Fort Pierce Tides for Wednesday, May 20, 2026

TODAY: Wednesday brings a clean tidal sequence off Fort Pierce Inlet, with a slight negative low tide early, a modest mid-morning high and one of the more pronounced afternoon drops the area sees this time of year, NOAA CO-OPS data shows.

TODAY'S TIDES — FORT PIERCE - Low: 5:51 a.m. — -0.1 ft - High: 11:51 a.m. — 2.6 ft - Low: 5:57 p.m. — -0.5 ft

TONIGHT: The tidal cycle closes out through the evening hours following the late-afternoon low. Anglers working the inlet after dark should account for the flooding tide rebuilding off the deep negative, which can produce strong current movement through the Fort Pierce Inlet jetties.

THIS WEEK: Wednesday's afternoon low of -0.5 feet is notable. Compared to the same mid-May period in recent years, negative afternoon lows of this magnitude are relatively uncommon and tend to expose more of the inshore grass flats along the Indian River Lagoon's western spoil islands than typical tidal cycles — a useful benchmark for anyone planning a wade-fishing outing or hull-scraping job in the boat yard. Officials said

ON THE WATER: The real opportunity Wednesday sits in that 5:57 p.m. low. When the water pulls down to negative half-foot levels, baitfish — particularly finger mullet and pilchards — get pushed off the shallow grass edges and concentrate near deeper cuts and channel edges adjacent to the spoil islands south of Fort Pierce Inlet. Capt. José Fernandez of Sunrise Marina Officials said noted this week that redfish and snook tend to stack tight to those drop-offs during hard outgoing tides. Work a live pilchard or a quarter-ounce jig tipped with a paddle tail along the channel edge between Taylor Creek and the North Jetty during the 90-minute window before and after that 5:57 p.m. low for the best shot at both species.

ALERTS: No active NWS watches, warnings or advisories are in effect for St. Lucie County as of this report. Officials said

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