CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Ketchikan, AK Daily Water Report — October 8, 2026

Ketchikan gets a qualified green light on the water: boating is the day’s standout at 8.1/10, with small seas and light-to-moderate northwest wind outweighing a chilly, damp-feeling setup. It is not a day to mistake “flat” for “carefree,” but the water itself is unusually cooperative. The best all-around window is around mid-morning, especially near 9 AM when forecast wave height bottoms near 0.14 m. The tide is still building hard toward the 4.94 m high at 11:59 AM, so shoreline users should plan for rapidly changing access rather than assuming the morning low stays put. The -0.04 m low at 5:39 AM offers the day’s strongest low-tide opportunity, while the 6:07 PM low arrives near dusk, with sunset at 6:08 PM. For anglers, the strongest timing overlaps the 10:07 AM–12:07 PM solunar major period and the high tide. Fishing rates 5.5/10: usable, but down from 6.2 yesterday and below several recent days, with falling pressure near 1009 hPa part of the less-settled picture. The 11.5 C marine sea-surface temperature is 0.8 C above average, but that is not a promise of action. CoastWatch chlorophyll is very high at 22.16 mg/m³, indicating bloom conditions; it does not establish underwater visibility or fish activity. Kayaking and diving both score 6.4/10. Waves are only 0.1–0.3 m, but wind can reach 8 knots and gusts are forecast as high as 23 knots late, so the quietest water is worth taking early. Divers should note the 11.5 C water and avoid treating the reported 24 km atmospheric visibility as an underwater-visibility reading. Sailing improves to 6.8/10 from yesterday’s 4.6, though the gust spread remains a handling consideration. The next two days look especially gentle on the water: Friday stays at 0.1–0.3 m, and Saturday is forecast at just 0.0–0.1 m with light wind. Conditions turn less tidy Sunday into Tuesday, particularly Monday’s 0.3–0.9 m wave forecast and increasing rain chances. Best bet: launch or paddle in the mid-morning lull, enjoy the small seas, and be back with a warm layer on before the late gusts start acting important.