Stuart Tides for Monday, May 18, 2026

TODAY: Expect a four-tide day along the Stuart waterfront, with the best windows for fishing, paddling, and beach access bracketing the afternoon hours.

TONIGHT: The flood cycle returns strong. A high of 3.6 feet arrives at 10:30 p.m. — the biggest swing of the day — pushing clean water back into the St. Lucie River tributaries and the Indian River Lagoon's northern reaches overnight.

THIS WEEK: Monday's tidal range — from a minus 0.7-foot afternoon low to a 3.6-foot evening high — represents a 4.3-foot swing, which is wider than typical late-spring cycles in the Stuart gauge record. Officials said That amplitude will compress slightly through mid-week as the lunar cycle shifts. Anglers and boaters should check updated predictions daily; even a half-foot change in the afternoon low can expose or cover the oyster bars along the South Fork.

ON THE WATER: The afternoon low of minus 0.7 feet — hitting at 3:52 p.m. — will drop water off the shallow grass flats inside the St. Lucie Inlet, stacking snook and redfish along the deeper channel edges as baitfish get pushed off the exposed bottom. "That minus tide in the afternoon is when the snook line up like they're at a drive-through," said Gary Hendricks, dockmaster at Sailor's Return marina in Stuart. Work a live pilchard or a paddle-tail on a light jig along the channel drop at the confluence of the South Fork between three and five p.m. for the best shot. By six p.m., the rising flood will scatter the fish back onto the flats, closing the window.

ALERTS: No active National Weather Service watches, warnings, or advisories are in effect for Martin County, the National Weather Service said.

— Tide predictions provided by NOAA CO-OPS, Stuart gauge station.

This article was generated with AI assistance using publicly available information. It was reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication. TC Sentinel uses AI writing tools in accordance with FTC guidelines.