The Friday Report: Hurricane Isaias, no fishing today, and what to expect on the water once it clears
The Friday Report is our standing weekly look at what’s happening on the water, bay to bottom, both sides of the line. The live numbers are on Beach Today and update all day. This is the human read on top of them. This week the read is short: nobody should be fishing today.
The gist
Hurricane Isaias is in the Gulf and forecast to make landfall on the northern Gulf Coast late tonight or early Saturday. The National Hurricane Center’s 4 AM CDT Friday advisory had it at 110 mph sustained winds, moving north-northeast at 15 mph, and strengthening. News reports this morning put the likely landfall anywhere from Mississippi to the western Panhandle, with forecasters disagreeing on the exact spot, and hurricane warnings up along the coast. Florida and Alabama have both declared states of emergency. Follow your county emergency management and the NHC for evacuation orders and the latest track, because they update faster than this page can. If you’re on a boat, get it hauled or secured today.
Conditions this week
The NWS Mobile marine forecast, issued 4:06 AM CDT Friday, has a Hurricane Warning in effect for the coastal waters from Pensacola to Pascagoula, out to 60 nautical miles. Within 20 nautical miles of shore it calls for east winds 25–30 knots this morning, rising to 45–55 knots with gusts to 80 this afternoon, with seas building from 7–10 feet to 12–17 feet. Tonight it calls for 80–90 knots and seas of 19–24 feet, occasionally 31. Farther offshore it’s worse.
The Orange Beach buoy (42012) read 82.6°F water at 3:50 AM, with east wind at 27 knots gusting to 33 and 7.9-foot seas. Our own Beach Today feed was stale this morning (last updated 4 AM) and showed high rip-current risk and “water closed” on both sides. With a hurricane this close, assume the Gulf is closed everywhere, whatever the flag at your access says.
Inshore, surf and pier, offshore
There’s no fishing read for today, and we won’t invent one. Piers, boat ramps and marinas will be closed or secured, and the Gulf and Pass are not places to be. Skip the surf entirely, since rip currents are high even before the storm arrives.
The forecast shows the weather clearing quickly after landfall. Saturday is still west winds of 20–30 knots with 6–9 foot seas near shore, easing to 2–3 feet Sunday. Monday and Tuesday show 1 foot or less and light winds. The forecast does change, so check it again. A calm like that is the usual follow-up after a big storm passes. The calendar also says what to expect once it’s safe to go back out:
- Debris and bad water. A storm surge and heavy rain wash logs, lumber and trash into the bay and Pass. Expect muddy, fresh water in the upper bay and floating hazards. Run slowly and watch the water. Channel markers may be moved or missing, so don’t trust them.
- Fish will be scattered. After a big blow, the first few days are usually slow and spotty. Fall is also when the mullet, bull red and flounder runs normally build around the Pass. Expect that to resume as the water clears, but give it time.
- Facilities may be closed. Piers, ramps and marinas may be damaged or closed for days. Call ahead and check the piers page and the Pass marinas listings, but don’t count on them being current this week.
The one regs reminder that matters
Seasons change year to year, and the Florida and Alabama calendars don’t line up. For what it’s worth on paper:
- Florida: FWC lists Gulf red snapper for private anglers as open daily October 9–22, then Friday–Sunday on October 23–25 and October 30–November 1. Verify on FWC, and don’t read an open day as a reason to go this week.
- Alabama: Outdoor Alabama says the private season is open seven days a week until the quota is met or the year ends, and no closure date was posted when we checked. Confirm at Outdoor Alabama.
- Federal for-hire (charter) red snapper runs through October 25 and closes October 26 unless NOAA reopens it.
- Alabama’s Snapper Check is mandatory for red snapper, gray triggerfish and greater amberjack. (New to that? The Glossary has it.)
- Two reds per person, 16-inch minimum on snapper in both states.
- Flounder closures are coming. As of last week’s report, Florida closes flounder October 15 through November 30 and Alabama closes it for November. Confirm on the regulations cheat sheet before you go.
The honest take
Nothing about this week is a fishing story. A strengthening hurricane is heading for this coast tonight, and the right move is to follow local officials, secure your boat and your home, and not look for a window. A Florida snapper reopening and a nice fall bite are irrelevant until the wind is down and the roads, ramps and bridges are open. The forecast does point toward a calm, clear start to next week. If you’re booking a charter, talk to a captain directly, because they’ll know before any website whether their dock and boat came through.
Tell us what you saw
Once it’s safe, tell us how the Pass, the piers and the ramps look. Condition reports from your own eyes are the kind of thing this site can’t get any other way. Send it in. Photos are welcome, and we’ll change your name if you want. Next report drops Friday.
— Chris
P.S. Captains, marinas, and bait-and-tackle shops on either side of the line can claim their listing free at /submit/claim/, or add one that’s missing at /submit/.
