For daily wit & wisdom, get the Almanac newsletter.

Full Sturgeon Moon August 2026: Meaning, Date, and How to See It

Full Sturgeon Moon OFA with text
Image Credit:
Colleen Quinnell
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

The Full Sturgeon Moon of August 2026 will peak on Friday, August 28, marking the traditional Full Moon of late summer. Why do we call it the Sturgeon Moon? Is it full of fish? We’ll explain what makes the August Moon special and how to view this gorgeous summer sight best.

When to See the Full Moon in August 2026

August’s Full Moon will crest on Friday, August 28, reaching peak illumination at 12:18 A.M. Eastern Time. Look up on the evening of Thursday, August 27, to catch a spectacular view of the Full summer Moon. You can convert 12:18 A.M. Eastern Time to your time zone using our tool.

Why Is It Called the Sturgeon Moon?

The Full Moon of August is traditionally called the “Sturgeon Moon.”

The Full Moon names used by The Old Farmer’s Almanac have different origins, including Native American, Colonial American, and European sources. Traditionally, each Full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not solely to the Full Moon.

The Sturgeon Moon

The name Sturgeon Moon comes from the giant lake sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain; this native freshwater fish was readily caught during this part of summer and an important food staple for Native Americans who lived in the region. At one time, the lake sturgeon were quite abundant in late summer, though they are rarer today.

What Is a Sturgeon?

These prehistoric-looking fish have been traced back to around 136 million years ago, and many people call them “living fossils.”

  • Females require around 20 years to start reproducing, and they can reproduce only every 4 years. However, they can live up to 150 years!
  • Today, there are about 29 species worldwide, including the lake sturgeon found in the Great Lakes. They have evolved in size from the size of a bass to a monster sturgeon as big as a Volkswagen.
  • The lake sturgeon is quite rare today due to intense overfishing in the 19th century, pollution, and damage to their habitat.
Lake sturgeon, the freshwater fish that inspired the August Sturgeon Moon
The word “sturgeon” means “the stirrer,” which is what this giant fish does when it is looking for food; it stirs up the mud and silt on river and lake bottoms. Notice the pointed snout and whisker-like tactile organs near the mouth. Credit: Tennessee Aquarium.

Alternative August Moon Names

Flying Up Moon is a Cree term describing the time when young birds are finally ready to take the leap and learn to fly. 

Corn Moon (Algonquin, Ojibwe), Harvest Moon (Dakota), and Ricing Moon (Anishinaabe) signify that this is the time to gather maturing crops. Along the same vein, the Assiniboine people named this period Black Cherries Moon, referring to when chokecherries become ripe.

The Tlingit people of the Pacific Northwest traditionally called this time of the season the Mountain Shadows Moon.

→ See all Full Moon names and their meanings.

Moon phases for August 2026 showing the Full Sturgeon Moon

Moon Phases for August 2026

See Moon phase dates and times below. Note: All dates and times are ET. Go to the Moon Phase Calendar for your time zone.

last quarter moon graphicLast Quarter: August 5, 10:21 P.M.
new moon graphicNew Moon: August 12, 1:37 P.M.
first quarter moon graphicFirst Quarter: August 19, 10:46 P.M.
full moon graphicFull Moon: August 28, 12:18 A.M.

→ For your next Full Moon, see our Full Moon Dates chart.

Full Sturgeon Moon Video

Each month, we will explain the traditional names of the Full Moon along with some fascinating facts. In this video, learn about the Full Sturgeon Moon. Click below to watch the video.

Best Days in August 2026

Below are the best days for activities, according to the Moon’s sign and phase in August.

ActivityBest Days
Cut Hay3, 4, 30, 31
Set Eggs7, 24, 25
Fishing12-28

→ See Best Days for MORE activities.

Moon Folklore

  • Clothes washed for the first time in the Full Moon will not last long.
  • If you glimpse the new Moon over your right shoulder, you will have good luck.
  • To have a project prosper, start it during the new Moon.
  • Babies born a day after the Full Moon enjoy success and endurance.

Share your thoughts about this month’s moon below!

Full Moon Names

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

More Like This

Comments

<span>Michael Moore 2</span> Wed, 08/21/2013 - 01:42
"Blue moon of kentucky, keep on shining Shine on the one that's gone and left me blue..." -Bill Monroe
<span>Michael Moore 2</span> Wed, 08/21/2013 - 01:29
It is indeed a most beautiful moon tonight! So clear one can almost count its craters, mountains and vales! Some look at a wonder such as this and say it is a marvel of modern science to know such a thing, others say it is a wonder of nature that such a scene could happen. I looked at this beautiful moon tonight and thought, it is a wonder of the Logos, the work of the creating and sustaining hand of Jesus Christ! How marvelous is His mercy and grace, when with all that is wrong with mankind, the good Lord in His goodness continues to give us glimpses of the beauty of His glory and majesty!
<span>Mary Beth Shipley</span> Wed, 08/21/2013 - 16:20
Amen!! Thank you for the beautiful comment! All glory to God! "the moon shines full at His command, and all the stars obey"!! - Isaac Watts, 1715
<span>Brandt</span> Wed, 08/21/2013 - 01:00
Dance all night in the blue moonlight at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2013/08/blue-moons.html
<span>Beth Ansley</span> Tue, 08/20/2013 - 22:49
i can always see the full moon out my front door here in georgia and this one is so clear, wonderful!
<span>Tom Weston</span> Wed, 11/28/2012 - 14:47
In 2013, the August moon will REALLY be a Blue Moon. That is, it will be the third full moon in the summer season which has four full moons in 2013. This is the original, correct definition of a Blue Moon. The definition about the second full moon in a month is a more recent simplified usage.
<span>Marie Strothotte</span> Tue, 08/20/2013 - 08:50
"In 2013, the August moon will REALLY be a Blue Moon. That is, it will be the third full moon in the summer season which has four full moons in 2013. This is the original, correct definition of a Blue Moon. The definition about the second full moon in a month is a more recent simplified usage." If each season normally has three full moons, why then, wouldn't the term 'blue moon' refer to the FOURTH full moon of the season, since it's the rarer one?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 11/30/2012 - 12:07
Most tropical years have 12 full Moons, three for each season. But occasionally it contains one extra Moon. This is the case next year with the four full Moons in summer. Thanks for pointing this out!
<span>Dennis Cote.</span> Fri, 08/31/2012 - 04:35
Neal Armstrong gives the Earth a wink, and good-bye, as his funeral is today, the day of the Full Blue Moon.
<span>Michael Moore 2</span> Wed, 08/21/2013 - 01:36
Wow, that is amazing! He could not have planned it better had he planned it himself. Of course, we know we cannot choose the date of our birth nor our death and we certainly cannot be assured of the date of our funeral. Things like this should make even the most stern of agnostics and atheist wonder if "somebody bigger than you and I" is not in control after all! Mr. Armstrong was a great American, a true frontiersman of the new frontier. May he rest in peace.