Simple Tides / Guides / Newport Tides

Newport, Rhode Island Tide Chart

Newport — America’s sailing capital — runs on a tidy semidiurnal tide of about four feet, and in Narragansett Bay the tide is the quiet hand on every race course, fishing trip, and harbor crossing.

The pattern

Two highs and two lows daily, roughly four feet of range — modest by New England standards, but the bay’s shape amplifies the current. The East Passage under the Newport Bridge runs hardest mid-exchange, and the tide’s timing shifts as you head up-bay toward Providence.

Sailing the bay

Racers read the tide like a second wind forecast: the East Passage ebb against a southerly sea breeze builds the classic chop, while the flood flattens it. Cruisers time the bridge and the harbor entrance with the current. Even a four-foot tide moves a lot of water through a narrow passage.

Fishing

Striped bass and bluefish run the bay from spring through fall, with tautog on the rocky structure — all keyed to moving water. The breachways and the bridge fenders fish best on the tide change. For the wider region, see our New England tide guide.