CatchWindow fishing intelligence

Port Townsend, WA Daily Water Report — October 4, 2026

Port Townsend gets a clear green light for boating and sailing, with a caveat: the water is exceptionally flat, so sailors will find more “trim practice” than full-throttle breeze. Boating leads the board at 8.6/10 and sailing follows at 8.5/10, supported by a representative WNW wind near 8 knots, gusts around 14 knots, and only 0.12 m of wave height. The forecast’s calmest water arrives near 4 AM at 0.04 m, but daylight users should still find a notably smooth surface through much of the day. The most useful all-around window is morning through early afternoon. Dawn is 6:43 AM, sunrise is 7:14 AM, and the 7:09–9:09 AM solunar major period overlaps the rising tide toward the 1:35 PM high of 2.53 m. Fishing rates 7.4/10, helped by stable pressure near 1017 hPa, modest wind, tide timing, and the morning solunar window. A second major period runs 7:09–9:09 PM, after sunset but within dusk until 7:19 PM; that one demands lights, planning, and a close eye on the late-evening wind increase. Kayaking earns 7.3/10 and diving 8.1/10. The tiny waves and light wind are favorable, but 13.8 C marine water is no place for casual thermal planning. Atmospheric visibility is forecast near 14.6 km under mostly clear skies, though that is not a measure of underwater visibility. The day stays dry, with air temperatures ranging from 10.5 to 17.8 C. Wind is expected to strengthen late, with the strongest gusts near 16.5 knots around 10 PM, so the return leg should not become an evening negotiation. Compared with the recent CatchWindow record, boating is a touch below yesterday’s 8.9 but remains strong; sailing improves sharply from yesterday’s 7.3 as the breeze and low seas line up more cleanly. Diving is nearly unchanged from the recent run of 8-plus days, while kayaking is a bit less favorable than the very light-wind stretch earlier in the week. The next four days remain mostly dry with low waves, though winds may peak near 13 knots Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday looks especially quiet at about 0.1 m waves; conditions turn more energetic Friday, when waves may reach 0.8 m. Best bet: launch after sunrise, use the gentle morning tide and low chop, and be back before the late-evening gusts decide they want a say.