How to Read a Solunar Table

A solunar table looks busy at first — times, ratings, moon symbols — but it boils down to four windows a day and a single question: when should I go?

The four periods

Every day has two kinds of feeding windows:

• Major periods (~2 hours) are centered on the lunar transits — the moment the moon is highest in the sky (overhead) and, twelve hours later, directly underfoot on the other side of the Earth. These are the strongest windows.
• Minor periods (~1 hour) are centered on moonrise and moonset. Shorter, but still productive — especially if they catch low light.

On our timeline, majors are the tall amber bars and minors are the shorter green bars. The daylight band and little sun markers show you where sunrise and sunset fall.

The day rating

The 1-to-4-star rating answers “is today worth it?” It’s highest near the new and full moon and lowest at the quarter moons, with a bump when a feeding period overlaps dawn or dusk. Think of it as a quick filter: plan around Excellent and Good days when you can.

A simple game plan

1. Pick the day using the 7-day outlook — favor higher-rated days.
2. Pick the window — the “best window today” highlight is the single period most likely to produce, usually a major period near sunrise or sunset.
3. Be early. Activity often builds into the peak, so be in position 30–45 minutes before the period starts.
4. Fish the whole window. Majors run about two hours; don’t pack up after fifteen quiet minutes.

What the table can’t tell you

Solunar times ignore weather, water clarity, tides, and pressure — all of which matter. The table tells you when fish and game are predisposed to move; conditions decide whether they actually do. Pair the forecast with local knowledge and you’ll get the most out of both.

Ready to try it? Open today’s forecast for your location and read the timeline top to bottom.