Beaufort tides today
The Beaufort station, at the Duke University Marine Lab on Pivers Island, gives the tide for Beaufort, Morehead City and Beaufort Inlet.
Shaded: night. Green bands: solunar periods (thick = major, thin = minor). Heights in feet above Mean Lower Low Water, the zero of NOAA charts.
Beaufort, NC · Tuesday, October 13
Tide rising, 1.0 ft now
High 10:29 PM
3.2 ft · in 4 h 48 min
| Low | 3:44 AM | 0.5 ft |
| High | 10:15 AM | 4.0 ft |
| Low | 4:31 PM | 0.7 ft |
| High | 10:29 PM | 3.2 ft |
Tide coefficient 104 (average), range 3.6 ft
Sunrise 7:11 AM · sunset 6:34 PM
Waxing crescent, 9% lit · fishing day ★★☆☆
Solunar: major 1:46 AM–3:46 AM, minor 9:43 AM–10:43 AM, major 2:11 PM–4:11 PM, minor 7:35 PM–8:35 PM
Beaufort tide table, next 7 days
| Day | High tides | Low tides | Coef. | Sun | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:15 AM 4.0 ft · 10:29 PM 3.2 ft | 3:44 AM 0.5 ft · 4:31 PM 0.7 ft | 104 | 7:11 AM–6:34 PM | Waxing crescent ★★☆☆ | |
| 10:59 AM 3.9 ft · 11:13 PM 3.0 ft | 4:20 AM 0.6 ft · 5:14 PM 0.9 ft | 96 | 7:12 AM–6:33 PM | Waxing crescent ★★☆☆ | |
| 11:44 AM 3.8 ft · 11:58 PM 2.9 ft | 4:58 AM 0.7 ft · 6:02 PM 1.0 ft | 88 | 7:12 AM–6:32 PM | Waxing crescent ★★☆☆ | |
| 12:31 PM 3.6 ft | 5:43 AM 0.9 ft · 6:56 PM 1.2 ft | 80 | 7:13 AM–6:31 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ | |
| 12:44 AM 2.9 ft · 1:18 PM 3.5 ft | 6:37 AM 1.0 ft · 7:52 PM 1.2 ft | 74 | 7:14 AM–6:29 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ | |
| 1:32 AM 2.8 ft · 2:07 PM 3.4 ft | 7:38 AM 1.0 ft · 8:46 PM 1.2 ft | 70 | 7:15 AM–6:28 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ | |
| 2:24 AM 2.8 ft · 3:01 PM 3.4 ft | 8:39 AM 1.0 ft · 9:35 PM 1.1 ft | 68 | 7:16 AM–6:27 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ |
Plan around the tide at Beaufort
- Tue Oct 13, 5:41 PM to 5:46 PM5 min · lowest 0.7 ft at 4:31 PM
- Wed Oct 14, 4:27 PM to 6:06 PM1 h 39 min · lowest 0.9 ft at 5:14 PM
A falling tide uncovers sand bars and tide pools first; plan to be back before the water rises past the level you chose. Not for navigation.
Station Beaufort, Duke Marine Lab (NOAA 8656483). Predicted astronomical tide: wind, river flow and storms can move the real water by a foot or more. 3.5 ft is the average daily range here.
Published by Radif Partners · How the tides are computed · predictions downloaded October 13, 2026
Tide times for Beaufort come from the National Ocean Service prediction for station 8656483, Beaufort, Duke Marine Lab. The tide here is semidiurnal: two highs and two lows of similar height every day, about six hours and a quarter apart, with an average daily range of 3.5 ft. Around the new and full moon the range grows to about 4.3 ft on one day in ten, and at the quarter moons it shrinks to 2.6 ft. Heights are in feet above Mean Lower Low Water, the zero of nautical charts, so a negative number is water below that zero: 196 of the 457 days from October 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027 have one, down to -1.0 ft on January 23, 2027. The highest predicted tide of that period is 4.5 ft on October 1, 2027. Clock times are Eastern Time, daylight saving time included.
