CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Unalakleet, AK Daily Water Report — October 5, 2026

Today is a strong go for boats and paddles, with a cold-weather asterisk in permanent marker. Boating leads the board at 8.1/10 and kayaking follows at 7.9/10, helped by light NNW wind around 7 knots, only 0.1–0.3 m waves, and a very modest north-setting ocean current near 0.06 m/s. The calmest water is forecast near 7 AM, when waves dip to 0.1 m, though dawn is not until 8:14 AM and sunrise arrives at 9:01. Flat water is useful; flat water in the dark and near freezing deserves its own level of attention. The tide falls steadily from a 1.08 m high at 5:43 AM to a 0.10 m low at 4:24 PM. That makes the late-afternoon low-tide window worth considering for shoreline explorers, while the 4:11–5:11 AM solunar minor period overlaps the morning high water. For anglers, the more practical major period is 9:41–11:41 AM, with another from 9:41–11:41 PM after sunset. Fishing is a middling 5.8/10: light wind and rising pressure help the setup, but the report does not turn it into a guarantee. Diving rates 7/10 under low waves and light wind, but this is serious cold-water work. Marine SST is 6.1 C, while the supplied SST reading is 7.1 C; either way, exposure management matters more than the gentle surface texture. The reported 68 km atmospheric visibility is good for travel planning, not a measure of underwater visibility. Cloud cover is near-total, UV is zero, and air temperatures hover around freezing, feeling closer to -3.6 C in the representative conditions. Compared with the recent run, today is a little less favorable for fishing and sailing than October 4, but boating improves slightly and kayaking improves from 7.6/10. It is not as glassy as October 2, yet it is far less windy than October 3. Tuesday stays relatively manageable but turns colder, with 0.4–0.6 m waves; Wednesday looks quieter again. Conditions trend rougher and wetter Thursday into Friday, especially Friday’s 0.6–1.0 m waves and peak winds near 18 knots. Best bet: launch after first light and work the late-morning 9:41–11:41 window, when the water remains small and the day is finally properly visible.