This calendar works out, for Birmingham, where the moon is on every day of October and November: its phase, the two major solunar periods around its transits and the two minor ones around moonrise and moonset, in Alabama local time with daylight saving. Days within a day of the new or full moon rate highest, and a day earns its top mark when one of its periods also lands at sunrise or sunset. It sits alongside what the state itself publishes: the seasons opening and closing in the next two months, and the water temperatures the waters we cover in Alabama usually run at this time of year.
Today in Birmingham
October 2026
Rated from 1 (slow) to 5 (best) for Birmingham; the time under each day is the start of its first major period.
November 2026
Solunar times, day by day
Major and minor periods for Birmingham in local time, with sunrise and sunset, for the rest of October.
| Day | Rating | Major periods | Minor periods | Sunrise | Sunset | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 23 | Average | 9:23 AM–11:23 AM, 9:51 PM–11:51 PM | 3:45 AM–4:45 AM, 3:59 PM–4:59 PM | 6:58 AM | 6:05 PM | Waxing Gibbous |
| Sat, Oct 24 | Good | 10:08 AM–12:08 PM, 10:36 PM–12:36 AM | 4:47 AM–5:47 AM, 4:27 PM–5:27 PM | 6:59 AM | 6:04 PM | Full Moon |
| Sun, Oct 25 | Best | 11:19 PM–1:19 AM, 10:55 AM–12:55 PM | 5:51 AM–6:51 AM, 4:59 PM–5:59 PM | 7:00 AM | 6:02 PM | Full Moon |
| Mon, Oct 26 | Best | 11:25 PM–1:25 AM, 11:47 AM–1:47 PM | 6:59 AM–7:59 AM, 5:36 PM–6:36 PM | 7:01 AM | 6:01 PM | Full Moon |
| Tue, Oct 27 | Good | 12:19 AM–2:19 AM, 12:44 PM–2:44 PM | 8:10 AM–9:10 AM, 6:19 PM–7:19 PM | 7:02 AM | 6:00 PM | Full Moon |
| Wed, Oct 28 | Average | 1:17 AM–3:17 AM, 1:46 PM–3:46 PM | 9:21 AM–10:21 AM, 7:12 PM–8:12 PM | 7:03 AM | 5:59 PM | Waning Gibbous |
| Thu, Oct 29 | Slow | 2:20 AM–4:20 AM, 2:52 PM–4:52 PM | 10:30 AM–11:30 AM, 8:13 PM–9:13 PM | 7:03 AM | 5:58 PM | Waning Gibbous |
| Fri, Oct 30 | Average | 3:24 AM–5:24 AM, 3:58 PM–5:58 PM | 11:32 AM–12:32 PM, 9:23 PM–10:23 PM | 7:04 AM | 5:57 PM | Waning Gibbous |
| Sat, Oct 31 | Average | 4:27 AM–6:27 AM, 5:01 PM–7:01 PM | 12:26 PM–1:26 PM, 10:35 PM–11:35 PM | 7:05 AM | 5:56 PM | Last Quarter |
Seasons opening and closing in the next 60 days
No season in our Alabama table opens or closes in the next 60 days.
Worked out from the rules on Alabama fishing seasons, which carry the agency source and the date we read it.
Water temperature by month
The typical surface temperature for the most common type of water we cover in Alabama (8 of 18 waters), in °F. It is a seasonal curve, not a live reading; each water’s report has the day’s figure.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | 54 | 61 | 69 | 77 | 84 | 88 | 89 | 84 | 74 | 63 | 55 |
Waters in Alabama
Each has a daily report with that water’s own solunar times, weather and, where there is a gauge, its level or flow.
- Lake Guntersvillereport
- Gulf Shoresreport
- Weiss Lakereport
- Wheeler Lakereport
- Pickwick Lakereport
- Lewis Smith Lakereport
- Wilson Lakereport
- Lake Martinreport
- Dauphin Islandreport
- Lay Lakereport
How it is worked out
Times are for Birmingham (33.52, -86.80), in the America/Chicago time zone with daylight saving. The moon’s position comes from Jean Meeus’s low-precision lunar theory and sunrise and sunset from the NOAA solar calculator, both computed on this site. Major periods run an hour either side of the moon’s upper and lower transit, minor periods half an hour either side of moonrise and moonset. Each day starts at 1 point and gains 3 within a day of the new or full moon (2 within two days, 1 within three and a half) and 1 if any period overlaps the hour around sunrise or sunset, for a total of 1 to 5. It describes the moon, not your catch.
Questions
What are the best fishing days in Alabama this month?
By the solunar calendar for Birmingham, October 10, October 11, October 25, October 26: each is within a day of the new or full moon and has a solunar period at sunrise or sunset.
What are the solunar times in Alabama today?
For Birmingham on Friday, October 23: major periods 9:23 AM–11:23 AM and 9:51 PM–11:51 PM, minor periods 3:45 AM–4:45 AM and 3:59 PM–4:59 PM. Sunrise is 6:58 AM and sunset 6:05 PM. Elsewhere in Alabama the times shift by a few minutes for every degree of longitude.
Why are the times for Birmingham?
Solunar times depend on where you stand, so a calendar has to name a place. We use Birmingham, the most populous city in Alabama. East of it the periods come earlier, west of it later, by about four minutes per degree of longitude; each water's own page on this site has the times worked out for that water.
Does the moon matter more than the weather?
No. A cold front, a muddy river or a heatwave outweighs any moon phase, and the research on solunar effects is mixed at best. Use the calendar to pick between days that look alike on the forecast, and check the report for the water you plan to fish.