CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Cordova, AK Daily Water Report — August 27, 2026

Get on the water early and stay late. Today is a near-perfect day for small-craft adventures around Cordova, with kayaking and boating scoring in the upper eights—among the best windows we’ve seen in weeks. The numbers tell a straightforward story: a representative north wind of just 1 knot, gusting only to 4, keeps the surface glassy. Wave heights hover around 0.26 meters all day, with the calmest moment near 22:00. That’s not just calm for Cordova; that’s remarkable for any late-August day in Prince William Sound. The only asterisk is timing. Morning starts cool at 7.2°C, warming to a pleasant 19.7°C by afternoon. Dawn breaks at 05:35, and you’ve got nearly 16 hours of daylight until dusk at 21:56. The waxing gibbous moon, 98% full, rises at 20:46 and sets at 05:41, giving you bright evenings after sunset at 21:08. Solunar windows align at midday—12:12 to 14:12 for the major period—and a minor window from 18:42 to 19:42. Fishing scores a solid 6.6, buoyed by that rising pressure at 1016 hPa and the light wind, though with zero tide data available, the timing for any tidal exchange is a blind spot. Surfing is a pass at 4.5. The swell runs 0.18 meters from 208 degrees at 4.3 seconds, which is short and weak. Wind waves are effectively nil. Not worth suiting up today. Sailing sits at 4.6—there’s simply not enough wind for anything beyond a drift. Wildlife watching ties fishing at 6.6, and that low wind certainly helps spotting conditions, though visibility in the air is excellent at 58 kilometers. Underwater visibility is a separate matter and isn’t measured here. If you’re heading out, watch for that afternoon gust spike: the model shows a 15.7-knot gust at 17:00, which could ruffle things briefly. The ocean current runs 0.4 m/s west, so factor that into any paddle or drift plans. Looking ahead, Thursday brings a major shift: 100% rain chance and peak winds near 10 knots, with waves building to 0.8 meters. Friday stays wet but winds ease slightly. Saturday is the standout in the forecast—only 10% rain chance, winds peaking at 4.2 knots, and waves back below 0.5 meters. If today doesn’t work, Saturday is your next best bet. Best-bet sentence: With a north breeze barely strong enough to ripple the surface and waves measured in inches, August 27 is the kind of Cordova afternoon you’ll remember when winter comes.