Fort Pierce Tide Hits Rare -0.5 Feet Low Thursday Afternoon

The morning high at Fort Pierce Inlet crests at 2.8 feet just before 8 a.m. Thursday, but the day's real opportunity comes in the afternoon, when the tide drops to a rare -0.5 feet at 2:00 p.m. — one of the lowest readings of the month, according to NOAA tidal data.

That aggressive afternoon pullback will expose oyster bars and grass flats along the Indian River Lagoon, pushing baitfish into concentrated channels and giving wade fishermen and kayak anglers an edge in the hours before and after the low.

TIDE SCHEDULE — FORT PIERCE, APRIL 17, 2026

- Low: 1:49 a.m. — -0.1 ft - High: 7:53 a.m. — 2.8 ft - Low: 2:00 p.m. — -0.5 ft - High: 8:27 p.m. — 3.2 ft

The evening high at 3.2 feet — the strongest of the day — arrives at 8:27 p.m. and will push water back deep into the lagoon's back bays. Boaters navigating shallow cuts near the Fort Pierce waterfront should plan their return well before that evening flood peaks, as the incoming tide can move faster than it appears in the Intracoastal channels.

For beachgoers at Jetty Park or South Beach, the morning high brings full, broad surf conditions through mid-morning. By early afternoon, the retreating water will leave a wide, firm swash zone — ideal for shelling or surf fishing from the sand.

No active National Weather Service coastal flood advisories are in effect for St. Lucie County, forecasters said.

Anglers targeting snook and redfish should work the incoming tide on either side of the 8:27 p.m. high, when predators stage along the edges of submerged structure to ambush baitfish carried in on the flood.

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