About this tool
This page applies the classic solunar theory — first published by John Alden Knight in 1926 — to rate fishing prospects for any date and recommend the best windows of the day. It combines three signals: the moon\'s position (overhead and underfoot), the moonrise / moonset times, and the moon\'s phase (proximity to New or Full Moon).
How the rating works
Fish feeding activity tracks tidal pull, which is strongest at New Moon and Full Moon (spring tides) and weakest at the quarters (neap tides). The page reads the moon\'s age via the Hijri calendar (which always begins at New Moon) and assigns a 1–5 star rating based on the distance from the nearest New or Full Moon:
- ★★★★★ Excellent — within 1 day of New or Full Moon.
- ★★★★☆ Very Good — within 2 days.
- ★★★☆☆ Good — within 4 days.
- ★★☆☆☆ Fair — within 6 days.
- ★☆☆☆☆ Poor — beyond 6 days.
Major and minor solunar periods
Major periods (~2 hours each) occur when the moon is directly overhead (lunar transit) or directly underfoot (12 hours offset). These are the strongest feeding windows of the day. Minor periods (~1 hour each) occur around moonrise and moonset and are secondary feeding windows. Combine these with the day\'s star rating to pick the best hour.
Worked example
On a Full Moon day at Kolkata, moonrise is around sunset (~6 PM) and moonset around sunrise (~6 AM). The moon\'s overhead transit is therefore around midnight — a major period from roughly 11 PM to 1 AM. Add the minor windows at moonrise and moonset and you have four prime feeding bands across the 24-hour day. The 5-star rating tells you this is a top day to plan a trip.
Related
For exact tide highs and lows at coastal stations across the Sundarbans, Diamond Harbour, Digha, and beyond, see Tide Info. For moon phase across a full month, see the Moon Phase Finder.