CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Yorktown USCG Training Center, VA Daily Water Report — October 4, 2026

A very good water day overall, with boating, kayaking and diving all landing in the strong-to-excellent range—but treat the gray, damp weather and afternoon rain window as the price of admission. The water itself is unusually cooperative: waves run only 0.1 to 0.4 m, with a representative 0.12 m sea and light north wind around 6 knots. That is a notably gentler setup than yesterday’s 9.2-knot wind, though boating’s 8.2/10 score remains below the exceptional ratings seen earlier this week. The cleanest all-purpose window is early, from dawn through the morning low tide at 10:13 AM. Dawn begins at 6:38 AM, sunrise is 7:04 AM, and the first solunar major period overlaps 6:58–8:58 AM. Fishing rates 7.6/10, helped by that timing, light wind and the falling tide; it is a better-looking fishing day than the recent 5.7–6.8 range. The 10:13 AM low also gives shoreline explorers and wildlife watchers a useful exposed-tide window, although wildlife’s 7.4/10 is solid rather than a guarantee of encounters. For paddlers and boaters, the light chop and modest eastward current—about 0.06 m/s—make for manageable water, not a reason to relax basic judgment. Kayaking scores 8.1/10 and boating 8.2/10, with the calmest forecast wave height near 7 PM. The tradeoff is weather: cloud cover is forecast at 100%, humidity near 95%, and rain is forecast from 10 AM to 4 PM. Atmospheric visibility is forecast around 12.2 km, but that says nothing about what can be seen underwater. Diving also scores 8.4/10, matching the recent run of strong diving ratings. Marine SST is 23.6 C, about 0.4 C above average, while small waves and light wind support the score; conditions below the surface still need to be assessed on site. Sailing is workable at 6.7/10, but the same light wind that flatters small craft will leave sailors looking for more drive. The next few days stay generally quiet on the water. Monday and Tuesday bring somewhat stronger peak winds near 10 knots and waves up to 0.4 m, while Wednesday through Friday look especially subdued at 0.1–0.2 m waves. Best bet: launch early for the dawn-to-midmorning tide, then let the afternoon rain have the water to itself.