# Choctaw Bay Tides



## bamacpa (Nov 8, 2013)

I use the tides4fishing app for tide data and can get a general idea of tides that are relatively near a station. However, for the east side of the Choctawhatchee Bay, there is no station anywhere around. Has anyone ever compared the tides on the far east side of the bay to what the tides are at the Destin pass or Shalimar? I would guess at least 2 hours later than the high/low tides at the Destin pass, maybe more. Assuming it ebb and flows from therethat instead of the PCB pass. I downloaded the gps real tides app that you can just point to an area anywhere on the map and it will give you the tide info for that area. However, when I point to that Far East side, it gives me tides that are only about 13minutes later than the Destin tides.


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

"Roughly" 1 hr per mile. Here's 3 stations, compare the times. Some tides work faster than other, might be a volume thing. I'm still lost from Mid-bay bridge on to the east.

https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaatidepredictions.html?id=8729511&legacy=1

https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaatidepredictions.html?id=8729538&legacy=1

https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaatidepredictions.html?id=8729501&legacy=1


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## bamacpa (Nov 8, 2013)

Yes, it gets confusing on the far east end of the bay. Looking at those tide predictions, it would put the 331 bridge (roughly 23 miles from Destin Harbor) at 16 hrs difference. But here's my theory. The Pensacola pass is much wider and deeper than the Destin pass and therefore the tides move quicker up and down the bay than do the Choctaw bay. From the Pensacola pass to the I10 bridge (18 miles), there is only a little over 1 1/2 hrs difference in tide heights. But from the Destin Harbor to Valparaiso (7.5 mi.), there is a 5 1/2 hr difference. So, already being a slower tide due to size of pass and depth of water, etc. by the time the east end of the bay gets to low tide, the west end is already filling up again. You will have outgoing coming from the east end meeting up at some point with the incoming from the west end. This would slow the tide change even more. The GPS Real Tides app shows the tide at the far east end at about 24 hours difference from the Destin Harbor. Considering the above, it just may make sense. I'll have to check it out one day.


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

Might be a even longer time at 331. I have seen the water flowing to the east there so it does happen.
As far of a run it is from, say Niceville, it puts a damper on catching when you get in that area and find out there's no current.
Lets see if FishWalton chimes in on this.
As for the Pensacola Bay flow, I think it affects the tides in the Narrows all the way up to the Brooks bridge.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Just saw this thread. I use fishing4tides as well. I have never really figured out all this tide business. I fish only the east end of the bay from about the 4 mile point area to the river delta and ICW confluence. I check the West Bay Creek and Destin chart and use the middle of the time difference. This gives you a time ,more or less, but it's something to consider.


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## boomshakalaka (Dec 4, 2012)

Tides around here are just plain confusing. Add on top of it, some of these charts or apps don't use the correct local time and it's even worse. So my thing is, say I have found a good app or chart or whatever - with our tides generally having 9 hours or so between low and high - when is there the most water movement for a given location?

Sure, I've heard and even said "an hour or two before the actual time is the most water movement", but there's been plenty of times where that's been incorrect. Or there's times when the tide just rips out and goes from the peak to peak in a short amount of time and times where it's a slow movement.

And then who the hell knows if the fish are even going to be biting. So, my solution to this is - GO FISH WHENEVER I FEEL LIKE GOING FISHING!


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