Stuart Tide Schedule: Tuesday, May 12, 2026

TODAY: A nearly empty St. Lucie River greets early risers Tuesday before the estuary floods back in the afternoon — one of the more productive tidal swings of the spring season on the Treasure Coast.

TODAY The first high tide peaks at 4:33 a.m. at 2.6 feet, pulling back sharply to a near-zero low of just 0.1 feet by 10:47 a.m. — a 2.5-foot tidal drop that will expose oyster bars and shallow grass flats from Willoughby Creek to Manatee Pocket. The afternoon rebounds with the day's stronger high: 2.8 feet at 5:13 p.m., the top of the tidal cycle.

TONIGHT The overnight low arrives at 11:21 p.m. at 0.3 feet, keeping water thin across the backcountry well into Wednesday's predawn hours.

THIS WEEK Tuesday's midmorning 0.1-foot low is notable. Last May, the same week saw lows averaging closer to 0.4 feet — a shallower drop than typical for this point in the spring tidal cycle, according to NOAA CO-OPS data. Boaters transiting shallow passages near the St. Lucie Inlet should plan accordingly around the 10:47 a.m. low.

ON THE WATER The steep 10:47 a.m. low will concentrate snook and redfish along channel edges as baitfish — pinfish and scaled sardines — get pushed off the flats and into deeper cuts. The outgoing current accelerates through the 8–10 a.m. window, forecasters said. Work soft-plastic paddle tails or live pinfish tight to the dock pilings and channel drops along the South Fork between 8 a.m. and the low. Once the flood rebuilds after noon, move onto the grass flats ahead of the 5:13 p.m. high, when tarpon and snook follow the push of warmer water back onto the shallows.

ALERTS No active NWS watches, warnings, or advisories are in effect for Martin County as of this report. Officials said

Tide data: NOAA CO-OPS, Stuart gauge. All heights referenced to MLLW.

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