Simple Tides / Guides / Mobile Bay Tides

Mobile Bay Tide Chart

Mobile Bay runs on the Gulf’s signature diurnal tide — one high, one low, a foot or two of range — measured at Dauphin Island, where the bay meets the Gulf and the speckled trout bite turns on.

The pattern

One high and one low daily with one to two feet of range — the classic northern Gulf pattern. The upper bay runs a bit later and fresher than the island, and summer’s famous jubilees — when fish crowd the shallows — follow their own mysterious cues beyond the tide table.

Trout and redfish

Speckled trout work the bay’s grass beds and rigs on the single daily move of water; redfish prowl the marsh edges and the Dauphin Island surf. The bay’s oyster reefs are the structure everything orients to.

Boating the bay

Mobile Bay is big, shallow, and quick to kick up — the tide matters less than the wind, but the pass at Dauphin Island runs current on the change. Mind the ship channel and its traffic. For the wider Gulf, see our Gulf Coast tide guide.