CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Cedar Key, FL Daily Water Report — October 6, 2026

Cedar Key is a good go for boats and sails today, with paddling and diving still workable if you choose your timing and keep an eye on the building breeze. The water is small rather than glassy: waves run 0.2–0.3 m, with the day’s calmest reading near 2 PM at 0.22 m. That supports boating at 7.7/10 and sailing at a leading 8.1/10, while the ENE wind—roughly 9 knots representative, rising into an 18-knot day range—gives sailors useful pressure without making the sea state much of a fuss. The cleanest all-around window is late morning through early afternoon, after the 10:51 AM high tide and before the wind has much chance to flex. The 9:16–11:16 AM solunar major period overlaps that high-water turn, giving fishing its best scheduled opportunity; the fishing score is a fair 6.3/10, lower than the last few days as pressure falls from 1014 hPa and wind increases. A second major period arrives 9:16–11:16 PM, but it coincides with the forecast’s strongest gusts, up to 25.3 knots around 9 PM. That is a fine time to admire the forecast from somewhere dry, not to stretch an outing. Kayaking rates 7/10 and diving 7.2/10, helped by low waves and warm 28.1 C marine SST, but neither score is a safety guarantee. The short-period wind waves and increasing gust spread will matter more later in the day, especially near the 6:02 PM low tide. Atmospheric visibility is forecast around 12.3 km under solid cloud cover; that says nothing about underwater visibility. CoastWatch chlorophyll is very high at 10.24 mg/m³, indicating bloom conditions, so divers should not assume clear water. Compared with the recent record, today is windier than the notably easy Oct. 4–5 stretch, which trims boating and paddling scores, while sailing improves sharply from yesterday’s 6.8. The next few days keep modest seas through Friday, though rain chances remain elevated; wave heights build more noticeably over the weekend and into Sunday. Best bet: launch late morning, use the high-tide turn and modest seas, and be headed in well before the evening gusts start throwing their weight around.