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Tides
Fish
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Fish guide
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For planning a fishing trip only, not for navigation. Check an official tide table and local conditions before you go.

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Tides
Fish
Marks
Fish guide
Water quality
Log
Alerts

Tides
Fish
Marks
Fish guide
Water quality
Log
Alerts

Whiting at Hackley Bay · Tidefinder

Collieston

Hackley Bay

Shore
Deep water 1.0 km out

Beach listed on OpenStreetMap. Species and access haven't been checked yet.

Fish here

BassPeak now
CodIn season
WhitingPeak now

Also caught

Mackerel Jun–Sep
Pollack Jul–Nov
Ballan wrasse May–Oct

Location is approximate. Check access and safety locally before you go.

Approximate tides. These come from a sea model and can be up to an hour out in estuaries, so check a tide table before you go.

Fish

Any species
Bass, peak season
Whiting, peak season
Cod, good season

When

Any time
Daylight

Science says

Other good times

Shoaling autumn and winter fish that bites freely after dark.

Suggested baits

Fish strip
Lugworm
Squid

Thu 15 Oct · 03:00–03:30
Good · 78
Peak season in October · Dark, little moon · Light SW 3 mph · 5h into the flood · Dark · Mid tides · Moderate (1.5 m waves) · Sea 12.9°C

About whitingSize rules for Scottish Government not checked yetThree dorsal fins and two anal fins, like cod, but slimmer and silvery.

Next 7 days

Times are the middle of each turn. The small times underneath are slack water, when the level stays close to high or low.

~ times come from a sea model and can be up to an hour out. There's no tide gauge close enough for our own predictions, so heights aren't shown.

TodayWed 14 OctSprings
1. High~03:0902:13–04:04
2. Low~09:2308:30–10:16
3. High~15:3014:37–16:24

Tide times for BalmedieThe week's highs and lows, 11 km away

Top pick this week
Tomorrow night
00:30–03:30
89Excellent
- 3h into the flood
- Part moon
- Mid tides
WhitingLight SW 8 mph
Why this time?
Tide: 3h into the floodShoals move in on the flood, most active through the middle of it.
Light: DarkCome close in as the light goes.
Moon: Part moonOn dark nights many fish feed more confidently close in. A bright moon can put them off.
Tide size: Mid tidesBite on most tides; middling sizes are easiest to fish.
Season: Peak season in OctoberSeptember to February, best October to December.
Wind: Light SW 8 mphLight enough to fish comfortably, so it costs nothing.
Sea: Slight (0.7 m waves)Not fussy about sea state unless it gets rough.
Water: Sea 12.9°CComfortable between 5 and 14°C, best around 9°C.
How we score
2nd best this week
Tuesday evening
17:00–19:00
87Excellent
- 3h into the flood
- Dusk
- Neaps
WhitingLight S 12 mph
Why this time?
Tide: 3h into the floodShoals move in on the flood, most active through the middle of it.
Light: DuskCome close in as the light goes.
Tide size: NeapsBite on most tides; middling sizes are easiest to fish.
Season: Peak season in OctoberSeptember to February, best October to December.
Wind: Light S 12 mphLight enough to fish comfortably, so it costs nothing.
Sea: Moderate (1.5 m waves)Not fussy about sea state unless it gets rough.
Water: Sea 12.6°CComfortable between 5 and 14°C, best around 9°C.
How we score
3rd best this week
Sunday evening
17:00–18:00
84Excellent
- 4h into the flood
- Dusk
- Neaps
WhitingLight S 7 mph
Why this time?
Tide: 4h into the floodShoals move in on the flood, most active through the middle of it.
Light: DuskCome close in as the light goes.
Tide size: NeapsBite on most tides; middling sizes are easiest to fish.
Season: Peak season in OctoberSeptember to February, best October to December.
Wind: Light S 7 mphLight enough to fish comfortably, so it costs nothing.
Sea: Slight (0.4 m waves)Not fussy about sea state unless it gets rough.
Water: Sea 12.7°CComfortable between 5 and 14°C, best around 9°C.
How we score
4th best this week
Friday night
01:30–04:00
82Excellent
- 3h into the flood
- Part moon
- Mid tides
WhitingLight NNW 12 mph
Why this time?
Tide: 3h into the floodShoals move in on the flood, most active through the middle of it.
Light: DarkCome close in as the light goes.
Moon: Part moonOn dark nights many fish feed more confidently close in. A bright moon can put them off.
Tide size: Mid tidesBite on most tides; middling sizes are easiest to fish.
Season: Peak season in OctoberSeptember to February, best October to December.
Wind: Light NNW 12 mphLight enough to fish comfortably, so it costs nothing.
Sea: Slight (0.5 m waves)Not fussy about sea state unless it gets rough.
Water: Sea 12.8°CComfortable between 5 and 14°C, best around 9°C.
How we score
5th best this week
Monday evening
17:00–18:00
79Good
- 3h into the flood
- Dusk
- Neaps
WhitingFresh S 16 mph
Why this time?
Tide: 3h into the floodShoals move in on the flood, most active through the middle of it.
Light: DuskCome close in as the light goes.
Tide size: NeapsBite on most tides; middling sizes are easiest to fish.
Season: Peak season in OctoberSeptember to February, best October to December.
Wind: Fresh S 16 mphStrong wind makes it harder to fish and to spot bites.
Sea: Moderate (1.0 m waves)Not fussy about sea state unless it gets rough.
Water: Sea 12.6°CComfortable between 5 and 14°C, best around 9°C.
How we score

Why?

