heavy pressure can still shut it down.
What solunar times can’t tell you
A solunar forecast is a timing tool, not a conditions report. It does not know your water temperature, clarity, barometric trend, or how many boats launched ahead of you. The honest way to use it: let the table decide when you fish, and let local knowledge decide where and how. On a poor-rated day with perfect conditions, go fishing anyway.
Want the theory in depth? Read how to read a solunar table, moon phase and fishing, and solunar fishing times explained. Hunting instead? See best hunting times and deer movement times.