CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Turkey Point Hudson River NERRS, NY Daily Water Report — August 28, 2026

The flat calm that settled in late last week is going nowhere, and for anyone who wants to get out on a boat or kayak, this is your kind of day. Boating and kayaking both score in the mid- to high-8s, the best marks on the board, and with wave heights holding at exactly zero metres all day long, it doesn't get much smoother than this. The downside is that the incoming high tide at 14:33 coincides with a solunar major period starting at 11:57, pushing the fishing score to 7.6 despite the mirror-flat surface. That's a solid number for the Hudson this time of year, but if you were hoping for a swell, the surfing score is a stubborn 4.5 again, a score that has not budged since at least August 22nd. Wind stays manageable from the south, representative at just 4 knots and gusting up to 8, though the strongest gust of 11 knots arrives around 14:00, which might ruffle a couple of paddles through the afternoon. The real story is the full moon. It reaches 100 percent illumination at moonrise tonight at 19:42, with a corresponding low tide at 21:03 that aligns perfectly with the evening minor solunar period starting at 18:27. The wildlife score climbs to 8.0, the highest it has been in the five-day history, meaning shoreline explorers and paddlers who can stay out late will likely see more activity along the mudflats and shallows as the tide drops. The past three days have been near mirrors: August 25th and 26th both posted boating and kayaking scores above 9, while the 27th slipped slightly under cloudier skies. Today's 100 percent cloud cover and 92 percent humidity make it feel a little heavier, but the rising barometer at 1016 hPa suggests stable conditions. Visibility holds at a decent 12.8 kilometres, so you can see what's out there, though atmospheric opacity is not a measure of water clarity. Tomorrow looks nearly identical: winds peak around 4 knots, waves stay flat, and rain stays out of the picture. The weekend warms up into the low 30s on Sunday with a slight chance of a shower, but the glassy surface holds through at least Wednesday. If you can stay until moonrise, you will watch the full moon climb over a glassy river while the tide pulls back to expose the evening's best wildlife show of the week.