Weather-based grades are not available for these dates. Lunar indicators describe moon phase and feeding-period timing.
Choose a location to get local times and weather-based grades where available. Select a date for its timing details.
Planning for November
November is the big-fish month, with fewer bites and better ones. Cooling water slows metabolism and shortens the feeding window, but the fish still eating are often the largest in the system, and they are eating to last the winter. Slow down, fish deeper structure, and give the middle of the day more attention than the summer months deserved.
Fall tactics and species
Fall triggers aggressive feeding as fish prepare for winter. Follow baitfish migrations and target transition zones. Cooling water pushes fish shallow again. Some of the best fishing of the year.
Lunar indicators describe moon phase and feeding-period timing, not fishing conditions. Weather and water temperature are not included. National timing uses a Central US reference.
Get the full A+ to F grade for your water at bestdaystofish.com
Moon Phase Calendar
🌑New Moon
November 8
Top moon-phase score in our rating
🌕Full Moon
November 24
Top moon-phase score in our rating
Major & Minor Feeding Periods
Major Periods (about 2 hours)
Centered on the moon passing overhead or underfoot. Solunar theory treats these as the strongest feeding windows of the day; our full forecast uses them to shape the best hours.
Minor Periods (about 1 hour)
Centered on moonrise and moonset. Solunar theory's secondary feeding windows.
Best Fishing Days in November 2026
The strongest lunar dates in November 2026 are November 24, November 7, November 8, November 9, November 23, ranked by solunar activity, moon phase, and the strength of each day's major and minor feeding periods. Those are the factors a national calendar can actually know. Water temperature moves a fishing grade far more than the moon does, and it depends entirely on where you fish, so enter your location for a full grade that adds water temperature, weather, and barometric pressure.
November is the big-fish month, with fewer bites and better ones. Cooling water slows metabolism and shortens the feeding window, but the fish still eating are often the largest in the system, and they are eating to last the winter. Slow down, fish deeper structure, and give the middle of the day more attention than the summer months deserved.
Want it on the boat or the fridge? This page doubles as a free printable fishing calendar for November 2026. Use the Print or Save as PDF button at the top and your browser produces a clean one-page PDF of the whole month, grades and moon phases included.
What the Fish Are Doing in November
Pre-spawn (3 species)
Lingcod, Pacific Halibut, Rockfish feed hard before spawning in November. Select one of them for your location and its forecast adds up to 9 points while the water says it is staging. Look for lingcod on nearshore rock and ledges 30-120 ft.
Brown Trout, Flounder, Redfish (Red Drum), Yellowfin Tuna are recovering from the spawn in November. Expect a short lull before they return to normal feeding, and favor slower presentations near spawning flats.