Crystal Coast waters around one inlet
Beaufort, Morehead City and Atlantic Beach all sit around Beaufort Inlet, the deep-water gap in the barrier islands of the southern Outer Banks. The reference station at the marine lab averages 3.5 ft from low to high. Around it, NOAA predicts its secondary stations from the Cape Hatteras pier: the inlet channel range 7 minutes later, Fort Macon 17 minutes later, Morehead City 26 minutes later, Taylor Creek on Beaufort's waterfront 52 minutes later, all with low tides deeper than at Hatteras.
Shackleford Banks and the low-tide flats
Across Taylor Creek from Beaufort lie Carrot Island and the Rachel Carson Reserve, and beyond them Shackleford Banks. At low tide, sand flats and oyster beds appear around the creeks and the shallow sound, and the channels narrow to strips of water. Boaters heading out to the banks watch for those shoals, and walkers on the flats watch for the returning tide. The lowest predicted low of this period is -1.0 ft, on January 23, 2027.
Fort Macon and the inlet
At Fort Macon, on the east tip of Bogue Banks, the inlet current sweeps past the beach. Fishing the inlet is about the moving water on either side of the turn; swimming near the inlet is unwise when the ebb runs. For planning a launch at a Bogue Sound ramp, the boat ramp planner lists the hours above the level you need.
Highest and lowest tides at Beaufort, 2026 to 2027
The six highest highs and six lowest lows predicted for Beaufort, Duke Marine Lab between October 1, 2026 and December 31, 2027, one per day. The high-water dates are the king tides of this station; the low-water dates are the best days to see the flats, bars and tide pools.
| Highest highs | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|
| October 1, 2027 | 9:15 AM | 4.5 ft |
| September 30, 2027 | 8:26 AM | 4.4 ft |
| October 27, 2026 | 9:07 AM | 4.4 ft |
| October 2, 2027 | 10:03 AM | 4.4 ft |
| October 29, 2027 | 8:06 AM | 4.4 ft |
| October 28, 2026 | 9:57 AM | 4.4 ft |
| Lowest lows | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|
| January 23, 2027 | 1:46 AM | -1.0 ft |
| January 22, 2027 | 12:50 AM | -0.9 ft |
| January 24, 2027 | 2:38 AM | -0.9 ft |
| February 21, 2027 | 1:34 AM | -0.9 ft |
| February 20, 2027 | 12:40 AM | -0.8 ft |
| January 20, 2027 | 11:51 PM | -0.8 ft |
Tidal datums at station 8656483
NOAA's averages over the 1983-2001 epoch, measured from the chart zero (MLLW). Average range of the tide (MN): 3.1 ft; great diurnal range (GT): 3.5 ft.
| Datum | Meaning | Height above MLLW |
|---|---|---|
| MHHW | Mean Higher High Water | 3.5 ft |
| MHW | Mean High Water | 3.3 ft |
| MSL | Mean Sea Level | 1.7 ft |
| MLW | Mean Low Water | 0.2 ft |
| MLLW | Mean Lower Low Water (chart zero) | 0.0 ft |
Other stations nearby
- Hatteras tides: CAPE HATTERAS FISHING PIER, average range 3.4 ft, highest predicted tide 4.5 ft on November 25, 2026
- Wrightsville Beach tides: Wrightsville Beach, average range 4.4 ft, highest predicted tide 5.7 ft on October 1, 2027
- Oregon Inlet tides: OREGON INLET MARINA, average range 0.9 ft, highest predicted tide 1.6 ft on October 1, 2027
- Nags Head tides: Jennettes Pier, Nags Head (ocean), average range 3.6 ft, highest predicted tide 4.9 ft on October 1, 2027
- Duck tides: DUCK PIER, average range 3.5 ft, highest predicted tide 4.7 ft on October 1, 2027