Simple Tides / Guides / Key West Tides

Key West Tide Chart

Key West barely has tides at all — often under two feet on a mixed pattern — but in the skinny water of the flats and backcountry, even inches of moving water call the shots.

The pattern

A mixed semidiurnal tide with a range that often struggles to reach two feet — some days it barely registers. The Atlantic side and the Gulf side can run slightly out of sync, and the channels between them carry the real action: tidal current, not height, is what matters here.

Flats and backcountry

The Lower Keys are hallowed ground for bonefish, tarpon, and permit, and guides plan the day around water movement — a rising tide floods the flats and wakes the fishery up. At low water the backcountry is a maze of exposed banks; run the marked channels or risk a long, embarrassing wait for the flood.

Diving and boating

Reef divers watch the tide for current rather than depth — slack water makes for the most relaxed dives on the deeper wrecks. Harbor mouths and the Northwest Channel run current on the change, so time departures accordingly. For the wider region, see our Southeast Atlantic tide guide.