Ocracoke Island tide times

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived.

Model-derived from a global ocean grid. Useful indication; expect about ±45 minutes on average vs. a local harmonic gauge, individual stations vary widely. See /methodology for per-region detail. Not for navigation.

Conditions as of 00:00 local time. Refreshes daily.

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived. · Not for navigation.

The angler tradition for major/minor fishing windows: major ≈3-hour windows around moon transit and opposition; minor ≈2-hour windows around moonrise and moonset. Times are America/New York local. Folk tradition, not a scientific forecast.

Next spring tide on Sun 17 May (range 1.2m / 3.9ft). Next neap on Sat 16 May.

Spring tides cluster around new and full moons (biggest swings). Neap tides land on quarter moons (smallest swings). See the spring tide and neap tide glossary entries for the why.

Ocracoke Island is accessible only by ferry — a 2.5-hour state-run crossing from Swan Quarter or a 1-hour ride from Cedar Island. That isolation is the defining feature of the place, and the tides reinforce it. The island sits behind the Outer Banks, inside Pamlico Sound, and the tidal range is modest — around 0.6 to 0.8 metres — but the wind-driven water level variations in the shallow sound can be extreme. Northerly wind storms regularly push water out of the sound, leaving Ocracoke's harbour nearly dry; persistent southwest winds can flood Silver Lake (the harbour) above normal high-tide levels by 0.5 metres or more. The Ocracoke Inlet on the south end of the island is one of the more navigable inlets on the Outer Banks, kept open by the strong tidal exchange between the Atlantic and Pamlico Sound. The ebb runs fast here — 2.5 to 3 knots on spring tides. Offshore fishermen pass through the inlet on an incoming tide and return on the ebb to get the current assist in both directions. Surf fishing on the Atlantic side is classic Outer Banks: drive-on beach access (free with a 4WD permit from Cape Hatteras National Seashore), wide sandy flats at low tide, and productive red drum fishing in October and November. The fall drum run is Ocracoke's peak season — fish pushing 30 kilograms work the troughs and channels behind the bars. Most successful anglers fish the two hours after sunset on a rising tide. Kayakers and paddleboarders use Pamlico Sound almost exclusively. The sound side is protected, shallow (1.5 to 3 metres in most of the areas used for paddling), and calm in low wind. The shallows north of the village have visible seagrass beds; spot fishing with wading rods for red drum and speckled trout is a popular local activity at low tide, when fish are pushed into the channels between the flats. The village of Ocracoke is compact and walkable. Silver Lake harbour has a working dockside feel — trawlers, charter boats, and the occasional sailboat. The historic Ocracoke Lighthouse (1823, the oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina) sits a short walk from the harbour; it's not open for climbing but the surrounding grounds are photogenic, particularly at golden hour. Accommodations fill up months in advance for the fall drum run. Spring offers calmer conditions and fewer crowds, though the ferry schedule runs less frequently off-season. Always check ferry availability against your tide timing — in extreme low-water conditions after strong north winds, the Cedar Island ferry can ground in the approach channel. Predictions on this page come from Open-Meteo Marine, a gridded global ocean model. Accuracy is typically within plus or minus 45 minutes on timing and 0.2 to 0.3 metres on height — model-derived, not from a local gauge. For authoritative US tide data, consult NOAA CO-OPS at tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov.