Shilshole Bay Marina, Dock V, Seattle
Cut Plug Charters
Chinook & Coho salmonLingcodFlounder
$275–$1,350 per trip (length, private vs. shared)
Operator website
Checked August 29, 2026Suggest a correction
01 / On the water
Seattle Fishing Charters
Puget Sound puts Chinook and Coho salmon, lingcod and Dungeness crab within a short boat ride of downtown. For halibut and deeper ocean bottomfish, Seattle anglers typically drive out to Westport. This is who is running trips in both places.
Puget Sound: salmon & lingcod
Most Seattle-area charters run out of Shilshole Bay Marina in Ballard, with more out of the Port of Edmonds. Trips target Chinook and Coho salmon in-season, with lingcod, flounder and Dungeness crab as year-round or seasonal add-ons.
Shilshole Marina, Ballard
Wind Knot Salmon Guides
SalmonLingcod
Private trips $1,050–$1,250 by departure time; +$250–275/extra angler
Operator website
Checked August 29, 2026Suggest a correction
Shilshole Bay Marina
Best Seattle Fishing Charters
Salmon (Puget Sound)
$250/person (4-hr afternoon), $325/person (6-hr morning)
Operator website
Checked August 29, 2026Suggest a correction
Shilshole Bay Marina, North Seattle
Ridge to River Outdoors
Salmon (saltwater)
$300/person (shared trip)
Operator website
Checked August 29, 2026Suggest a correction
Downtown Seattle
Twin J Charters
SalmonLingcodCrabHalibutFlounderShrimp
Shared $285/person (5-hr); private $1,425
Trips up to 5 hrs; fishing license sold separately ($13/person).
Operator website
Checked August 29, 2026Suggest a correction
Port of Edmonds Marina, Q dock (also Shilshole/Kingston pickup)
Ruby D Charters
King (Chinook)Silver (Coho)Pink salmonFlounderLingcodDungeness crab
Private trips only, no shared charters. Pickup surcharges: Shilshole $150, Kingston $150, South Whidbey $200.
Operator website
Checked August 29, 2026Suggest a correction
Edmonds, WA
Sasquatch Sport Fishing
King & Coho salmonDungeness crab
Private only: 6-hr morning $1,000–$1,500, 4-hr afternoon $900–$1,400 by group size (tax included)
Private charters only, up to 6 anglers (4 or fewer recommended). $200 deposit; license $15 on board.
Operator website
Checked September 2, 2026Suggest a correction
Seattle, Edmonds & Everett
All Star Fishing Charters
Salmon (King/Chum)LingcodFlounderCrab (seasonal add-on)
Shared $320/person + $50 deposit; private 4–6 hr $1,200–$1,800
License extra (~$13.50). Rates effective May 1, 2026.
Operator website
Checked August 29, 2026Suggest a correction
Shilshole Bay Marina, Ballard (7001 Seaview Ave NW)
Fish Finders Private Charters
Salmon (incl. winter blackmouth)LingcodFlounderDungeness crab
Shared 6-hr $295/person; private 6-hr $1,300–$1,600 by group size (June–Sept rates), 4-hr afternoon $1,150–$1,350; 10.6% sales tax added
Running since 1994 under Captain Carl Nyman. Gear, bait and fish cleaning included; licenses sold on board ($13); 20% deposit. Lingcod trips $300/person; flounder (3.5-hr private, from $1,050) and crabbing (5-hr private, $1,200 winter / $1,400 summer) priced separately.
Operator website
Checked September 4, 2026Suggest a correction
The coast: halibut & ocean trips
Westport, about a 2.5-hour drive southwest of Seattle, is Washington's main halibut and offshore bottomfishing port, with more boats running out of Ilwaco near the mouth of the Columbia. Either is a worthwhile day trip for species Puget Sound just doesn't have.
Westport, WA
Tornado Charters
Halibut (deepwater)Lingcod (bottomfishing)
Halibut $400/person; bottomfish lingcod $230/person; deepwater lingcod $320/person
Prices include bait, tax, gear and derby ticket.
Operator website
Checked August 29, 2026Suggest a correction
Westport, WA
Westport Charters
HalibutLingcod / bottomfish
Halibut $450/person; deepwater lingcod $375; rockfish/lingcod $280
Operating since 1955. Prices include bait, tax, gear and derby ticket.
