The big idea
What's the pattern engine, and why is it different from other fishing apps?
Every fisherman has those days they remember — the day at the canal when water temp was 64°F, falling tide, and the stripers wouldn't stop. Those days have patterns: water temperature, tide, wind, time of day, barometric pressure, moon phase. WaterWatcher captures the conditions for every catch you log, then watches the forecast for days that match. When today resembles one of your banner days, we tell you. We do the same with catches from anglers nearby — anonymously — so even brand-new users benefit. Most fishing apps give you data and let you figure it out. WaterWatcher tells you what the data means for you.
Pattern engine
When does WaterWatcher fire a strong-match alert?+
A strong match fires when today's conditions — water temperature, tide, pressure trend, wind, time of day, moon phase, and more — closely align with the conditions from your past successful days at that spot, or with productive days from nearby anglers. We require both a high overall match score AND alignment on the signals that matter most for the species you're targeting. Alerts are limited to once every 4 days per spot, so you only hear from us when it's genuinely worth packing the gear.
How many catches do I need to log before patterns are useful?+
Personal patterns start to sharpen after about 6 catches at the same spot — enough for the engine to identify which conditions repeat across your best days. After 10, predictions get noticeably tighter. After 20, the engine can issue high-confidence "go fishing today" alerts. Until then, you still benefit from the local pattern library — anonymized catches from other anglers in your waters — so you're not starting from zero.
How it works
Does WaterWatcher run automatically?+
Yes. Set your spot, your delivery time, and your frequency once — every Friday at dawn, every morning, twice a day, whatever you choose. No logging in, no clicking, no reminders. The stamp is in your inbox when you wake up.
Does it work for freshwater spots?+
Yes — lakes, rivers, reservoirs, ponds, creeks, and canals. River stamps include USGS real-time flow data. Lake stamps check thermocline conditions and stocking updates. Bass, walleye, trout, salmon, pike, catfish — freshwater is fully supported.
Does it work outside the US?+
WaterWatcher is built primarily for US fishing spots, where data coverage is richest. International locations work — popular spots in Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand have decent coverage — but we're transparent when sources are thin.
Your stamps & data
What's the bite window predictor?+
Most apps give you a tide chart or a solunar calendar. WaterWatcher synthesizes both — plus wind, dawn/dusk, and barometric pressure — into specific feeding windows for the next 48 hours, ranked hot / good / fair / slow. You see exactly when to be on the water, not just general "conditions are favorable" hedging.
Can I choose what time my stamp arrives?+
Yes — Signal and Pro plans let you set any delivery time and timezone. Most anglers choose dawn (5am) so the stamp is waiting when they wake up, or evening (6pm) to plan the next morning's trip. Logbook accounts receive their stamps on demand or weekly at 7am on Fridays.
Can I run a stamp on demand?+
Yes — Signal and Pro subscribers can generate stamps on demand from the dashboard, up to their monthly cap. Logbook is limited to 2 stamps per month. Signal is up to 15 stamps per month. Pro is up to 30.
Can I get stamps for multiple spots?+
Yes. Signal subscribers can add up to 6 spots, each with its own delivery schedule. Pro gets unlimited spots — useful for anglers who fish multiple locations or split time between a lake cabin and the coast.
What does stamp history show me?+
As your stamps accumulate, the history page builds a picture of patterns at your spots — which months are most active, which species appear most, water temperature trends, and seasonal patterns we detect automatically. The longer you're subscribed, the more useful it gets.
Plans & billing
Is there really a free plan?+
Yes — the Logbook plan is free forever, no credit card. You get two fishing spots and two custom stamps per month — use them on demand or schedule automated delivery, your choice. Paid plans (Signal $10/mo, Pro $20/mo) include a 30-day free trial — your card is collected at signup but not charged until day 31. Cancel any time before that and pay nothing.
Can I cancel anytime?+
Yes. Cancel any time from the billing settings page — no phone call, no retention flow, just a button. Your plan stays active until the end of the billing period you've already paid for, then reverts to the Logbook plan. You keep your account and stamp history.
Do you offer refunds?+
If you cancel within 48 hours of a charge and haven't used the service that period, email support@waterwatcher.com and we'll refund it. Outside that window we don't offer refunds, but cancellation is always instant and there are no long-term contracts.
Is there a discount for annual billing?+
Yes — annual billing gets you 2 months free on both Signal and Pro plans. Signal annual is $100/yr (vs $120/yr monthly). Pro annual is $200/yr (vs $240/yr monthly).
Can I pause my subscription during the off-season?+
Not yet — but it's coming. In the meantime, you can cancel and resubscribe when the season picks back up; your spots and preferences are saved. Seasonal pause is high on our roadmap.
Conservation & the Ledger
What is the WaterWatcher Ledger?+
The WaterWatcher Ledger is our conservation data program. Every opted-in trip contributes structured observation data — species, size, conditions, water clarity, bait presence, wildlife sightings — to a growing pool of citizen science data shared with fisheries conservation organizations. It's what makes WaterWatcher more than a fishing tool: a platform for anglers who care about protecting the resource they fish.
How does my data contribute to conservation?+
When you opt in to the community pool, each trip you log contributes anonymized catch and observation data to the Ledger. Conservation science partners working to protect saltwater fisheries receive quarterly data briefs aggregated from it — species distribution, size structure, conditions correlations, and observational data like bait presence and wildlife sightings. Your name, exact location, and any identifying information are never shared.
Do I have to share my data with conservation partners?+
No — participation is always opt-in. You choose whether each trip contributes to the community pool, and you can change that setting at any time. Opting out doesn't affect your personal pattern engine, your reports, or any other feature.
Is conservation data contribution available on the free plan?+
Yes. Logbook users who opt in contribute identically to paid subscribers. Conservation data isn't paywalled — if you care about the fishery, you contribute regardless of your plan. The value of the Ledger is in the depth and breadth of observations, not in who's paying.
Privacy
What data do you collect?+
Your email, the fishing spots you add, your delivery preferences, and the stamps we generate for you. We do not sell your data. See our Privacy Policy for the full picture.
How does the community pattern library work, and what's shared?+
Every catch you log feeds your personal pattern engine. With your permission, anonymized catch conditions also feed a community pattern library, which helps anglers fishing in your waters get better predictions even before they've logged many catches themselves. We never share your name, your exact spot, or any identifying information — just generalized conditions tied to a rough geographic area. You can opt out any time in your privacy settings, and your existing personal patterns are unaffected either way. Opted-in data also contributes to the WaterWatcher Ledger — our conservation data program. Learn more at waterwatcher.com/conservation.
Is my payment information secure?+
We never see your card details. All payment processing is handled by Stripe, which is PCI-DSS Level 1 certified — the highest level of payment security. Your card number never touches our servers.
Can I delete my account and data?+
Yes. Email support@waterwatcher.com with a deletion request and we'll permanently remove your account, spots, and all generated stamps within 7 days. Or use the account deletion option in Settings.