CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Los Angeles, CA Daily Water Report — August 23, 2026

Sailing is the day's winner on the Los Angeles coast, an 8.5 out of 10 that stands well clear of everything else on the board. Open-Meteo current conditions and forecast put a west-southwest breeze near 9 knots under a cloudless sky, with marine seas locked in a tight 0.7-to-0.8-meter band and no rain in the picture. That is the mix the sailing score is built on: usable wind, consistency, modest waves, and empty cloud cover. Boating and surfing both sit at 7.1, diving at 7.3, and wildlife watching at 7.4. Fishing improves to 6.8 from yesterday's 5.6. Kayaking is the soft spot at 4.8, and a 0.9-meter-per-second current setting east is one of the inputs that score actually uses. The morning is the cleanest window. NOAA's 1.16-meter high at 08:55 lands inside the 08:02-to-10:02 solunar major, while the day's wind still has room to stay on the lighter side of a 0.7-to-10.4-knot range. That pairing is what the fishing score cares about, along with the stable 1011-hectopascal pressure. A second chance arrives with the 1.65-meter evening high at 19:09 and the 20:02-to-22:02 major, after sunset at 19:33 under a 76-percent waxing gibbous moon. Overnight seas are the day's calmest near 0.74 meters, though the range is so narrow it barely changes the feel. Treat the afternoon as the tradeoff, not the prize. Air climbs from 19.0 C toward 32.3 C, the representative 31.4 C already feeling like 35.9, with ultraviolet intensity at 7.7 and the strongest gust, 12.4 knots, forecast at 16:00. NOAA CoastWatch lists sea-surface temperature at 21.9 C, 1.6 C above average; the marine forecast reads 23.5 C. Swell is only 0.62 meters at 6.7 seconds from 230 degrees under a 9.45-second sea, enough for a workmanlike 7.1 surfing score rather than a standout set. Atmospheric visibility is 29.9 kilometers; that is not a statement about the water column. Yesterday ran cooler and lighter, with sailing at 7.2 and wildlife a notch higher. The outlook stays dry. Monday cools to 19.2-26.3 C with an 11.3-knot peak, then heat returns and winds ease later in the week as waves build toward 1.0 to 1.2 meters. Best bet: take that morning high and the west-southwest breeze for a sail while the sea is still small.