Boat Launches — Salt Water
Port of Everett
13-lane ramp at 10th & W Marine View Dr. $15/day incl. trailer parking. Direct access to Possession Sound, Port Gardner, Whidbey Island. Best launch in Snohomish County.
Mukilteo Lighthouse
Single lane at Lighthouse Park. Free. Tide-dependent — check water level. Direct to Possession Sound. Parking limited.
Port of Edmonds
Public ramp at Edmonds Marina. Central Puget Sound access. Watch for Edmonds-Kingston ferry traffic in the approach.
Shilshole Bay (Seattle)
Port of Seattle marina, Ballard. Puget Sound via Shilshole Bay. Gateway to Ship Canal & Ballard Locks for Lake Washington.
Golden Gardens (Seattle)
Hand-carry launch (kayaks, small boats). No trailer ramp. Good for paddling Shilshole Bay. Beach adjacent.
Boat Launches — Fresh Water
Magnuson Park
Sand Point, NE Seattle. Public ramp on Lake Washington. Largest park on the lake. Fishing pier, beach.
Gene Coulon Park
Renton, south end of Lake Washington. Boat launch, fishing pier, boardwalk, swimming. Full-service park.
Kenmore
North end of Lake Washington. Public ramp. Access to Sammamish River. Burke-Gilman Trail. Log Boom Park adjacent.
Mercer Island
East end of Aubrey Davis Park. Fee-based launch. Lake Washington access. 2 Line light rail now serves the island.
Snohomish River (City of Snohomish)
River Front Trail boat ramp. Access to Snohomish River downstream to Possession Sound. Salmon, steelhead fishing.
Ballard Locks — Salt to Fresh Passage
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
3015 NW 54th St, Seattle. Open daily 7 AM – 9 PM. Free passage for all vessels (kayaks to 760-ft ships). Water level difference up to 26 feet between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. Transit takes 10-15 minutes. Handles more boat traffic than any other US lock.
Fish ladder: View salmon migration Jun-Nov through underwater windows. Peak: Sep-Oct for Chinook, Nov for Coho.
Route: Puget Sound → Shilshole Bay → Ship Canal → Locks → Salmon Bay → Lake Union → Montlake Cut → Lake Washington (22 miles of navigable fresh water)
Fishing — Salt Water
Puget Sound fishing regulated by WDFW. Seasons vary by species, area, and year. Always check current regulations before fishing.
Public Fishing Piers
Mukilteo — new pier at ferry terminal. Coho, Pink salmon in season.
Edmonds — year-round. Squid jigging at night (summer).
Everett Jetty Landing — at boat launch. Crabbing access.
Kayak Point — 300 ft pier. Best Dungeness crab pier in Snohomish County.
Des Moines — 670 ft pier. King County's best salt water pier.
Salmon Species & Timing
Chinook (King): Jul-Oct, largest, most regulated.
Coho (Silver): Aug-Nov, best from piers and shore.
Pink (Humpy): Odd years (2025, 2027), Aug-Sep, huge runs.
Chum (Dog): Oct-Dec, large but less prized table fish.
Sockeye (Red): Jun-Aug via Lake Washington, limited retention.
Crabbing & Shrimping
Possession Sound and Port Gardner — productive Dungeness grounds from Everett boat launch. WDFW sets seasonal openings (typically summer/fall). Shrimp pots in deeper water (100-300 ft). Check WDFW crab seasons.
Fishing — Fresh Water
Lake Washington
Chinook, Coho, Sockeye salmon (seasonal runs). Rainbow trout, largemouth & smallmouth bass, yellow perch, coastal cutthroat. Bank access abundant. Piers at Kirkland, Seward Park, Luther Burbank, Gene Coulon. WDFW info.
Snohomish River
Major salmon and steelhead river. Chinook, Coho, Pink, Chum runs. Winter steelhead Dec-Mar. Access from Langus Riverfront Park (Everett), City of Snohomish ramp, and WDFW access sites.
Ferry Routes
Mukilteo — Clinton (Whidbey Island)
20-minute crossing. Daily 5:05 AM – 11:30 PM. Vessels: MV Kitsap, MV Tokitae. Schedule · VesselWatch
Seattle — Bainbridge Island
35-minute crossing from Colman Dock (downtown Seattle). Walk-on or drive. Schedule
Seattle — Bremerton
60-minute crossing from Colman Dock. Scenic route through Rich Passage. Schedule