Sebastian Inlet Tides Swing 2.5 Feet Thursday for Prime Fishing

TODAY: A classic late-dry-season pattern settles over Indian River County on Thursday, with warm, mostly sunny skies and low humidity typical for late April on the Treasure Coast, National Weather Service Melbourne forecasters said.

At Sebastian Inlet, tides run on a wide swing — nearly 2.5 feet from peak to trough — making Thursday an exceptional day to plan around the water.

TIDE SCHEDULE — Sebastian Inlet, April 24, 2026 - High: 3:17 a.m. — 2.8 ft - Low: 9:43 a.m. — 0.3 ft - High: 3:38 p.m. — 2.4 ft - Low: 10:01 p.m. — 0.1 ft

ON THE WATER: The outgoing tide runs hard from the early morning high through the 9:43 a.m. low, creating ripping currents through the inlet cuts where snook, tarpon and jack crevalle stack up to ambush baitfish. That roughly six-hour outgoing window — from around 3 a.m. through mid-morning — is the day's prime fishing period. The afternoon flood tide builds again toward the 3:38 p.m. high of 2.4 feet, slightly smaller than the morning high, a normal pattern for mixed semidiurnal tides along this stretch of coast. The night low of just 0.1 feet after 10 p.m. will expose shallow flats and rock edges for wade fishermen willing to work after dark.

ALERTS: No active National Weather Service Melbourne watches, warnings or advisories are in effect for Indian River County According to initial reports,.

Note for readers comparing tides at nearby stations: Sebastian Inlet tide times and heights differ from those at Fort Pierce or Stuart due to the stations' differing distances from open ocean, local bathymetry and the inlet's own tidal choking effect. Always use the station-specific prediction for the location where you plan to launch.

Thursday's bottom line: The big morning tidal drop at Sebastian Inlet sets up one of the better short-window fishing opportunities of the spring, so early risers with lines in the water by first light will have the best of it before the outgoing current slackens near mid-morning.

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