CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Ketchikan, AK Daily Water Report — August 27, 2026

**Verdict: A soft, workable day on the water — not a classic, but honest enough for the calm-of-heart.** Today is a "choose your own adventure" kind of day in Ketchikan, but one where the adventures skew mellow. The marine conditions are about as docile as they come, with representative wave heights barely a ripple at 0.1 meters and the calmest patch of the day clocking in around midnight at just 0.04 meters. Winds sit at a light 2 knots from the west, gusting to 8, and the temperature hovers near 13°C. The heavy cloud cover and 96% humidity are simply part of the saga. This is not a day for pushing limits, but it is a day for covering ground. **The best windows:** The morning tide should be the primary driver for anyone focused on wildlife observation, which scores a strong 7.8 out of 10. The solunar minor period from 05:44 to 06:44 aligns with dawn (05:02) and a waxing gibbous moon at 98%, setting up a lively shoreline just as light breaks. For fishing, the solunar major period from 11:14 to 13:14 pushes the score to a modest 6 out of 10; steady pressure (1013 hPa) and light wind help, but the very high chlorophyll readings (22.16 mg/m³) indicate a bloom that can saturate the water column and muddy the feeding picture. The minor period at 17:44-18:44 is a solid second choice. **The tradeoffs and hazards:** The chlorophyll bloom is the headline hazard here. While NOAA data flags it as a strong, active bloom, all we can say is that the water is likely thick and green. This will cut underwater visibility sharply, so divers should treat the diving score of 7 out of 10 with caution—the score incorporates clarity data, but the "Very High" bloom level suggests a darker, hazier world down there than a number alone suggests. Surfing scores only 4.5 out of 10, which is generous given the swell is practically nonexistent at 0.06 meters from 169 degrees with a 3.6-second period. If you hear a siren call for surf, that siren is a liar today. The boating and kayaking scores (7.3 and 7.1 respectively) are the rightful heavy lifters: the calmest waves of the week, manageable wind, and a stable ocean current moving at 2.1 meters/second toward 345 degrees all argue for a focused, comfortable paddle or cruise. Just be aware that a gust of nearly 15 knots is possible around 16:00, so keep an eye on the late afternoon. **Recent history context:** This is the first report for this date, so we lack direct comparisons, but the SST sits 0.8°C above the historical average, running at a mild 15.2°C. That warmth is a notable outlier, suggesting a slightly late-season marine heat bump that may be influencing that bloom. **What’s coming:** Friday looks like a near clone—light winds, flat seas. But Saturday gets messy: waves bump to 0.2-0.4 meters and precipitation becomes near certain (100% chance). By Monday, winds kick up