CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Key West, FL Daily Water Report — August 28, 2026

Today's best bet is an early boating run that slides into a midday fisheries lull, then rebounds for a solid evening. A Full Moon overhead and a stabilizing easterly breeze make this a classic late-summer Keys day—good for being out there, not great for everything you might want to do. The opening acts are strong. Dawn breaks under clear skies with the wind barely flirting with 4 knots from the east, and the outgoing tide is still pushing at first light. Boating scores an 8.2, and that's your clear green light for getting on the water early. The wave heights are locked in at a trivial 0.4 meters with a short 3.6-second period—essentially a light chop that won't rattle a center console or a kayak. Keep in mind that yesterday's boating score was even higher at a 9, but today's slight uptick in wind range to near 9 knots by afternoon clips that top-end window. Surfing remains a non-starter at 4.8, and that's unchanged from recent days. The swell is a paltry 0.34 meters from 112 degrees with a 3.4-second period—these are wind-driven ripples, not groundswell. Don't bother hauling the boards. Sailing sits at a serviceable 6.3, which is actually a slight improvement over yesterday's 6.1, but the afternoon gusts near 11 knots are enough to make it sporty for smaller rigs. Here's the real catch of the day: the solunar calendar lines up a major period from 12:29 to 2:29 PM, but the midday window is your biggest hazard. The low tide at 4:50 PM is the day's lower of the two low tides, and that slack water combined with the full moon's gravitational pull can shut down the bite during the heat of the day. Fishing scores a 7.5, which is solid but a tick below yesterday's 7.3—the strong midday sun and stable pressure at 1017 hPa are neutral, but they aren't lighting up a feeding frenzy. The minor period from 6:59 to 7:59 AM aligns nicely with the outgoing tide, so hit the flats or the channel edges early. Wildlife scoring a 7.4 is right in line with recent days, and the full moon has everything on a tighter schedule. Keep an eye on the early evening minor period from 6:59 to 7:59 PM, which coincides with sunset and the building high tide at 11:19 PM. Looking ahead, Friday brings a significant wind increase to 16 knots and a 42% chance of showers. The following days see peak winds holding in the 14-15 knot range, with Sunday looking like a brief reprieve before Monday's 59% rain chance. The sea state stays manageable with waves hovering around 0.3-0.5 meters through the weekend. If you've got one window to own today, it's the two hours after dawn: smooth water, falling tide, and a full moon settling into the western sky.