Best Fishing Days & Times: Almanac Fishing Calendar 2026

Best Days to Fish by Month

Wondering when to cast your line? Take a look at the best fishing days for each month of 2026, all mapped to the Moon’s phases. Each table shows the date, day of the week, fishing potential (Poor to Best), and the Moon phase for that day. It’s an easy way to plan your trips and boost your chances of landing a keeper!

April 2026

May 2026

Fishing Potential Explained

• Best: New Moon and Full Moon days.
• Good: The 2–3 days before and after a New or Full Moon. Also includes First Quarter and Third Quarter Moon days.
• Fair: A couple of days before and after the Quarter Moons.
• Poor: Everything else—typically during the waxing and waning crescent phases.

When Is the Best Time to Go Fishing?

There’s more to great fishing than just the Moon. Here are a few tried-and-true tips on the best times to fish:

• Tide Times: Fish 1 hour before and after high or low tide. Inland, fish when the Moon is due south—it lines up with feeding time.
• Sunrise and Sunset: The “morning rise” and “evening rise” are prime feeding times. Check your local sunrise and sunset for the best windows.
• Moonrise and Moonset: Fish feed during these times, too—so keep an eye on your lunar clock. See your daily Moonrise and set.
• Before a Storm: Falling pressure stirs fish into a feeding frenzy—briefly. After the storm passes and barometric pressure rises again (1 to 2 days later), fishing picks up again.
• During a Fly Hatch: If mayflies or caddis flies are hatching, you’ll want to match your bait to what’s buzzing. Otherwise, the fish will pass.
• Winds from the West: A gentle breeze from the west often brings better luck than a cold wind from the north or east.
• Calm Waters: Still or gently rippled waters are ideal—windy days can scatter the fish and your patience.

Why the Moon Matters

Long before weather apps and sonar gear, Native Americans watched the skies and followed the lunar calendar. They noticed that fish fed more actively during the Full and New Moons—and they weren’t wrong. Over the years, we’ve kept tracking the Moon phases to help you hook more fish and fewer excuses.

The Solunar Theory

In the early 1900s, a curious angler named John Alden Knight (1890-1966)  came up with the Solunar Theory—based on the belief that both the Sun (Sol) and the Moon (Luna) influence fish behavior.

He created the first Solunar Tables to help predict the major and minor feeding periods:

• Best Times to Fish (Major Periods):
  During a Full or New Moon, especially when the Sun is directly overhead or at a right angle to the Earth.
• Good Times to Fish (Minor Periods):
  During Quarter Moon phases or when the Sun is at a 45-degree angle.

Solunar tables can be helpful, but fishing success still depends on local conditions—weather, water, bait, and a little luck. You can find a Solunarclock for your area online to give you a personalized edge.

🎣 Keep on Castin’

Love to fish? Check out our other articles like Unbelievable (but True) Bait Secrets and The Four Fundamentals of Successful Fishing to keep your line tight and your stories taller.

How accurate do you find The Old Farmer’s Almanac Fishing Calendar, and the idea that fish activity changes by the Moon phase?

And hey—share your own fishing tips below (except where the big ones bite… that can stay your little secret).