Free Solunar Tables — Find the Best Hunting & Fishing Times

HuntFishSport provides free solunar tables and moon phase forecasts for any location worldwide. Enter your ZIP code, city, or let the app detect your GPS location to instantly see today's major and minor solunar periods, moon rise and set times, and a 1–5 star day rating calculated from lunar positioning and astronomical data.

Solunar theory, first formalized by outdoor writer John Alden Knight in 1926, proposes that fish and game feeding activity follows predictable cycles tied to the moon's position relative to Earth. During major solunar periods — which occur roughly every 12 hours and last 1–2 hours each — animals tend to be most active and on the move. Minor solunar periods, which occur midway between majors, produce shorter but still notable bursts of activity. Knowing when these windows fall lets hunters and anglers concentrate their effort during the highest-probability hours of the day.

Our solunar calculator is updated daily and works for any location on Earth. No account is required to use the basic forecast — simply search for your location and start planning your hunt or fishing trip around the moon.

How to Use the Solunar Calendar

1. Search for your location by city name, ZIP code, or postal code.
2. Review today's solunar score (1–5 stars) and the day's overall activity rating.
3. Find the major and minor period windows shown on the hourly timeline.
4. Plan to be in your stand, blind, or on the water 30 minutes before a major period opens.
5. Use the 7-day view to identify the highest-rated days of the week for a planned trip.

Solunar Theory and Moon Phases

Moon phase plays a major role in solunar ratings. Days near a new moon or full moon typically produce higher solunar scores because the gravitational pull is strongest when the sun and moon are aligned (new moon) or opposite (full moon). Quarter moon phases produce moderate activity, while the days immediately around a new or full moon are historically the most productive for both fishing and hunting.

Our algorithm combines moon phase illumination (0–100%), moon transit timing, and the proximity of major/minor periods to sunrise and sunset to produce a composite solunar score. When a major solunar period coincides with dawn or dusk — already the most active times for wildlife — the resulting overlap is marked as a Super Peak window (available in the Pro plan).

Best Fishing Times by Moon Phase

Bass, walleye, catfish, trout, and most freshwater species show increased feeding behavior during major solunar periods, particularly when moon phases are strong. Saltwater anglers targeting redfish, snook, and striped bass have long relied on lunar tables to time their tides and feeding windows. The combination of a strong moon phase, favorable tides, and a well-timed major period is widely considered the best fishing scenario available.

HuntFishSport Pro subscribers can layer real-time weather data — barometric pressure trends, wind speed, cloud cover, and temperature — on top of the solunar forecast to get weather-adjusted ratings. A rising barometer coinciding with a major solunar period during a full moon is one of the highest-confidence fishing setups the model can produce.

Best Hunting Times by Solunar Period

Whitetail deer, turkey, and other game animals are highly responsive to solunar timing. Deer hunters in particular have observed that buck movement — especially during the pre-rut — correlates strongly with major solunar periods. Positioning yourself on a travel corridor 20–30 minutes before a major period and sitting through it is a proven tactic during the fall hunting season.

For waterfowl hunters, solunar timing can influence morning and evening flights, with ducks and geese tending to move more actively during strong solunar windows. While weather conditions (cold fronts, wind) often dominate waterfowl behavior, a major solunar period paired with a post-frontal bluebird morning can produce exceptional activity. Learn more in our complete solunar theory guide.