CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Tofino Harbour, BC Daily Water Report — August 28, 2026

Tofino Harbour shapes up as a solid all-around day, with wildlife watching the clear standout, fishing very much worth your time, and quieter water for paddlers and boaters best timed to the afternoon lulls. Everything is workable, but the morning fog and a building breeze through mid-day will dictate your window. The big story is the harbour’s wildlife score jumping to 8/10, easily the best option today. That full moon overhead, with low tide at 10:41 AM exposing the mudflats and eelgrass beds, should concentrate feeding birds and any harbour seals working the shallows. Dawn to mid-morning will be prime, before the wind picks up. The fog is thick—visibility under half a kilometre at dawn—so take it slow and listen more than you look until it burns off, likely by late morning. Fishing comes in at a solid 7.2/10, a nice step up from yesterday’s 6.6. The falling barometer through the day and the early-morning solunar minor period (starting just after 7 AM) align well with the outgoing tide after that 4:09 AM high. The chlorophyll reading is very high, indicating a bloom, which can mean baitfish are around, though it also often means the water is thick with plankton and visibility is poor. That’s a mixed bag for divers, but for anglers it suggests an active food web. Target the tide change around 10:41 and the afternoon solunar window from 12:30 to 2:30. For boaters and kayakers, the numbers are decent at 7.1 and 6.8, but the pattern matters more. The calmest water arrives late in the day, with waves dropping to 0.9 metres around 5 PM, just ahead of the 4:57 high tide. Morning has lighter wind but that fog; afternoon has slightly more breeze but better visibility and smaller swell. The wind waves are negligible, so the 1-metre swell from the southwest will be the main motion in the harbour entrance. Inside the harbour, it should be manageable for a stable kayak or small boat, though the afternoon high tide will push water up into the channels. Surfing scores a 7.4, which is good but not the standout 8.9 from two days ago. The swell period is short at 4.85 seconds, meaning choppy, wind-affected waves rather than clean groundswell. The 4-knot offshore breeze helps hold up the face, but the short period and 1-metre swell will keep things lumpy. Best bet for a clean-ish window is the late afternoon when the wind often fades. Diving remains at 6.4, identical to yesterday. That warm sea surface temperature—nearly a degree and a half above average for late August—is pleasant, but the chlorophyll bloom and morning fog suggest limited underwater visibility. If you’re set on diving, target the slack around high tide at 4:57 PM for the best chance at clearer water. Looking ahead, Friday brings a stronger breeze with gusts up to 15 knots, which will kick up the harbour and make the entrance sloppy. Saturday and Sunday look much calmer, with light winds and smaller swell, ideal for paddling and boating. Monday through Wednesday turns wet and rougher, with a