CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Coxsackie, Hudson River, NY Daily Water Report — August 28, 2026

Get on the water this morning. Kayaking and boating are the clear winners today, scoring 9.3 and 8.8 out of 10 respectively, and the conditions are about as accommodating as they get on the Hudson. The river is essentially flat, with wave heights holding at a consistent zero meters through the entire day. That means no chop, no swell, just a glassy surface that transforms the river into a mirror. The representative wind is a mere 2 knots from the northeast, and even the strongest gust forecast for late afternoon barely cracks 11 knots. For paddlers, this is the kind of day you wait for—effortless gliding with no wind fighting. The tide schedule is the real driver of your timing. You’ve got a low tide at 10:55 AM dropping to just 0.10 meters, followed by a high at 4:46 PM at 1.45 meters. This creates a prime wildlife window as the ebb exposes shoreline structure, and the scoring backs that up with an 8.6 for wildlife viewing. The full moon overhead adds a little more gravitational pull, and while the solunar minor periods at 6:28-7:28 AM and 6:28-7:28 PM are modest, the major period from 11:58 AM to 1:58 PM aligns nicely with the incoming tide for fishing, which sits at a respectable 6.8. That’s a slight dip from yesterday’s 8.1, likely due to the high pressure building (1016 hPa and rising) and the full moon’s tendency to spread feeding activity thinner. A word on the downside: surfing stays at its typical low score of 4.5, and that won’t change with zero wave height. If you’re here for surf, you already know better. Sailing also struggles at 4.6, mostly due to the light and variable breeze. Today is built for quiet propulsion, not wind power. Compared to yesterday, when the river was slightly warmer at 22.8°C with a bit more breeze, today’s calm feels like a reward. The air temperature will climb from a cool 17.6°C this morning to a pleasant 26.2°C by afternoon, so dress in layers for the early start. Visibility is solid at 12.2 kilometers, and no rain is expected. Looking ahead, Friday stays similar—flat water, light wind, and a high of 24.5°C. Saturday warms up to nearly 31°C, but the wind picks to 8.3 knots, slightly bumping the surface. By Sunday and Monday, rain chances climb above 50 percent, so today and tomorrow are your best bets. Best sentence: Slide your kayak in at first light, follow the falling tide toward the exposed mudflats, and you’ll feel like you have the whole river to yourself.