CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Port Alexander, AK Daily Water Report — August 27, 2026

Port Alexander is delivering a classic late-August mixed bag: the water is workable, but you’ll need to pick your moment. The best bet today is a morning surf session before the wind builds. Suitability scores are generally moderate—surfing leads at 8.7/10, followed by wildlife viewing at 7.8/10 and sailing at 7.2/10—but none of the other activities crack 7/10, and kayaking trails at just 5.1/10. The wind starts light, around 1–2 knots near dawn, then climbs to a representative 6 knots from the northwest with gusts to 15 knots by afternoon. The calmest seas occur near midnight with wave heights around 0.82 meters, but by daylight you’re looking at 0.9–1.0 meters of mixed swell and wind waves. That 1.7 m/s current toward 139 degrees will add a subtle drift for paddlers and divers, and the westerly swell component at 0.52 meters from 210 degrees gives a clean enough face for surfing, especially with the 9.9-second period stretching the waves out nicely. The water temperature sits at 14°C, which is noticeably warm—1.6°C above the average for late August in these parts. That’s a meaningful anomaly for divers and swimmers; the 6.5/10 diving score reflects decent conditions despite the moderate chop and the very high chlorophyll reading (6.72 mg/m³), which indicates a bloom that will cut underwater visibility to likely less than the measured atmospheric visibility of 9.76 km. Fishing rates a 6/10, which is not bad—solunar timing is favorable with major periods around 11:26–13:26 and 23:26–01:26, and the stable pressure at 1013 hPa helps. The waxing gibbous moon, 98% illuminated, sets near dawn and rises after evening, so morning low-light hours see minimal lunar glare. There’s no tide data available today, so you lose that refinement—meaning you’ll want to base your fishing window on the solunar peaks rather than tidal movement. The 95% humidity and high cloud cover (43%) keep the day feeling damp but also block direct sun and keep air temperatures capped around 16.2°C, so the feels-like of 11.9°C is about right for a jacket or wetsuit top. Boating at 6.4/10 is marginal—the wind is manageable in the morning, but the afternoon gusts and the 1.0-meter wave height near peak wind make for a rougher ride. Sailing at 7.2/10 is better, particularly for those who don’t mind the NW breeze building through the day; the waves are short-period wind chop overlaying longer swell, so expect a lumpy rather than confused sea. Kayaking at 5.1/10 is only for experienced paddlers willing to wrestle the current and afternoon chop—early morning or late evening are the only real windows. Looking ahead, the next few days trend toward increasing swell and rain. Thursday sees similar waves at 1.0–1.3 meters with a 22% rain chance, but Friday brings a notable bump to 1.1–2.0 meters with