Best fishing spots in Helena

NOAA · Open-Meteo

Where the data comes from. Weather and sea-state readings come from NOAA and other forecast models via Open-Meteo, refreshed several times a day. High and low tides are NOAA tide-station predictions for this stretch of coast.

How the score works. Each window is scored 0–100 from the signals that most reliably move fish inshore: tide movement (a moving tide carries food, so the end of the incoming tide and the start of the outgoing are usually the prime spells), wind speed and direction (onshore wind stirs food into the surf — up to the point it makes fishing hard), sea state (a little wave and swell movement helps, heavy swell hurts), and weather — rain, temperature and light. Behind the headline number we score bite opportunity and comfort separately, and run a separate safety check on wind and swell. The size of the tide counts too: big tides move more water than small ones, so the tidal range for this stretch of coast is weighed alongside the tide's direction, your target species and this spot — and unusually big tides strengthen the safety check, because the water rises faster and covers more ground.

Your target species counts. Pick a species above and the score also weights what we know about it — its season, preferred sea temperature, tide stage and sea state, and whether it feeds by day or night.

Confidence: High100% of core signals availableUpdated 7h ago

The rating is guidance, not a guarantee — conditions change fast on the coast, so always judge the sea in front of you before you fish.