Longboat Key Tide Chart

Longboat Key tide times this week

Reading the tide at Longboat Key

These times come from the NOAA CO-OPS station at Whitfield Estates, Sarasota Bay, measured against mean lower low water (MLLW) — the datum every US chart uses, so a 1.5 ft prediction means a foot and a half above the average lowest tide, not above the bottom. Wind and pressure shift the real water level either side of the prediction: a hard onshore blow stacks water up and a strong offshore wind can pull a low tide well below what the table says.

Local tip: Fish the passes on a strong moving tide, especially the outgoing; beach tarpon want calm, clear water and a light morning wind.

For fishing, the times in the table matter less than what happens between them. Water moving is what turns the bite on, and the strongest flow is roughly midway between a high and a low — so the two hours either side of that midpoint usually beat slack water at either end, particularly around snook and redfish.

Longboat Key tide questions

What time is high tide at Longboat Key today?

High tide at Longboat Key is at 4:11 AM (2.1 ft) and 5:55 PM (1.5 ft), predicted by NOAA at Whitfield Estates, Sarasota Bay. Wind can shift the actual water level either side of the prediction.

What time is low tide at Longboat Key today?

Low tide at Longboat Key is at 11:41 AM (0.8 ft) and 10:26 PM (1.8 ft). A strong offshore wind can pull the water lower than predicted, which matters on shallow flats and at boat ramps.

How big is the tide at Longboat Key?

Today's range at Longboat Key is about 1.3 ft. Florida's Gulf coast runs a moderate range that varies a lot by latitude — roughly two feet through the Sarasota and Charlotte Harbor beaches, building to four or five up the Nature Coast and into the Big Bend. Either way the range grows around the new and full moon — those spring tides move noticeably more water.

Which tide is best for fishing Longboat Key?

Moving water beats slack water almost everywhere. The strongest current runs roughly midway between a high and a low, so plan the two hours either side of that rather than the exact turn. First and last light overlapping a moving tide is the classic window.