Should You Go Fishing?
Should I go fishing today? Should I go fishing tomorrow?! As the weekend approaches, we all ask ourselves: Is the weather good enough to go fishing? But what does “good enough” look like for you? Sometimes we’re looking for a particular wind direction, or maybe a change in direction. Other times, we just want to know if taking the family out for a fun day is safe. Regardless of our objective, understanding the weather resources available to us will help us make better decisions. I’ll show you the best weather forecast websites to use to understand the wind conditions, and what you need to look for so you can plan your fishing trips and stay safe.
Best Weather Forecast Websites
I rely on multiple websites when reviewing weather forecasts for fishing and boating. Reviewing more than one source is helpful, as they usually interpret information differently. Here are some of the best weather forecast websites to understand wind conditions:
- Bureau of Meteorology (BOM): BOM will always be your most reliable option – no matter which weather forecast site you use, they all get their data from BOM. The differences between weather forecast websites usually lie in how they interpret that information. BOM also offers a variety of helpful charts showing wind conditions, which I regularly utilise.
- Seabreeze: I’ve used this site for nearly 10 years. It does have mixed reviews, but the thing I like about it is that it is consistent. A helpful feature that it provides is what I call a “perceived forecast”— what they expect the conditions to be in a general sense. We need to pay attention to how that “perceived forecast” affects our local area – more on that later.
- Windy: Windy’s main feature is its interactive wind map. It is easy to understand, and it uses visual animations to help show how the wind moves around. This is a good tool for beginners because of how easy they’ve made it to understand the wind patterns.
- WillyWeather: This one is similar to Seabreeze in how the data is presented, I like to use it as a 3rd or 4th “check” if I’m struggling to make a call on the weather, but in my experience, I have found it to be inconsistent, however, there are a lot of other anglers recommend it, so it’s worth trying it out.
Understanding Wind Conditions
With each of the weather forecast websites, understanding how the information is presented will help you read and interpret what is going on. Each forecasting website might be a little different, so it’s important to take note of how they work.
The first thing I want to clarify about reading wind mapping is direction. When you see a reference to a direction (North, South, East West), this refers to the direction the wind is coming from. A Westerly wind comes from the West and travels East. A Southerly wind comes from the South and travels North. A wind from the South-East means it’s in between South and East, and is travelling North West. Each website will have its own way of showing you the strength of wind, some will just show the number value, and some will vary it based on colours. They may also vary the units. Some use Km/hr, and some use knots. Just make sure you pay attention to these small details as you can sometimes get caught out if you do not fully understand what the website is showing.
Out of the weather tools listed above, my two favourites are BOM and Seabreeze, and this is how I like to use them.
BOM (http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/meteye/):
BOM offers a tool called MetEye, an interactive live wind map that shows wind forecasts in 3-hour intervals.
At the top of the image in the green section pictured below, you can click through the different times of the day to see how the wind moves over time. The arrows show the direction that the wind is travelling, and the strength of the wind is indicated by colour, making it easy to understand how the wind will affect your area.
Seabreeze (https://www.seabreeze.com.au/):
Seabreeze is a site I check daily to see how the weather will be in the coming week. The reason I check it daily is to get familiar with what it’s predicting and what is actually happening outside.
While it’s not as detailed as BOM, it’s still helpful for a quick overview. Below is their 7-day Wind and Wave Forecast for Brisbane, which shows you the wind strength and direction as well as the wave heights. These graphs make it easy to spot potential wind “windows” where you can head out. A feature I like is the live wind readings from different locations, which lets you compare the current actual conditions (live readings) to their forecast. Scrolling down on their website will show you “live readings” from different locations nearby.
This list of tools is not exhaustive, these are what I’ve found to be the best weather forecast websites to understand wind conditions before you go fishing or boating. But, no matter where you get your information from, here are some things to consider when determining if you should go out in the current conditions.
When Is It Too Windy for Boating?
A commonly asked question is “When is it too windy to go boating?” Knowing how windy is too windy for boating is especially important if you’re looking to spend a day on the water with your family. There are several factors to consider when determining this: Winds, Localised Weather Conditions and Tides. Let’s talk about these so you can decide for yourself when it is safe to go boating.
Wind Conditions
When is it too windy for boating? Wind speed alone isn’t always the problem, the wind direction and currents are important too! Wind can work in your favour, or against you. If you’ve got 10 knots of wind pushing against the current, waves become larger and more uncomfortable, but if it’s pushing with the current, it’s not going to be nearly as much of a problem.
