Simple Tides / Guides / Eureka Tides

Eureka Tide Chart

Eureka fronts Humboldt Bay on California’s rugged North Coast, where a big mixed semidiurnal tide — six to seven feet — drives the winter Dungeness crab fishery and commands respect at the bay’s ocean entrance.

The pattern

Two unequal highs and two unequal lows daily, with six to seven feet of range — the classic northern California mixed tide, bigger than anything south of San Francisco. Spring tides near full and new moons push the extremes, and the year’s lowest minus tides expose superb tide pooling around Trinidad and Patrick’s Point.

Dungeness crab and oysters

Humboldt Bay is Dungeness crab country when the commercial and sport seasons open in winter, and tide stage moves gear — a hard ebb can walk pots a long way. The bay’s oyster industry, one of the largest on the West Coast, works the tidal flats. Salmon and halibut anglers fish the tide changes outside the jetties.

The bar and boating

Humboldt Bay’s entrance is famously treacherous: a big ebb tide running out against Pacific swell builds breaking waves across the bar. Cross on the flood or at slack water, check the bar conditions report, and never push it in a small boat. For the wider coast, see our Central & Northern California tide guide.