Stuart Tides Drop to -0.5 Feet Sunday Afternoon

Boaters, anglers, and beachgoers in Martin County should plan around four distinct tide cycles Sunday, according to tidal predictions from NOAA CO-OPS for the Stuart gauge station.

TODAY: Conditions begin with a shallow low tide of -0.1 ft at 5:09 a.m. — a favorable window for wade fishing and shellfish flat access along the St. Lucie River and adjacent flats. The tide climbs to a moderate high of 2.7 ft by 11:07 a.m., bringing stronger current push through area inlets. The afternoon brings the day's most negative reading, -0.5 ft at 5:16 p.m., which can expose shallow grass beds and sandbars near the St. Lucie Inlet — use caution in unfamiliar cuts.

ON THE WATER: The overnight cycle closes with Sunday's strongest high tide, 3.2 ft at 11:50 p.m. Mariners navigating shallow-draft passages near Stuart after dark should factor this elevated water level into their planning. Tidal range Sunday spans nearly 3.7 ft between the afternoon low and the overnight high — a meaningful swing for anglers targeting snook and redfish along dock edges and mangrove shorelines.

FOR BOATERS: The most productive fishing windows are typically the two hours before and after each low-tide turn. Sunday's 5:16 p.m. low sets up a strong incoming tide through the evening hours — a prime scenario for structure fishing near the St. Lucie Inlet. All mariners should cross-reference current NWS Melbourne forecasts for wind and sea conditions before departure, as tidal data alone does not reflect offshore or atmospheric hazards.

ALERTS: No active NWS watches, warnings, or advisories were in effect for Martin County at the time of publication. Confirm current alerts at weather.gov before heading out.

This article was generated with AI assistance using publicly available information. It was reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication. TC Sentinel uses AI writing tools in accordance with FTC guidelines.