CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Chatham, MA Daily Water Report — October 4, 2026

Chatham gets a qualified green light today: strong for diving and solid for boating and fishing, with paddlers and sailors best served by choosing their hours rather than assuming the whole day stays polite. The water is relatively manageable, with waves holding around 0.5 to 0.7 m and a representative 0.52 m sea state, though the short 4.8-second wave period means it may feel busier than the height alone suggests. An ENE wind near 6 knots is favorable early, but gusts build sharply enough to matter, topping out near 19 knots around 10 AM. That makes the dawn-to-midmorning stretch the cleanest all-around window, especially around the 6:49 AM high tide and the 6:30-8:30 AM solunar major period. Boaters get a 7.4/10 day, while sailing rates 6.8/10: enough breeze to work with, but a notable gust spread and full cloud cover keep it from being a carefree sail. Diving leads the board at 8.4/10, matching yesterday’s strong rating. Seas are modest and the water is about 16.1 C, slightly below the seasonal average, so exposure protection is not optional just because the surface looks civilized. The available atmospheric visibility is 14 km, but that is not a read on underwater visibility. The ocean current is forecast near 0.69 m/s toward 262 degrees, another reason to plan entries, exits, and drift carefully. Fishing improves to 7.7/10 from 6.3 yesterday, helped by the tide, lighter representative wind, falling pressure, and the morning solunar window. A second useful stretch arrives near the 7:05 PM high tide and the 6:30-8:30 PM major period, but rain is forecast from 7 PM through late evening, so expect a damp tradeoff. The 1:10 PM low tide also overlaps the 1-2 PM minor period, offering shoreline explorers and wildlife watchers a practical low-water window; wildlife scores 7.4/10. Compared with the past week, this is calmer than the windy September 27-28 stretch, though not as easygoing for small craft as the best boating days earlier in the run. Monday stays similar but slightly lumpier, while Tuesday and especially Wednesday look quieter on the water, with Wednesday’s waves forecast at just 0.2-0.5 m. Best bet: launch early, use the morning high tide, and be back with a warm drink before the late-morning gusts start acting important.