Predictions updated
Maryland tides today
One ocean station and two in the upper Chesapeake, where the tide is barely over a foot.
Shaded: night. Green bands: solunar periods (thick = major, thin = minor). Heights in feet above Mean Lower Low Water, the zero of NOAA charts.
Ocean City, MD · Tuesday, October 13
Tide rising, 0.8 ft now
High 10:25 PM
2.3 ft · in 4 h 44 min
| Low | 3:40 AM | 0.4 ft |
| High | 10:18 AM | 2.8 ft |
| Low | 4:36 PM | 0.6 ft |
| High | 10:25 PM | 2.3 ft |
Tide coefficient 103 (average), range 2.4 ft
Sunrise 7:07 AM · sunset 6:25 PM
Waxing crescent, 9% lit · fishing day ★★★☆
Solunar: major 1:40 AM–3:40 AM, minor 9:47 AM–10:47 AM, major 2:05 PM–4:05 PM, minor 7:17 PM–8:17 PM
Ocean City tide table, next 7 days
| Day | High tides | Low tides | Coef. | Sun | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:18 AM 2.8 ft · 10:25 PM 2.3 ft | 3:40 AM 0.4 ft · 4:36 PM 0.6 ft | 103 | 7:07 AM–6:25 PM | Waxing crescent ★★★☆ | |
| 10:57 AM 2.7 ft · 11:04 PM 2.2 ft | 4:16 AM 0.5 ft · 5:24 PM 0.7 ft | 95 | 7:08 AM–6:24 PM | Waxing crescent ★★☆☆ | |
| 11:40 AM 2.6 ft · 11:47 PM 2.0 ft | 4:56 AM 0.6 ft · 6:15 PM 0.8 ft | 87 | 7:09 AM–6:22 PM | Waxing crescent ★★☆☆ | |
| 12:27 PM 2.5 ft | 5:39 AM 0.7 ft · 7:10 PM 0.9 ft | 79 | 7:10 AM–6:21 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ | |
| 12:35 AM 1.9 ft · 1:22 PM 2.4 ft | 6:29 AM 0.7 ft · 8:04 PM 0.9 ft | 73 | 7:11 AM–6:20 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ | |
| 1:30 AM 1.9 ft · 2:23 PM 2.3 ft | 7:24 AM 0.7 ft · 8:56 PM 0.9 ft | 69 | 7:12 AM–6:18 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ | |
| 2:33 AM 1.9 ft · 3:24 PM 2.3 ft | 8:22 AM 0.7 ft · 9:45 PM 0.9 ft | 69 | 7:13 AM–6:17 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ |
Station Ocean City Inlet (NOAA 8570283). Predicted astronomical tide: wind, river flow and storms can move the real water by a foot or more. 2.3 ft is the average daily range here.
Published by Radif Partners · How the tides are computed · predictions downloaded October 13, 2026
Maryland has two tidal worlds. On the Atlantic, Ocean City's inlet has a regular semidiurnal tide of 2.3 ft on an average day. In the Chesapeake Bay, the tide that entered at the Virginia capes has lost most of its height by the time it reaches the upper bay: 1.2 ft at Annapolis and 1.4 ft at Baltimore, with a mixed pattern of unequal highs. Pick a station in the tool above for today's curve and times, or open its page for seven days, extremes and a planner. In the bay, wind often matters more than the tide: a sustained south wind raises the water, a northwest wind after a cold front drains it, and both can move the level by a foot or more, as much as the moon does.
Maryland tide stations on this site
| Station page | NOAA station | Tide type | Average range | Highest predicted | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean City | Ocean City Inlet | semidiurnal | 2.3 ft | 3.1 ft · October 1, 2027 | -0.8 ft |
| Annapolis | Annapolis (US Naval Academy) | mixed | 1.2 ft | 1.9 ft · July 3, 2027 | -0.7 ft |
| Baltimore | Baltimore, Fort McHenry | mixed | 1.4 ft | 2.2 ft · July 4, 2027 | -0.7 ft |
The Chesapeake: a long, slow tide
Chesapeake Bay is about 200 miles long and mostly shallow, and the tide takes most of a tidal cycle to travel from its mouth to its head. At any moment, one part of the bay can be at high water while another is at low. NOAA predicts Thomas Point Shoal, south of Annapolis, almost two hours before Baltimore. For boaters on the bay, the current, the wind and the small tide combine; for anglers, moving water still matters.
The ocean coast
Ocean City and Assateague face the Atlantic. Behind them, Isle of Wight, Assawoman, Sinepuxent and Chincoteague bays receive the tide through the Ocean City Inlet, and their tide is smaller, later and lopsided. NOAA predicts some bay stations with less than half the ocean's high-water height.
Water level and the shoreline
The Chesapeake's low shores, islands and marshes are sensitive to small changes in water level. Smith Island and parts of the Eastern Shore see their marshes flood on high tides with south winds. The station pages give the highest predicted tides; the actual water during a storm can be well above them.
Reading a small tide
With a range of a foot, a mixed upper-bay tide can look odd on a chart: some days show one strong rise and fall and a second one barely visible, and a high can be lower than the previous day's low after a wind shift. The curve is still the best guide to when the water is moving, which is what matters for fishing the points, bars and bridge pilings of the bay. For launching at a shallow ramp, the boat ramp planner works with any level you set.
Questions about these tides
Why is the tide so small in the upper Chesapeake Bay?
The tide enters the bay at the Virginia capes and loses height as it travels about 200 miles through shallow water, so by Annapolis and Baltimore the average range is only around a foot. The bay’s length also means its tide is mixed and its timing shifts by hours from one end to the other.
Is high tide earlier in Annapolis than in Baltimore?
Yes. The tide moves up the Chesapeake from south to north, so it reaches Annapolis first. Comparing the two NOAA predictions, Annapolis’s highs and lows come about one to two hours before Baltimore’s. Thomas Point Shoal Light, south of Annapolis, is predicted almost two hours before Baltimore.
Does wind change the tide in Maryland?
In the Chesapeake, often more than the moon does. A steady south wind pushes water up the bay and can raise the level by a foot or more; a strong northwest wind after a front can drain it and expose unusual flats. On the ocean at Ocean City, the tide dominates and wind adds to it during storms.
Read next
Where the figures come from
Published by Radif Partners
Publisher of tide charts, solunar fishing times and beach and boat-ramp planners for US coastal stations
Predictions updated · Editorial policy · Contact
Predictions, not measurements: the times and heights are NOAA’s astronomical tide for the station named on the page. An onshore wind, a storm surge or a river in flood can raise the water well above them, and an offshore wind can hold it down. Never use this page to navigate.
Tide predictions 2026, downloaded from the National Ocean Service on