A free PNW-based map for tuna anglers.
The PNW Tuna Map is a real-time ocean conditions map for albacore tuna anglers fishing off Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. It pulls satellite-derived sea surface temperature, chlorophyll concentration, and bathymetric depth data into a single layered view. The kind of intel that used to require a paid subscription to multiple services.
It was built by a PNW tuna angler, for PNW tuna anglers. We don't require payment to use it. Voluntary support from anglers keeps the satellite data fees and server costs covered.
Whether you're looking for the temperature break, working a chlorophyll edge, or just trying to figure out where to start your day, the map gives you the ocean-condition picture in one place.
NOAA's MUR SST at 1km resolution. Adjustable color ranges so you can zoom in on the 58–64°F window that matters most for albacore.
Two datasets: gap-filled 9km for smooth context, raw 750m high-res for the actual edges. Toggle between them with one click.
GEBCO depth contours overlaid on the map. See the shelf break, canyons, and structure under the temperature breaks you're chasing.
Rock, sand, mud, and gravel mapping where available. Useful if you plan to drop on structure for bottom fish between tuna runs.
Drop pins on productive spots, save your favorite color-range presets, and pull them up next trip. GPS support on mobile shows your position on the water.
Works in your browser, no app install needed. Install as a PWA on iOS or Android for a home-screen icon. Recently-viewed dates available offline at the dock.
Head to pnwfishing.net/sst-chloro-map. Create a free account on first visit. That's what lets you save spots and presets across sessions.
Choose the most recent date with available data (usually 1-3 days behind today). Turn on the layers you want: SST, chlorophyll, depth, substrate. In any combination.
Use the sliders on each legend to narrow the color range to the window that matters to you. Save your favorite ranges as presets so you don't have to set them up again.
Right-click (long-press on mobile) anywhere on the map to drop a pin. Name it, tag a species, and it'll be there next time you log in.
A quick guide to what each layer shows and how to read it.
SST is the temperature of the top millimeter or so of ocean water, measured by satellites that read infrared radiation off the surface. Albacore tuna live in a specific temperature band (roughly 58 to 64°F off the PNW), so the SST layer is the single most useful tool for narrowing down where to look. The data comes from NOAA's MUR (Multi-scale Ultra-high Resolution) SST product at 1km resolution.
The most productive areas are usually "temperature breaks" where warm and cool water meet, often visible as sharp color transitions on the map. Use the color range sliders to zoom in on your target temperature window and the breaks become much easier to spot.
Chlorophyll is a proxy for phytoplankton concentration, which tells you where the food chain starts. High chlorophyll means lots of microscopic plant life, which feeds the bait, which feeds the tuna. The gap-filled version is processed at 9km resolution and uses interpolation to fill in cloudy or missing pixels, so you get a smooth, complete picture even on overcast days.
Use this view for the big-picture context: where are the green water masses, where are the blue-water deserts, and where are the broad edges between them. It's the right view when you want to understand the overall productivity of an area, not when you want pinpoint edges.
Same underlying measurement as gap-filled, but at 750m resolution and without the interpolation. You see exactly what the satellite saw, including the gaps where clouds blocked the view. The trade-off is detail: when conditions are clear, this view shows much sharper edges, fronts, and eddies than the gap-filled version can.
Use this view when you've identified an area of interest from the gap-filled view and want to find the actual edge to fish. The raw data shows you the real sharpness of a chlorophyll front, which is exactly the kind of structure that concentrates bait.
Depth contours from GEBCO (General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans), the international reference for ocean depth. The map shows contour lines and shaded relief so you can see structure: the continental shelf, the shelf break where it drops off, submarine canyons, seamounts, and ridges.
Tuna often hold near structure because upwelling and current changes around it concentrate bait. Overlaying depth with SST or chlorophyll is the most powerful combination on the map: a temperature break sitting over a canyon edge or shelf break is often the high-percentage spot.
SCREENSHOT 1: SST overlay with temperature break visible, showing color range sliders
SCREENSHOT 2: Chlorophyll overlay showing a sharp edge / front
SCREENSHOT 3: SST + Depth contours overlaid, showing structure under a temp break
SCREENSHOT 4: Mobile view with saved spots / pins visible
SCREENSHOT 5: Split view or both-visible mode (Chloro + SST together)
SCREENSHOT 6: Mobile install / PWA home screen icon
The PNW Tuna Map stays running thanks to anglers who chip in. We don't require payment to use it, but server costs and time put into building it are real. If it's helped you find fish, please consider chipping in to keep it going.
Every contribution goes toward server hosting, satellite data fees, and ongoing development.
