Shell Point, Harkers Island Tides Today
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Shell Point, Harkers Island runs a mean tidal range of about 1.5 ft. This month the highest water, 2.3 ft, comes on the morning of Oct 28, and the lowest, a -0.1 ft minus tide, on the morning of Oct 28.
Tide predictions here are from the nearest NOAA gauge, Harkers Island Bridge (station 8656503, 5.5 km); NOAA publishes no separate water-level prediction for Shell Point, Harkers Island (it has a tidal-current station only), and the tide is effectively the same at this distance.
| High tide | 1:40 AM | 1.5 ft |
| Low tide | 7:59 AM | 0.1 ft |
| High tide | 2:18 PM | 2.1 ft |
| Low tide | 9:19 PM | 0.3 ft |
Today on the water at Shell Point, Harkers Island
Today at Shell Point, Harkers Island: high tide at 1:40 AM (1.5 ft) and 2:18 PM (2.1 ft), low tide at 7:59 AM (0.1 ft) and 9:19 PM (0.3 ft). The National Weather Service forecast for today is mostly sunny with NE winds 20 to 23 mph, 64°F. Wind that strong can hold water in or push it out, so the real tide may run above or below these predictions. Sunrise is at 7:24 AM and sunset at 6:14 PM.
| Period | Forecast | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Mostly Sunny | NE 20 to 23 mph | 64°F |
| Tonight | Mostly Cloudy | NE 17 to 21 mph | 55°F |
Forecast: National Weather Service point forecast for this location.
Where Shell Point, Harkers Island is
Shell Point, Harkers Island sits at 34.6873° N, 76.5290° W on North Carolina's sounds and Outer Banks, at Harkers Island, NC, in Carteret County. The station here is a subordinate tide prediction point. NOAA has no gauge in the water at this spot; its times and heights are published as offsets from a reference gauge, named below. The closest gauge measuring live water level is Beaufort, Duke Marine Lab (NOAA 8656483), 8.3 mi away, and high and low water here run on average about 109 min later than there. The nearest weather station is Cape Lookout, NC, a shore station reporting wind and, at most sites, water temperature, 5.3 mi away.
The tide at Shell Point, Harkers Island
Shell Point, Harkers Island has a semidiurnal tide: two highs and two lows a day of about the same size, roughly 12 hours 25 minutes apart. This month's predictions average 1.9 high tides a day here. For the water around it: Ocean-side tides here are semidiurnal with two highs a day of 3 to 4 ft, while the sounds behind the banks are mostly wind driven with a lunar tide of a foot or less.
About this station
- NOAA predicts tides here from Cape Hatteras Fishing Pier, station 8654400. High tide comes about 128 min later and low tide about 151 min later than there.
- High tide heights run about 0.52 times the reference.
Datum and source
Heights on this page are feet above mean lower low water (MLLW), the zero NOAA's nautical charts use for soundings. A predicted 0.0 ft low is the average of the lower low each day; a minus tide is water below chart datum, and a 2 ft high means 2 ft more water than the chart shows. NOAA publishes no datums for this point. Its predictions are offsets from Cape Hatteras Fishing Pier and are referenced to MLLW there. Source: NOAA CO-OPS station 8656503, established 1973, gauge removed 1978. The tide times and heights are published as time and height offsets from its reference gauge; TidalMap republishes them daily and does not alter them.
Tide stations near Shell Point, Harkers Island
- Harkers Island Bridge: 3.4 mi, tides at about the same time
- Cape Lookout Bight: 5.1 mi, tides about 152 min earlier
- Channel Marker Lt. 59: 5.3 mi, tides about 54 min earlier
- Cape Lookout (ocean): 5.5 mi, tides about 162 min earlier
- Beaufort, Taylor Creek: 6.8 mi, tides about 90 min earlier
TidalMapMonthly tide calendar
🌊 Biggest flood tides at Shell Point, Harkers Island this month: Oct 1, Oct 25, Oct 26, Oct 27, Oct 28, Oct 29, Oct 30. These spring highs push water up into the grass and over the oyster rock; prime for poling into flooded marsh for tailing reds.
🔻 Negative (minus) low tides at Shell Point, Harkers Island this month: Oct 26, Oct 27, Oct 28, Oct 29. These drain the flats and expose the oyster rock, prime for sight-fishing and clamming.
About Shell Point
Shell Point sits at the eastern tip of Harkers Island, where Core Sound meets Back Sound. On land it's home to the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center, the Cape Lookout National Seashore National Park Service headquarters, and a network of easy walking trails. The Shark Island Eats food truck is there when you've earned lunch. A passenger ferry to Cape Lookout runs from the NPS headquarters, so you can check the lighthouse and the bight without trailering a boat.
The public launch at Shell Point is for canoes and kayaks. Paddlers can work the grass edges of Back Sound or cross toward the Shackleford side on calm days. Trailer boats should launch elsewhere on the island.
The small beach at Shell Point is also a popular spot for windsurfing and sailing, and it marks the start of the Harkers Island Regatta, an annual event held in mid-July.
Fishing Shell Point
Shore fishing from Shell Point is often best on the outgoing tide, when bait flushes off the flats and down the point. The point itself is mostly armored in rip rap; there is a small beach, but watch for broken glass that tends to collect there. Use the tide tables above to time the fall; the ebb here tracks the Harkers Island Bridge gauge within minutes.
Best fishing times (solunar)
Major and minor solunar windows for Shell Point, Harkers Island, peak feeding activity is around the moon overhead/underfoot (majors) and moonrise/moonset (minors). Score is the day's activity coefficient (0–100).
| Day | Major windows | Minor windows | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today 🌖 | 4:45–6:45 AM 5:10–7:10 PM | 10:18–12:18 AM 12:18–2:18 PM | 55 |
| Sun Nov 1 🌗 | 4:45–6:45 AM 5:10–7:10 PM | 10:32–12:32 AM 12:02–2:02 PM | 42 |
| Mon Nov 2 🌗 | 5:41–7:41 AM 6:06–8:06 PM | — 12:39–2:39 PM | 33 |
| Tue Nov 3 🌗 | 6:32–8:32 AM 6:57–8:57 PM | 11:43–1:43 AM 1:10–3:10 PM | 47 |
| Wed Nov 4 🌗 | 7:20–9:20 AM 7:45–9:45 PM | 12:51–2:51 AM 1:39–3:39 PM | 61 |
| Thu Nov 5 🌘 | 8:06–10:06 AM 8:31–10:31 PM | 1:56–3:56 AM 2:06–4:06 PM | 73 |
| Fri Nov 6 🌘 | 8:51–10:51 AM 9:16–11:16 PM | 3:00–5:00 AM 2:33–4:33 PM | 83 |
Predictions & observations: NOAA CO-OPS station 8656503. Solunar windows computed from the moon's position for this location. Times shown in the station's local time. Not for navigation.
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