CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Port Townsend, WA Daily Water Report — August 27, 2026

Sailing is the standout play today, with a score of 9.1 out of 10, and diving also earns strong marks, but this is a day where the wind builds and the timing matters. If you’re rigging for a sail, the morning starts with lighter air around 2 knots, which might feel too calm, but by midday you’ll pick up a steady west-northwest breeze in the 8-10 knot range with gusts only reaching 17. The wave heights stay under half a meter, keeping the deck flat enough for comfortable heel without white-knuckle moments. Divers get an 8.4, and that’s a consistent theme from earlier in the week, buoyed by moderate swell from 319 degrees and a sea surface temperature running 4 degrees above the usual late-August average—14.4°C right now. That warm anomaly is a nice gift from the ocean, and with only scattered cloud overhead and visibility pushing 16 kilometers, the surface conditions look tidy. Boating scores a solid 7.7, though it pays to note that the representative wind today reaches 10 knots, which is a step up from yesterday’s glassy 2.5-knot calm. That windsock jump flips the script: paddlers and recreational powerboaters should aim for the early window, before 9 AM, when the calmest wave heights dip to 0.08 meters. By late afternoon, gusts touch 19 knots near 7 PM, so wrap up your on-water time before that build. Fishing sits at 6.7, a notch below where it was yesterday thanks to a waxing gibbous moon that rises late, though chlorophyll readings indicate plenty of color in the water—just don’t read too much into that as a fish guarantee. The morning minor solunar period through 7 AM lines up with that calm patch, a fair bet if you’re casting near structure. Kayaking, at 5.6, is only fair: the 10-knot breeze and ocean current running southwest at 0.6 m/s will keep you working the paddle. Compared to the past few days, the air temperature range is similar—mid-teens to low twenties—but the pressure has climbed back above 1018 hPa and is still rising, typical of a stable air mass. The ridge overhead today looks set to break down soon, though, so enjoy the clarity while it lasts. Tomorrow brings a 37% chance of rain with peak wind near 13 knots, then Friday turns wetter at 51%. By Saturday the skies clear again, with barely 5-knot wind and negligible wave height. The best-bet takeaway for today: set your course for a mid-morning sail under building westerlies, then get the anchor up before the gusts come calling.