CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Chugul Pass, 2 miles NE of Cape Ruin (NOAA PCT5626_1) Daily Water Report — October 5, 2026

Chugul Pass is workable for capable crews, but it is not a casual-water day: sailing has the strongest suitability at 9.3/10, while boating is middling at 6.1 and kayaking trails at 4.9 under a persistent northwest breeze and short-period chop. The main story is wind. Representative conditions run near 18 knots from the northwest, with gusts to 24 knots and a stronger 30-knot gust forecast around 04:00. Waves sit around 1.22 m at 5.75 seconds, built partly from 0.9 m wind waves at a brisk 3.55 seconds. That is enough short, active texture to make small craft work for every mile. The ocean current is forecast around 0.42 m/s toward 144 degrees, another factor for route planning and return legs. Air temperatures hover near 8 C but feel closer to 2 C in the wind; marine water is about 8.6 C. Dress for immersion, not for the thermometer’s optimism. For anglers, the 6.4/10 score gets its best timing from the 09:46–11:46 major solunar period, with a secondary opportunity from 16:16–17:16 before moonset at 18:17. Rising pressure, forecast from roughly 1007 to 1024 hPa, is a favorable piece of the setup, but wind and chop are the tradeoff. No tide data are available, so do not build a plan around a presumed tide change. Diving rates 6.9/10, though the cool water and surface motion argue for conservative exposure and entry choices; the reported 18.46 km atmospheric visibility is not an underwater-visibility reading. The most forgiving wave window arrives late, with the day’s calmest seas near 23:00 at about 1.06 m, though daylight ends well before then. Daylight runs from dawn at 08:17 to dusk at 20:49, under partly cloudy skies and no meaningful precipitation expected despite a rain window extending through 19:00. The next few days are unsettled. Tuesday offers lower waves, 0.7–1.1 m, but rain chances rise sharply. Wednesday is the clear troublemaker, with gusts near 41 knots and waves potentially reaching 3.1 m; seas remain elevated afterward. Best bet: sail the daylight hours only if your crew is comfortable with a firm northwest breeze and short chop, then let the late-evening easing remain a fact to note rather than a reason to stay out.