Virginia Tide Charts
Worldwide Tides

Minus tides at Wallops Island

The lowest predicted waters at Wallops Island, through 2030. The days each year when the sea goes furthest out.

What a minus tide is

Tide heights are measured from a datum — here MLLW — which is roughly the average of the lower low waters. Most low tides sit a little above it. A few times a year one falls below, and the height is printed as a negative number: a minus tide.

They happen on the same days as the king tides, and for the same reason. When the sun and moon pull together the water comes up further than usual, and it also goes out further than usual. The big high and the big low are six hours apart on the same day.

A foot below datum does not sound like much. On a shallow shore it can mean a few hundred yards of ground uncovered that nobody sees the rest of the year.

What to do at low water at Wallops Island

The seaside behind the barrier islands empties dramatically at low water — miles of mud and sand flat, cut by channels that the boats use. Wachapreague calls itself the flounder capital for good reason, and the fishing turns on which way the water is running.

Clamming and oystering are both done here, and Chincoteague's oysters have a name. Everything is licensed and areas change with testing; check the current position.

Minus tides still to come

23–27 December 2026

Date Low water Height
23 DecWed12:49 pm-0.1 ft
24 DecThu12:40 am-0.3 ft
24 DecThu1:42 pm-0.2 ft
25 DecFri1:33 am-0.3 ft
25 DecFri2:34 pm-0.2 ft
26 DecSat2:27 am-0.3 ft
26 DecSat3:26 pm-0.2 ft
27 DecSun3:23 am-0.2 ft
27 DecSun4:18 pm-0.1 ft

21–25 January 2027

Date Low water Height
21 JanThu12:34 pm-0.2 ft
22 JanFri12:27 am-0.3 ft
22 JanFri1:24 pm-0.2 ft
23 JanSat1:22 am-0.4 ft
23 JanSat2:12 pm-0.2 ft
24 JanSun2:15 am-0.3 ft
24 JanSun2:59 pm-0.2 ft
25 JanMon3:08 am-0.3 ft
25 JanMon3:46 pm-0.2 ft

19–23 February 2027

Date Low water Height
19 FebFri12:14 pm-0.1 ft
20 FebSat12:16 am-0.3 ft
20 FebSat1:02 pm-0.2 ft
21 FebSun1:10 am-0.3 ft
21 FebSun1:46 pm-0.2 ft
22 FebMon2:01 am-0.3 ft
22 FebMon2:29 pm-0.2 ft
23 FebTue2:51 am-0.3 ft
23 FebTue3:12 pm-0.2 ft

20–24 March 2027

Date Low water Height
20 MarSat12:09 am-0.2 ft
20 MarSat12:49 pm-0.1 ft
21 MarSun1:05 am-0.2 ft
21 MarSun1:34 pm-0.2 ft
22 MarMon1:57 am-0.2 ft
22 MarMon2:16 pm-0.2 ft
23 MarTue2:46 am-0.2 ft
23 MarTue2:57 pm-0.2 ft
24 MarWed3:33 am-0.2 ft
24 MarWed3:38 pm-0.1 ft

11–15 January 2028

Date Low water Height
11 JanTue12:50 pm-0.1 ft
12 JanWed12:44 am-0.3 ft
12 JanWed1:39 pm-0.2 ft
13 JanThu1:36 am-0.3 ft
13 JanThu2:27 pm-0.2 ft
14 JanFri2:29 am-0.3 ft
14 JanFri3:15 pm-0.2 ft
15 JanSat3:23 am-0.3 ft
15 JanSat4:03 pm-0.2 ft

9–13 February 2028

Date Low water Height
9 FebWed12:27 pm-0.1 ft
10 FebThu12:29 am-0.3 ft
10 FebThu1:15 pm-0.2 ft
11 FebFri1:23 am-0.4 ft
11 FebFri2:01 pm-0.3 ft
12 FebSat2:15 am-0.4 ft
12 FebSat2:47 pm-0.3 ft
13 FebSun3:09 am-0.3 ft
13 FebSun3:34 pm-0.3 ft

9–13 March 2028

Date Low water Height
9 MarThu12:00 pm-0.2 ft
10 MarFri12:16 am-0.3 ft
10 MarFri12:47 pm-0.2 ft
11 MarSat1:09 am-0.3 ft
11 MarSat1:33 pm-0.3 ft
12 MarSun3:01 am-0.3 ft
12 MarSun3:18 pm-0.3 ft
13 MarMon3:53 am-0.3 ft
13 MarMon4:04 pm-0.2 ft

