Fishing calendar & solunar almanac.

This week's solunar calendar — Sydney

Daily bite score (0–100) from solunar periods, tide stage, wind and water conditions. GO = strong solunar alignment with favourable conditions.

How the solunar theory works

John Alden Knight published the first solunar tables in 1926. He observed that fish showed predictable feeding spikes correlated with the moon's position relative to any given location. The underlying mechanism is gravitational: the same tidal forces that produce ocean tides also affect the feeding behaviour of fish.

Four solunar periods occur every 24 hours 50 minutes (one lunar day):

• Major period 1 — moon directly overhead (lunar transit). Typically 1–2 hours. Strongest gravitational pull. The single most reliable feeding window, particularly when it falls at dawn or dusk.
• Minor period 1 — moon rising on the horizon. 45–90 minutes. A reliable secondary bite.
• Major period 2 — moon directly underfoot (lunar nadir, 12 hours after the transit). Similar strength to major period 1.
• Minor period 2 — moon setting. 45–90 minutes. The weakest of the four, but still a measurable lift in catch rates.

The Fishare forecast model incorporates solunar phase alongside tide, wind, barometric pressure and water temperature — the combination is trained on approximately 2.5M real catch records, not a 1926 lookup table.

Frequently asked questions

• What is a fishing calendar?
  A fishing calendar (also called a fishing almanac or solunar table) lists the major and minor solunar periods for each day of the year. John Alden Knight popularised the solunar theory in 1926, observing that fish feed most actively when the moon is directly overhead, directly underfoot, or rising and setting. Modern fishing calendars publish four periods per day: two major (stronger) and two minor.
• How accurate are solunar fishing tables?
  The solunar theory has empirical support. Catch-log analysis across millions of records shows that catch rates are statistically higher during major solunar periods than during the null hours between them. However, solunar timing alone accounts for perhaps 20-30% of the variance in bite intensity. Tide stage, barometric pressure, water temperature and wind account for most of the rest. A fishing calendar is a useful starting framework, not a guarantee.
• What is the difference between a major and minor solunar period?
  A major solunar period occurs when the moon is directly overhead (lunar transit) or directly underfoot (lunar nadir) — these two events happen roughly 12 hours apart and typically last 1–2 hours each. A minor period occurs when the moon is rising or setting — shorter, 45–90 minutes. Major periods are generally stronger bite windows, particularly when they align with dawn or dusk.
• Does the fishing almanac change every year?
  Yes. Solunar periods are driven by the moon's 29.5-day synodic cycle and its declination through the year, so the exact times shift daily and do not repeat precisely year to year. The annual pattern approximately repeats, but the specific alignment of a major period with tide change or dawn can vary significantly from one year to the next.