Sebastian Inlet Dips to -0.3 Feet Thursday Afternoon

The water at Sebastian Inlet will pull back hard Thursday afternoon, dropping to a negative 0.3 feet at 2:45 p.m. and briefly exposing the rocky shelves and sandbars that make this stretch of Indian River County coastline one of the most productive fishing corridors on the Treasure Coast.

TODAY: Partly sunny skies are expected along the Indian River County coast. Tidal conditions are favorable for outdoor activity.

TONIGHT: The inlet's strongest tide of the day arrives after dark. A high of 3.2 feet is forecast for 9:04 p.m.

TIDE SCHEDULE — SEBASTIAN INLET, APRIL 16: - Low: 2:32 a.m. — 0.0 ft - High: 8:29 a.m. — 2.7 ft - Low: 2:45 p.m. — -0.3 ft - High: 9:04 p.m. — 3.2 ft

ON THE WATER: The morning high at 8:29 a.m. sets up an ideal outgoing-tide window through the midday hours — typically the most productive period for snook and redfish working the inlet's jetties, according to NOAA CO-OPS tidal data. The afternoon negative low is notable: at -0.3 feet, current through the inlet's cut will run fast and clear, concentrating baitfish and drawing predators to the edges. Boaters transiting the inlet should account for that accelerated current in the early-to-mid afternoon.

ALERTS: No active NWS watches, warnings, or advisories are in effect for Indian River County at the time of publication.

For beachcombers, the negative low tide is a genuine gift. Shell hunters and waders along the Barrier Island shoreline south of the inlet can expect broader-than-usual exposed beach through the early-to-mid afternoon window. Plan to arrive by 1 p.m. to work the outgoing current before the flood tide rebuilds toward the evening high.

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