29 January – 2 February 2029

Date Low water Height
29 JanMon12:00 am-0.2 ft
29 JanMon12:50 pm-0.1 ft
30 JanTue12:50 am-0.2 ft
30 JanTue1:35 pm-0.2 ft
31 JanWed1:39 am-0.3 ft
31 JanWed2:19 pm-0.2 ft
1 FebThu2:30 am-0.3 ft
1 FebThu3:04 pm-0.2 ft
2 FebFri3:22 am-0.3 ft
2 FebFri3:50 pm-0.2 ft

28 February – 4 March 2029

Date Low water Height
28 FebWed12:32 am-0.3 ft
28 FebWed1:06 pm-0.2 ft
1 MarThu1:24 am-0.3 ft
1 MarThu1:51 pm-0.2 ft
2 MarFri2:15 am-0.3 ft
2 MarFri2:36 pm-0.3 ft
3 MarSat3:08 am-0.3 ft
3 MarSat3:23 pm-0.2 ft
4 MarSun4:02 am-0.2 ft
4 MarSun4:13 pm-0.2 ft

29 March – 2 April 2029

Date Low water Height
29 MarThu1:16 am-0.2 ft
29 MarThu1:35 pm-0.2 ft
30 MarFri2:09 am-0.3 ft
30 MarFri2:22 pm-0.2 ft
31 MarSat3:01 am-0.3 ft
31 MarSat3:09 pm-0.2 ft
1 AprSun3:53 am-0.2 ft
1 AprSun3:58 pm-0.2 ft
2 AprMon4:47 am-0.2 ft
2 AprMon4:49 pm-0.2 ft

2–6 January 2030

Date Low water Height
2 JanWed11:59 am-0.1 ft
2 JanWed11:53 pm-0.3 ft
3 JanThu12:52 pm-0.2 ft
4 JanFri12:46 am-0.3 ft
4 JanFri1:41 pm-0.2 ft
5 JanSat1:37 am-0.3 ft
5 JanSat2:28 pm-0.2 ft
6 JanSun2:26 am-0.3 ft
6 JanSun3:13 pm-0.2 ft

31 January – 4 February 2030

Date Low water Height
31 JanThu11:47 am-0.1 ft
31 JanThu11:42 pm-0.2 ft
1 FebFri12:36 pm-0.1 ft
2 FebSat12:34 am-0.3 ft
2 FebSat1:21 pm-0.2 ft
3 FebSun1:22 am-0.3 ft
3 FebSun2:03 pm-0.2 ft
4 FebMon2:08 am-0.2 ft
4 FebMon2:42 pm-0.2 ft

23–27 December 2030

Date Low water Height
23 DecMon12:10 pm-0.1 ft
24 DecTue12:06 am-0.3 ft
24 DecTue1:03 pm-0.2 ft
25 DecWed1:00 am-0.3 ft
25 DecWed1:55 pm-0.2 ft
26 DecThu1:53 am-0.3 ft
26 DecThu2:46 pm-0.2 ft
27 DecFri2:47 am-0.3 ft
27 DecFri3:36 pm-0.2 ft

Minus tides already past

31 December – 2 January 2026

Date Low water Height
31 DecWed10:33 pm-0.2 ft
1 JanThu11:42 am-0.1 ft
1 JanThu11:30 pm-0.2 ft
2 JanFri12:37 pm-0.1 ft

2–6 January 2026

Date Low water Height
2 JanFri12:37 pm-0.1 ft
3 JanSat12:26 am-0.3 ft
3 JanSat1:29 pm-0.2 ft
4 JanSun1:19 am-0.3 ft
4 JanSun2:19 pm-0.2 ft
5 JanMon2:11 am-0.3 ft
5 JanMon3:07 pm-0.2 ft
6 JanTue3:03 am-0.2 ft
6 JanTue3:55 pm-0.1 ft

31 January – 4 February 2026

Date Low water Height
31 JanSat12:25 pm-0.1 ft
1 FebSun12:16 am-0.3 ft
1 FebSun1:13 pm-0.2 ft
2 FebMon1:08 am-0.3 ft
2 FebMon1:58 pm-0.2 ft
3 FebTue1:57 am-0.3 ft
3 FebTue2:40 pm-0.2 ft
4 FebWed2:45 am-0.2 ft
4 FebWed3:21 pm-0.1 ft

Going out safely

The water comes back. Work out when the tide turns before you walk out to anything, and allow more time than the return trip took — a rising tide fills channels behind you before it reaches where you are standing.

Wet rock is slippery, and what is exposed at a minus tide has been underwater long enough to be covered in weed. Anything living out there is usually protected by state or local rules; look it up before taking any of it home.