Tide: 5h into the floodShoals move in on the flood, most active through the middle of it.
Light: DarkCome close in as the light goes.
Moon: Dark, little moonOn dark nights many fish feed more confidently close in. A bright moon can put them off.
Tide size: Mid tidesBite on most tides; middling sizes are easiest to fish.
Season: Peak season in OctoberSeptember to February, best October to December.
Wind: Light SW 3 mphLight enough to fish comfortably, so it costs nothing.
Sea: Moderate (1.5 m waves)Not fussy about sea state unless it gets rough.
Water: Sea 12.9°CComfortable between 5 and 14°C, best around 9°C.

Draft profile, not yet reviewed. Based on FishBase: Merlangius merlangus and Cefas, Catchwise: A Survey of Marine Recreational Fishing Activity in England and Wales (2026) and General UK sea-angling guidance (to be verified).

Low

~21:26

20:34–22:18

No standout fishing times~3.0 m range

Good fishing timeDark

Sunrise: 07:39
Sunset: 18:07
Moon: Waxing crescent, 14%
Wind: S 7–30 mph, gusts 50
Waves: Waves 1.7 m
Sea temperature: Sea 12.9°C

TomorrowThu 15 OctMid tides

High~03:5402:56–04:52
Low~09:5609:07–10:46
High~16:0515:10–16:59
Low~22:1421:22–23:06

78Best 03:00–03:30~2.5 m range

Fri 16 OctMid tides

High~04:3003:36–05:24
Low~10:3409:41–11:26
High~16:3515:36–17:34
Low~22:5822:06–23:49

89Best 00:30–03:30~2.2 m range

Sat 17 OctNeaps

High~05:2204:26–06:18
Low~11:1310:21–12:05
High~17:3216:33–18:30
Low~23:5422:59–00:48

82Best 01:30–04:00~1.7 m range

Sun 18 OctNeaps

High~06:2505:29–07:21
Low~12:1111:17–13:05
High~18:4517:48–19:42

84Best 17:00–18:00~1.3 m range

Good fishing timeDark

Sunrise: 07:48
Sunset: 17:56
Moon: First quarter, 48%
Wind: S 3–8 mph
Waves: Waves 0.5 m
Sea temperature: Sea 12.7°C

Mon 19 OctNeaps

Low~01:1100:18–02:04
High~07:4206:55–08:30
Low~13:2612:33–14:20
High~20:0019:07–20:54

79Best 17:00–18:00~1.2 m range

Tue 20 OctNeaps

Low~02:3501:39–03:32
High~09:0608:19–09:54
Low~14:4513:49–15:40
High~21:1320:21–22:05

87Best 17:00–19:00~1.4 m range

Good fishing timeDark

Sunrise: 07:41
Sunset: 18:04
Moon: Waxing crescent, 22%
Wind: SW 3–21 mph, gusts 35
Waves: Waves 1.6 m
Sea temperature: Sea 12.9°C

Good fishing timeDark

Sunrise: 07:43
Sunset: 18:02
Moon: Waxing crescent, 30%
Wind: WNW 6–16 mph, gusts 25
Waves: Waves 0.7 m
Sea temperature: Sea 12.9°C

Good fishing timeDark

Sunrise: 07:45
Sunset: 17:59
Moon: First quarter, 39%
Wind: NNW 4–13 mph, gusts 20
Waves: Waves 0.5 m
Sea temperature: Sea 12.7°C

Good fishing timeDark

Sunrise: 07:50
Sunset: 17:54
Moon: First quarter, 58%
Wind: S 7–17 mph, gusts 27
Waves: Waves 1.2 m
Sea temperature: Sea 12.6°C

Good fishing timeDark

Sunrise: 07:52
Sunset: 17:51
Moon: First quarter, 67%
Wind: S 11–13 mph, gusts 20
Waves: Waves 1.5 m
Sea temperature: Sea 12.6°C

Tackle & bait nearby

We don't know of a tackle shop within 20 km yet.

Shop details from © OpenStreetMap contributors. Your shop missing or wrong? Listings are free: email us.

the contact address on our advertise page

Caught one here? Log it

Fish here? Share what works

When do whiting bite best at Hackley Bay? Three taps, anonymous.

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Which state of tide fishes best?

Flood (rising)Around high waterEbb (falling)Around low waterNot sure

Springs or neaps?

Big springsSmall neapsNo differenceNot sure

What time of day?

Dawn and duskDaytimeAfter darkNot sure

Get alerts for whiting here

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Fished here? How did you get on?

Two taps is all it takes. It builds a picture of Hackley Bay for everyone.

How did it go?

1Blank2Slow3Okay4Good5Cracking

Anonymous unless you're signed in. We only show totals, never who said what.

Best bet is Friday 16 October from 00:30 to 03:30, when the flood is three hours in, the night is dark, the wind is light south-westerly and the sea is slight at the peak of the whiting season. Tuesday 20 October from 17:00 to 19:00 is a strong second option on the dusk flood with neap tides, though the sea will be moderate, around 1.5 m.

Written by AI from the scores below. Check conditions before you go.