CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Ketchikan, AK Daily Water Report — September 4, 2026

Friday around Ketchikan is a boat-and-rod day, not a surf day. Boating leads at 8.7, with fishing at 7.8 and kayaking at 7.7; surfing sits at 4.5 on a sea that barely wrinkles. Those numbers are suitability scores, not a safety declaration. Current conditions show a light north-northwest breeze near 3 knots, gusting to 9, with the day’s wind holding between 2.6 and 4.4 knots and the strongest gust, 13 knots, due at 16:00. Forecast waves run only 0.1 to 0.2 meters and are calmest near noon at 0.08 meters, with a 0.04-meter swell from the south-southeast and short wind waves on top. Marine water is 14.7 C, a tenth of a degree below average. Skies are clear, no rain is indicated, and the barometer is 1017 hPa and still rising after climbing off 993.6 hPa on September 1. The windows that matter sit on the two major solunar periods: 05:52 to 07:52, which opens with sunrise at 05:57, and 17:52 to 19:52, which carries you toward sunset at 19:37. A minor period at 12:22 to 13:22 lines up with the day’s quietest water. Air temperature swings from 12.9 C to 24.1 C, so afternoon will feel like a different season than dawn. A 0.6 m/s current toward 162 degrees is the real tradeoff for small craft and divers. Diving scores 6.7 from wind, waves, available clarity, and temperature; the 65 km atmospheric visibility is not underwater visibility. Sailing only reaches 5.8 because there is so little wind to work with. Wildlife scores 7.2 on solunar timing and wind; tide data are unavailable, so that piece is simply missing. Fishing’s 7.8 is the strongest reading in the recent stretch, up from 6.2 yesterday and 5.1 on September 2, with rising pressure and light wind doing the work. Boating edges yesterday’s already solid 8.5. The next three days stay dry and light, waves still measured in tenths of a meter. Rain chance jumps to 38 percent on September 8 and 65 percent on the 9th, when peak wind reaches 10.3 knots and waves build to 0.2 to 0.5 meters before easing on the 10th. Best bet: take the evening solunar in a boat, while the pressure is still rising and the water is still this quiet.