Live tide predictions for Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, the vehicle-free stretch of beach between Oregon Inlet and Rodanthe. Ocean tide times are referenced from the Jennette’s Pier (ocean) gauge to the north — expect them to run a few minutes later this far south.
Today’s high and low tide times at Pea Island
Right now at Pea Island NWR the tide is falling. Next high tide: 5:25 AM tomorrow. Next low tide: 11:38 PM today.
| Day | Tide | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today (Sun 8/23) | High tide | 4:33 AM | 2.7 ft |
| Today (Sun 8/23) | Low tide | 10:20 AM | 1.4 ft |
| Today (Sun 8/23) | High tide | 5:00 PM | 3.6 ft |
| Today (Sun 8/23) | Low tide | 11:38 PM | 1.3 ft |
| Tomorrow (Mon 8/24) | High tide | 5:25 AM | 2.8 ft |
| Tomorrow (Mon 8/24) | Low tide | 11:12 AM | 1.3 ft |
| Tomorrow (Mon 8/24) | High tide | 5:46 PM | 3.7 ft |
High and low tide times for Pea Island NWR, today and tomorrow, from NOAA station 8652226 (local time). The interactive chart above shows the full curve.
About tides at Pea Island
Pea Island is the roughly 13-mile ribbon of refuge beach on the north end of Hatteras Island. The ocean side sees a normal open-coast tide of about 3 feet; the sound side inside the refuge has almost no astronomical tide at all — water levels there move with the wind. If you are timing the inlet itself (the catwalk and the channel around the Basnight Bridge), use the Oregon Inlet predictions instead: inlet water turns on a different clock than the surf, often by an hour or more.
Fishing and walking the refuge beach
The entire refuge beach is closed to vehicles — this is the one long stretch of the Outer Banks where beach driving is never allowed — so everything is a walk-in from the pulloffs along NC 12. Surf fishing is popular around the old New Inlet area and the catwalk at the north end; a falling tide through the sloughs is the classic window. Low tide is also the comfortable walking window, when the packed sand is widest. Check the rip current forecast before swimming: the refuge beach has no lifeguards anywhere on its length.
Pea Island tide FAQ
Which tide station does Pea Island use?
There is no gauge on the refuge beach itself. The nearest ocean reference is Jennette’s Pier (NOAA 8652226) about 12 miles north, which tracks the open-coast surf timing well. The Oregon Inlet gauge is an inlet station and reads differently from the ocean beach.
Can you drive on the beach at Pea Island?
No. The refuge beach is closed to all vehicles year-round. The nearest legal beach driving is north of Oregon Inlet (Ramp 4 area) or south of Rodanthe, both covered in our beach driving and tides guide.
When is low tide at Pea Island today?
The table above lists today’s and tomorrow’s exact high and low tide times, pulled live from NOAA. The interactive chart shows the full curve for up to a week.
Nearby: Rodanthe tide chart · Oregon Inlet tide chart · Avon tide chart · all locations. Also useful: water temperature and rip currents.