🌊 Best Tides For Shore Fishing In Northumberland

Timing Your Casts for Bigger Catches

If you’ve ever blanked on what seemed like a perfect fishing day, the problem might not be your gear or bait — it could be your timing. Along the rugged Northumberland coast, tide timing is one of the most important (and overlooked) parts of successful shore fishing.

Let’s break down how tides affect your catch — and when to fish for the best results.

🧭 Why Tides Matter for Shore Fishing

Tides influence everything — where fish feed, how far they travel, and how close they come to shore.

Fish are opportunistic feeders, and they follow the movement of water in search of food stirred up by rising or falling tides. On the Northumberland coast, with its mix of sandy beaches, rocky ledges, estuaries and piers, understanding tidal movement is the key to catching cod, coalfish, flounder, bass, and more.

📈 What Are the Best Tides to Fish?

Generally speaking, the best windows for shore fishing are:

🕒 Two Hours Before to One Hour After High Tide

This is often the prime feeding window. Fish follow the incoming water closer to shore as it floods over previously dry ground, stirring up crabs, worms, and baitfish.

- Perfect for: beaches, estuaries, harbours
- Example: Fishing at Alnmouth or Warkworth on a rising tide can bring flatties and bass right up the beach.

🌑 Spring Tides vs Neap Tides

Tides follow a lunar cycle, with spring tides (not related to the season) offering the biggest tidal range, and neap tides the smallest.

Tide Type	Tidal Range	Fishing Quality	When It Happens
Spring Tide	Larger	Often better	Full moon / New moon
Neap Tide	Smaller	Less movement	Half moon (quarter phases)

🎯 Tip: Spring tides move more water, which means more food is stirred up — this can activate feeding frenzies, especially in rough weather conditions.

🌊 How Tides Affect Different Shore Marks

Rocky Ledges (e.g., Cullernose Point, Craster)

These fish best two hours before high tide, especially when there’s a bit of swell. Spring tides expose deeper gullies where wrasse and pollack hide.

🏖️ Sandy Beaches (e.g., Druridge Bay, Cocklawburn)

Look for sandbars, troughs, and channels. Fish push up close during the flood tide, especially flatties, bass, and sometimes codling.

🏞️ Estuaries (e.g., Aln Estuary, Coquet River Mouth)

Ideal for spinning or bait fishing on the ebb tide, as baitfish are swept out and predators like sea trout or bass lie in wait.

🧠 How to Read the Tide Table (the Easy Way)

You don’t need to be a meteorologist to plan a session. Use the GetHookt Tide Forecast Tool — updated daily with accurate UK tide data.

Here’s what to look for:

- Pick a high tide during daylight if you’re unfamiliar with the spot.
- Avoid dead low tide unless you’re bait digging or scouting.
- Note the tide height — a 5.5m tide is far more active than a 3.1m one.

⚠️ Safety First!

The Northumberland coast is stunning but can be unforgiving. Always:

- Check tide times before fishing rock marks
- Avoid getting cut off by the tide
- Let someone know your location
- Wear a flotation vest if fishing high ledges