0-7 knots: This is generally safe for small boats whether going with or against the current
7-12 knots: Consider the wind direction if your boat is smaller than 5 meters long. Water is choppier and requires confident boating. Anything greater than 10 knots against a strong current will create large waves.
12-20 knots: This is when it starts getting dicey. Consider the location, and if it’s sheltered from the wind. If you are planning on going to an exposed area, perhaps it’s best to wait for a calmer day.
Remember that wind gusts can be 40% greater than what was predicted.
Ultimately, time on the water will be your best guide. As you experience different conditions, take note of how it was and start building up your memory bank.
Localised Weather and Fishing
As mentioned earlier “perceived forecasts” (like those available on Seabreeze) offer a great overview of what is happening in the general area. They are great for wind conditions, wind direction and wind strength, but they don’t account for specific local changes such as wind shielding by islands or landmasses, or even day-to-day land and sea breezes. Knowing how the wind behaves in your local area (from experience) will help you make better decisions about when to head out.
Landmass Shielding:
To give you a better example of wind shielding, a 10-knot southeast wind might not be ideal, but if you’re fishing near west or northwest-facing islands or banks, you can still find calm conditions. The Brisbane River port area is a great example of this. Even if it’s blowing a strong southeast wind, the area along the wharves can be calm and easily fishable.
Local Wind Behaviour:
I was looking to head out for a quick fish one morning, but when I did a quick weather check, all forecasts showed about 15 knots of N/NW wind in the area. That’s quite a lot, and in the areas I fish, wind from the north isn’t good, so based on that information alone, I usually wouldn’t head out. But experience tells me that the Northerly wind will take a while to pick up, a morning window to fish before the wind gets too strong.
How Wind Conditions and Tides Affect Boating Conditions
Another important consideration is the tides, as they also interact with the winds! If you’ve got particularly big tides, the flow of water will be greater. And if this flow is going against the winds, you might have rougher conditions on the water. But how do we determine the flow?
To calculate the flow of water coming in / out from the tides, look at the height difference between low and high tides. The greater the difference between the two, the greater the flow will be.
Tide differences can vary from 0.6m to over 2m. More than 2m of flow means lots of current and potential sharp waves if against the wind, on the flip side, 0.6m would be a lot calmer. Different parts of the world will experience different highs and lows, so it’s important to research and pay attention to what you are working with.
Generally, new and full moons will see more current flow. Large tidal flow against the wind direction will cause larger “pressure” waves which are uncomfortable to fish in and drive through. The harder they clash, the worse it will be. So keep this in mind when planning your trip and even when planning the route you take.
Should I go Fishing Today?
Knowing all of these pieces of information can make a world of difference in determining whether it’s safe to go boating and what the fishing conditions today will be like. There are other factors though – like your boat size and your confidence! Don’t put yourself in situations you’re not comfortable in.
I always err on the side of caution when it comes to weather and boating. As much as I love being on the water, safety is the priority. If conditions seem risky, I make other plans and prepare for the next opportunity to head out. This sometimes means making tough calls the night before or even on the morning of a trip, but as anglers, it’s something we need to be prepared for.
Practice Makes Perfect
A big tip for getting better at understanding weather and reading forecasts is to practise! Check the weather daily, or even multiple times a day. Watch how the conditions change and how wind strength and direction evolve. Compare forecasts to live readings and try to make your own predictions about what the wind is going to do.
The more you practise, the better you’ll get at predicting conditions, especially in your local area. Understanding how the weather works is a very important part of fishing, both in being successful and keeping safe. As anglers, it’s something we should all become experts in.
While fishing can be an exciting and rewarding activity, nothing is more important than safety. The weather can change quickly, and conditions that seem manageable can quickly turn dangerous, especially on the water. Always err on the side of caution, no matter how tempting it is to go after that perfect catch. Your safety, and the safety of those with you, should always come first—because no fish is worth risking lives over.
TLDR: Is it safe to go boating today? Check these:
- Check wind conditions like speed and direction
- Check if the wind is going in the same direction as the current/tidal flow or against
- Is my spot protected by land masses?
- Does my local weather have any patterns I know of?
- How big is the tide going to be?
With proper planning, careful weather observation, and a safety-first mindset, you’ll ensure that your time on the water is both enjoyable and safe. If you found this helpful, don’t forget to subscribe for more.
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