Answers the Only Question That Matters
Before anglers ask “can we go out tomorrow?”, they see GO, MARGINAL, or NO-GO. Plain English, no guesswork.
Safety-First Logic
Small craft advisories, gale warnings, thunderstorms, and sustained winds above 25 kt auto-flag NO-GO. You never have to explain why you cancelled.
Updates Live
Pulls current observations and active marine advisories every 5 minutes. Always shows what the conditions are right now, not what they were this morning.
Worst Factor Wins
If any single factor is NO-GO, the verdict is NO-GO. Safety-first. Here’s what we check:
| Factor | GO | MARGINAL | NO-GO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sustained wind | < 17 mph | 17–29 mph | > 29 mph |
| Gusts | < 23 mph | 23–35 mph | > 35 mph |
| Thunderstorms | None | Forecasted | |
| Precipitation | < 50% | > 50% | |
| Small craft advisory | None | Active | |
| Gale / storm warning | None | Active |
Find Your Station
Search by city, town, or zip code. We'll pull wind, advisories, and storm risk for the closest station and marine zone.
Three Themes, One Widget
Pick the look that matches your charter site. Each widget below pulls live data right now.
Clean & Neutral
Pure white background, understated sans-serif type, blue accent. Fits most modern charter sites without fighting existing branding. If you’re unsure which theme to pick, start here.
Parchment & Serif
Warm cream background, serif numerals, amber accents. Pairs with rustic lodge-style sites, weathered-wood aesthetics, or traditional nautical branding with brass and rope elements.
Bold & Modern
Near-black surface, tight typography, violet accent. Fits tech-forward sportfishing operations, marinas with dark-mode branding, or any charter site running a night-visual aesthetic.
Paste It Anywhere
<script src="https://hooksetapp.com/widgets/fishable.js" async></script>
<div data-hookset-fishable data-station="8418150" data-theme="minimal" data-shape="squared"></div>Understanding Fishing Conditions
A fishable verdict is a composite of several independent signals, each with its own threshold. The widget is useful precisely because it doesn’t require anglers or captains to read raw forecasts and advisories on their own. The sections below walk through the underlying safety concepts any charter captain or serious angler should understand.
Small Craft Advisory Explained
A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) is an official marine-safety product issued when sustained winds or wave heights exceed safe operating limits for small recreational vessels. Thresholds vary by region, but typical issuance triggers are sustained winds of 25 to 33 knots (roughly 29 to 38 mph) or wave heights of 5 feet or higher. The exact numbers depend on your local forecast office and the marine zone.
When an SCA is active, charter captains generally should not operate. The advisory carries legal weight: running a charter in SCA conditions can expose the captain to liability, insurance complications, and Coast Guard scrutiny if something goes wrong. The fishable widget automatically flags any active SCA as NO-GO. Other blocking advisories include gale warnings (34 to 47 knots), storm warnings (48 to 63 knots), and hurricane warnings (64+ knots).
The Beaufort Wind Scale (Angler’s Version)
Beaufort is the old mariner’s scale for describing wind. Here’s how it maps to fishing decisions:
| Beaufort | MPH | Conditions | Fishing Call |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 1 | < 4 | Calm to light air, glass-like water | Ideal |
| 2 | 4 to 7 | Light breeze, small ripples | Ideal |
| 3 | 8 to 12 | Gentle breeze, scattered whitecaps start | Good |
| 4 | 13 to 17 | Moderate breeze, frequent whitecaps | Fishable, casting gets harder |
| 5 | 18 to 24 | Fresh breeze, moderate waves, spray | Borderline for small boats |
| 6 | 25 to 30 | Strong breeze, larger waves, white foam | Typically SCA territory |
| 7 to 8 | 31 to 46 | Near gale to gale force | Do not go out |
| 9+ | 47+ | Strong gale and above | Seek shelter |
How to Read a Marine Forecast
Marine forecasts cover specific marine zones (like “Long Island Sound from New Haven to Port Jefferson” or “Waters from Montauk Point to Block Island Sound”). Each forecast gives wind speed, wind direction, wave height, and any active advisories. Reading in order:
- Wind: sustained speed in knots plus direction. “SW 15 to 20” means southwest wind at 15 to 20 knots sustained.
- Seas: significant wave height, usually in feet. “Seas 3 to 5” means the average of the largest one-third of waves is 3 to 5 feet. Individual waves can be larger.
- Weather: rain, fog, thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are a hard NO-GO regardless of wind.
- Advisories: any active watches or warnings. These override everything else.
For charter operators, the morning marine forecast is the single most important document of the day. Decisions about whether to run get made before breakfast.
A Captain’s Call-Off Checklist
The fishable badge gives a verdict. The captain makes the final call, always. Here’s a checklist most experienced operators run through before canceling or running:
- Any active Small Craft Advisory, gale, storm, or severe thunderstorm warning in your marine zone?
- Sustained wind forecast above your boat’s comfortable operating range?
- Seas forecast above your passengers’ tolerance (not just your boat’s)?
- Thunderstorms or severe weather in the forecast window you’d be on the water?
- Fog or visibility below a safe threshold at your launch point?
- Direction of wind relative to planned fishing location (downwind protection vs exposed)?
- Passenger experience level, age, and physical condition?
Any single red flag is a reason to reschedule. The fishable badge handles the first few items automatically; the captain’s local knowledge handles the rest.
Common Questions
Does this replace the captain's judgment?
No. It's a supplement. The badge uses public conditions data and safety-first thresholds to give anglers a heads-up before they call. Captains still make the final call, and they almost always have better info than any automated system.
What if my area doesn't have marine forecasts?
Inland lakes and reservoirs get wind-only scoring (no wave heights, no small craft advisories, since those don't apply). The verdict still works, it just uses fewer factors.
Can I customize the thresholds?
Not yet. The current defaults match US Coast Guard small craft advisory thresholds (25 kt sustained, 5 ft waves). If you're running offshore bluewater trips, email us and we'll add a `data-wind-max` option.
How often does it update?
Every 5 minutes. Observed wind comes from the station at your port (when available). Forecasts come from authoritative government hourly forecasts. Advisories come from the active marine alerts feed.
Can I pair it with the tide widget?
Yes. Both widgets can live on the same page. They share the same station ID, so captains configure once. Grab the tide widget if you haven't already.
More Free Widgets
Stack them on the same page, install only what you need. No account required.