Field Guide
Read the water before you get in it.
Whether you're launching a kayak, setting a trotline or taking the kids to the beach, the Bay gives you a lot of warning if you know where to look.
Five checks before you head out
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Check the tide
Tide predictions for stations all around the Bay. Most places on the Bay see two high tides and two low tides a day. Strong wind can push water in or hold it out, so the real level can differ from the prediction.
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Check the marine forecast
Wind, waves and advisories for the water, which can be a very different day from the forecast on land.
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Check the water
Water-quality data from monitoring stations. After heavy rain, check your local health department's swimming advisories too.
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Check the rules in Maryland
Licenses, size limits, catch limits and seasons. They change, so check them each season.
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Check the rules in Virginia
Virginia sets its own rules for its part of the Bay, and they aren't the same as Maryland's.
How to read a tide table
- Find the right station. Tides run later the farther you are from the Bay's mouth, so pick the station closest to where you'll be.
- Read the times and the heights. Each high and low comes with a time and a height in feet.
- Know what zero means. Heights are measured from the average of the lowest daily low tides, so a negative number means the water will drop lower than a typical low. That's the tide that leaves boats sitting in the mud.
Seasonal guides
The first guides are still out on the water.
Where to go, what to eat and what to see, written from real visits. They'll show up here as they're done, and never before.