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Matagorda Bay Entrance Channel, TX Daily Water Report — August 28, 2026

Boating is the standout today on the Matagorda Bay Entrance Channel, and it’s not even close. With an 8.8 out of 10, this is the best score among all activities and a clear step up from yesterday’s 7.8. The channel is serving up about as cooperative a late-summer morning as you can ask for. Representative winds are running a mild 6 knots out of the east, gusting only to 7, and while the forecast shows a brief uptick around 6 p.m. when gusts could touch 17 knots, the bulk of your daylight hours will be spent on water that’s nearly flat. Wave heights are holding around 0.28 meters with a 3.5-second period, meaning the chop is minimal and the ride is stable. That rising barometer at 1016 hPa is locking in fair weather, with zero rain in the window and less than 3% cloud cover. Visibility is excellent at over 21 kilometers, so coastal landmarks will stay sharp all day. Kayaking and diving are both strong secondary options at 7.7 and 7.8 respectively. The calm wind and low wave heights make for easy paddling, although the tidal exchange is modest—high tide at 1:31 p.m. barely cracks 0.38 meters, and low water at 10:26 p.m. is only 0.16 meters down. That limited range means currents in the channel won’t be demanding. Divers should note the water temperature is running 31.1 degrees Celsius, which is about half a degree cooler than average for this date, but still very comfortable. The solunar major period peaking around 1:29 p.m. aligns with the tide and gives fishing a respectable 6.6, though that’s a slight dip from yesterday’s 6.9 and well below the 7.8 seen just six days ago. This full moon may be pulling fish into a feeding pattern, but the midday timing and light east breeze aren’t combining into anything exceptional. Surfing remains a tough sell at 4.5 out of 10. The swell is weak at 0.22 meters from the south-southeast with a snappy 2.4-second period, and wind waves are essentially absent. Even the calmest wave period near 11 p.m. only drops to 0.24 meters—it’s summer glass, not surfable energy. Sailing scores a solid 7.3, though it’s a noticeable drop from recent days when it hovered in the 8 to 9 range; the lighter wind today is pleasant but not punchy enough for planing. Looking ahead, Friday and Saturday stay similar with light east winds and wave heights under half a meter. Sunday brings a chance of increased breeze up to about 14 knots, which would perk up sailing and maybe nudge the surf score, but keep an eye on the 19% precipitation chance creeping in that afternoon. For now, take advantage of this window—there aren’t many late August days where the channel hands you this kind of calm from dawn through dusk.