CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Cape Disappointment, WA Daily Water Report — October 8, 2026

Cape Disappointment gets a qualified go today: solid for diving on the scorecard, decent for boating and fishing, but not a day to mistake “workable” for mellow. The 1.4–1.8 m sea state is being driven mainly by a 1.12 m west-northwest swell at nearly 10 seconds, with only small wind waves layered on top. That is more organized than a pure wind chop, but it still asks for good judgment around exposed water and shore access. The most useful daylight window runs from the late-morning climb toward the 12:06 PM high tide through the early afternoon. Fishing’s 6.9/10 rating is helped by the 10:38 AM–12:38 PM solunar major period, coinciding neatly with high water. Boating rates 6.6 and kayaking 6.2, with light-to-moderate NNW wind early in the day, though gusts build substantially later. The strongest gusts are forecast around 5 PM, reaching 21.8 knots, just as the tide drains toward the 6:01 PM low. That is a poor time to get casual about return legs, exposed launches, or a long paddle that looked shorter on the way out. Diving leads the activity scores at 7.2/10, supported by relatively light wind and available clarity inputs in the model, but the 14.2 C water is firmly cold-water territory. Atmospheric visibility is forecast around 12.5 km under full cloud cover; that says nothing conclusive about underwater visibility. The ocean current is forecast near 0.17 m/s toward 124 degrees, another detail worth treating as part of the plan rather than a footnote. Compared with the recent CatchWindow run, boating has eased from 6.9 yesterday and 7.3 on October 6, while fishing has improved slightly from yesterday’s 6.7. Sailing, at 5.9, has fallen well below its stronger recent ratings as the gust spread and waves make the breeze less tidy than its representative 7 knots suggests. Pressure is falling from a day high near 1019 hPa, and no rain window is indicated. Friday and Saturday look breezier and lumpier, with waves potentially reaching 2.1–2.2 m. Conditions then trend more manageable Sunday, with the quietest marine outlook arriving Monday at 1.2–1.3 m waves and lighter wind. Best bet: fish the late-morning high-tide push, then be headed in before the late-afternoon gusts start throwing their weight around.