CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Port Alexander, AK Daily Water Report — October 7, 2026

Port Alexander gets a qualified go for small-craft outings today, with kayaking the best-rated practical option at 6.9/10 and boating close behind at 6.6/10—but the ocean is not as gentle as the light easterly wind suggests. Expect a 1.7–2.7 m sea, driven largely by 1.8 m swell at about eight seconds from the southwest. That is enough moving water to make exposed routes, launches, and shoreline work a serious tradeoff despite representative winds near 3 knots. The most useful daylight window is late morning, roughly 9:34–11:34 AM, overlapping the high tide at 11:35 AM and a solunar major period. Fishing rates a moderate 6.2/10, down from 7.6 yesterday, with falling pressure and substantial swell tempering what would otherwise be a calm-wind day. Wildlife carries the day’s top score at 7.4/10, supported by light wind, the late-morning major period, and the tide cycle; that score is a timing and conditions estimate, not a promise of sightings. For paddlers and boaters, the wind is the friendly part, while the swell is the boss. Gusts may reach 18.9 knots around noon, so the late-morning tide window is not automatically the easiest handling window. The day’s calmest wave height is forecast near 11 PM at 1.68 m, after dark and therefore of limited use for most recreation. Sailing is only 4.8/10: not much breeze to work with, full cloud cover, and enough wave energy to keep things lumpy. Diving is a middling 5.1/10, constrained by the swell and cold 10.9 C water; atmospheric visibility near 15.6 km says nothing about underwater clarity. Compared with the windier October 3–5 stretch, today’s lighter wind is a welcome reset, and kayaking and boating scores have improved. Still, the sea state keeps this from being a carefree water day. Chlorophyll is reported very high, but that satellite-derived water measure should not be read as a fishing or wildlife forecast. Thursday and Friday bring lower seas around 1.4–1.7 m, while Saturday looks like the standout: 1.0–1.3 m waves, light peak wind near 7 knots, and no precipitation chance currently forecast. Best bet: take the late-morning high-tide window for a conservative, sheltered paddle or boat run, and let the swell—not the light wind—set the day’s limits.