CatchWindow fishing intelligence

St Helens, OR Daily Water Report — October 7, 2026

St Helens gets a clear nod for sailboats and a qualified yes for powered boating and diving; paddlers should treat it as a wind-management day, not a lazy float. The marine forecast holds wave height at 0 m throughout, with no swell or wind-wave signal, while dry weather, clear skies and 26.6 km atmospheric visibility make for an inviting surface picture. That is not a substitute for water clarity, which is not supplied. The main tradeoff is the NNW breeze: roughly 8.5 to 12.9 knots through the day, with gusts building as high as 22.9 knots around 7 PM. That is enough working wind to put sailing at 8.8/10, the day’s strongest activity score, but it also drops kayaking to 5.6/10. Small craft will find the more manageable margin before the evening gust peak; keep in mind that flat forecast waves do not mean wind cannot make a short outing feel busy. For anglers, the 6.6/10 fishing estimate is respectable rather than red-hot. Stable pressure near 1016 hPa, no rain and the late-morning solunar major period from 9:48 to 11:48 AM line up neatly with the 10:25 AM low tide. A second major period runs 9:48 to 11:48 PM, after the 10:30 PM low, though that comes with darkness and should be approached according to your own access and operating margins. The 3:40 PM high tide overlaps the 4:18 to 5:18 PM minor period, offering another reasonable timing option. Diving holds steady at 7.6/10, unchanged from each of the previous seven CatchWindow reports, supported by the calm marine forecast; water temperature and underwater visibility are unavailable. Boating scores 7.3/10, a little below the recent 7.4–7.6 run, while sailing improves on most of the past week despite the gustier edge. Wildlife is 6.9/10, well below yesterday’s reconstructed 9.2, with the low-tide timing still worth noting. Thursday stays dry and warmer with similar light-to-moderate wind; Friday turns cooler with a rain chance. The weekend forecast is notably lighter-wind, though rain chances linger Saturday. Best bet: rig early, use the calm surface and steady NNW breeze before the evening gusts start throwing their elbows.