CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Ketchikan, AK Daily Water Report — October 7, 2026

Ketchikan gets a clear go for powered boating and kayaking today, with an important footnote: the water is unusually manageable, but the day is gray, cool, and tide-driven rather than carefree. Boating rates 8.2/10 and kayaking 8/10 on very light east winds of roughly 1–5 knots and small seas around 0.2–0.3 m. The calmest water is forecast near 9 PM at 0.16 m, though darkness makes that a poor trade for most human-powered outings. The most useful daylight window runs from after dawn through late morning, especially around the 11:21 AM high tide. Winds stay light, waves remain low, and the 9:21–11:21 AM solunar major period overlaps the rising-to-high tide phase, supporting the day’s 6.2/10 fishing outlook. A second solunar major period, 9:21–11:21 PM, coincides with the late high tide at 11:31 PM, but it is firmly a night operation. Pressure is falling from a relatively high 1019 hPa, and the forecast calls for overcast skies with a rain window from 6 AM to 6 PM, even though representative precipitation is zero. Keep the rain gear handy rather than assuming a dry deck. The tide range is the main moving part: water rises from a 0.07 m low at 4:56 AM to 4.61 m at 11:21 AM, then falls to 0.57 m at 5:24 PM. That is plenty of water movement to respect around launches, shore access, and any route where current matters; the marine current is forecast near 0.53 m/s toward 343 degrees. Air temperatures only reach about 11.9 C, while marine SST is 11.9 C, so immersion protection remains a practical concern. Diving earns 6.4/10, with low waves helping, but no underwater-visibility reading is supplied. Sailing is the weak fit at 4.6/10: smooth water, yes; useful wind, not much. Compared with recent CatchWindow reports, boating and kayaking remain steady, while fishing has eased from yesterday’s 7.6/10. Looking ahead, Friday and especially Saturday retain light winds and very small seas; Saturday’s 0.0–0.1 m wave forecast is the standout. Conditions deteriorate Sunday into Monday, with waves building as high as 1.2 m and winds increasing. Best bet: launch after dawn, work the gentle morning water toward the 11:21 AM high tide, and be back before the gray afternoon starts making simple plans complicated.