What makes ours better than a solunar table
Solunar tables suggest the best days and times purely from the moon. That influences fish, but it ignores the factors that matter more — and that we actually measure:
- Water clarity decides low-light timing and finesse vs. reaction baits
- Trophic state & depth set the summer weedline and thermocline
- Natural lake vs. reservoir changes the structure fish relate to
- Species & season — spawn windows and seasonal movements
- Sun & moon — solunar major/minor periods and dawn/dusk
How the forecast works
Our engine reads the same water-quality data behind each lake's A–F grade, matches it to each species' documented biology, and layers on season and solunar timing to produce a per-lake, per-species outlook.
It's a transparent, multi-factor heuristic — we show every factor it weighs. It now also factors in today's live conditions — wind, cloud cover, and the barometric (pressure) trend, recomputed for the current day. It is not a guaranteed catch predictor, and water temperature is still an estimate where no gauge exists. Grounded in real, measured data, not guesswork.
Featured forecasts — top-graded lakes
Forecast by species
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the LakeQuality Fishing Forecast?
It's a multi-factor fishing forecast that analyzes each lake's measured water quality — clarity (Secchi), trophic state, depth, and whether it's a natural lake or reservoir — alongside each species' spawn temperature, seasonal movements, and the sun/moon solunar cycle. For any of 3,027 lakes across 38 states it predicts the current spawn phase, a seasonal outlook, where the fish are holding, and the techniques that fit that specific water.
How is this better than a solunar fishing table?
A solunar table only uses the position and phase of the moon. That influences fish, but season, sun, water clarity, water-body type, depth, and each species' biology matter far more. Because LakeQuality already measures the water quality of every lake, the forecast can factor in what a moon-only table can't — for example, a clear lake pushes fish onto low-light windows and finesse baits, while a stained lake rewards vibration and reaction baits. We grade the water; we don't guess it.
Does the forecast use live weather?
Yes. The forecast factors in today's live conditions — wind, cloud cover, and the barometric (pressure) trend from Apple Weather (WeatherKit), with Open-Meteo as fallback — recomputed for the current day, on top of the lake's measured water quality, species biology, season, and solunar timing. Water temperature is still an estimate from season and latitude unless a recent USGS gauge reading is available. It remains a transparent, multi-factor heuristic, not a guaranteed catch predictor.
Which fish does it cover?
Walleye, largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, muskie, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, trout, catfish, and more — each with its own spawn window, seasonal depth and structure, and technique guidance conditioned on the lake's measured clarity and trophic state.