Operator website
Checked August 29, 2026Suggest a correction
Westport, WA
Mutineer Charters
HalibutLingcod
Halibut $575 (6-man boat) / $420 (big boat); bottomfish $237–$280 by boat
Operator website
Checked August 29, 2026Suggest a correction
Port of Ilwaco, WA
Sea Breeze Charters
Halibut
Halibut $325–$350/person + tax, by boat
Seven-boat fleet: halibut trips run on the Bluefin, Monte Carlo, Salty Dog, Sea Breeze, Four Sea'sons, Legacy and Dolphin. Steve Sohlstrom skippers the Monte Carlo.
Operator website
Checked August 29, 2026Suggest a correction
Compare the boats
Prices are what each operator publishes on its own site, quoted as written and checked on the date shown; most add sales tax and a fishing license, and shared-seat and private-boat prices are not comparable with each other. "See site" means the operator doesn't say whether trips are shared or private.
Puget Sound
Swipe across to compare all trip details. Operator names stay visible.
| Operator | Departs from | Trips | Published price | Species | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cut Plug Charters | Shilshole Bay Marina, Dock V, Seattle | shared or private | $275–$1,350 per trip (length, private vs. shared) | Chinook & Coho salmon, Lingcod, Flounder | August 29, 2026 |
| Wind Knot Salmon Guides | Shilshole Marina, Ballard | private | Private trips $1,050–$1,250 by departure time; +$250–275/extra angler | Salmon, Lingcod | August 29, 2026 |
| Best Seattle Fishing Charters | Shilshole Bay Marina | See site | $250/person (4-hr afternoon), $325/person (6-hr morning) | Salmon (Puget Sound) | August 29, 2026 |
| Ridge to River Outdoors | Shilshole Bay Marina, North Seattle | shared | $300/person (shared trip) | Salmon (saltwater) | August 29, 2026 |
| Twin J Charters | Downtown Seattle | shared or private | Shared $285/person (5-hr); private $1,425 | Salmon, Lingcod, Crab, Halibut, Flounder, Shrimp | August 29, 2026 |
| Ruby D Charters | Port of Edmonds Marina, Q dock (also Shilshole/Kingston pickup) | private | Not published | King (Chinook), Silver (Coho), Pink salmon, Flounder, Lingcod, Dungeness crab | August 29, 2026 |
| Sasquatch Sport Fishing | Edmonds, WA | private | Private only: 6-hr morning $1,000–$1,500, 4-hr afternoon $900–$1,400 by group size (tax included) | King & Coho salmon, Dungeness crab | September 2, 2026 |
| All Star Fishing Charters | Seattle, Edmonds & Everett | shared or private | Shared $320/person + $50 deposit; private 4–6 hr $1,200–$1,800 | Salmon (King/Chum), Lingcod, Flounder, Crab (seasonal add-on) | August 29, 2026 |
| Fish Finders Private Charters | Shilshole Bay Marina, Ballard (7001 Seaview Ave NW) | shared or private | Shared 6-hr $295/person; private 6-hr $1,300–$1,600 by group size (June–Sept rates), 4-hr afternoon $1,150–$1,350; 10.6% sales tax added | Salmon (incl. winter blackmouth), Lingcod, Flounder, Dungeness crab | September 4, 2026 |
Westport and Ilwaco
Swipe across to compare all trip details. Operator names stay visible.
| Operator | Departs from | Trips | Published price | Species | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado Charters | Westport, WA | See site | Halibut $400/person; bottomfish lingcod $230/person; deepwater lingcod $320/person | Halibut (deepwater), Lingcod (bottomfishing) | August 29, 2026 |
| Westport Charters | Westport, WA | See site | Halibut $450/person; deepwater lingcod $375; rockfish/lingcod $280 | Halibut, Lingcod / bottomfish | August 29, 2026 |
| Mutineer Charters | Westport, WA | See site | Halibut $575 (6-man boat) / $420 (big boat); bottomfish $237–$280 by boat | Halibut, Lingcod | August 29, 2026 |
| Sea Breeze Charters | Port of Ilwaco, WA | See site | Halibut $325–$350/person + tax, by boat | Halibut | August 29, 2026 |
Puget Sound or the coast?
Puget Sound boats leave from Shilshole, Edmonds or Everett and fish within sight of the city: salmon when the season is open, lingcod in spring, flounder most of the year, crab as an add-on, and a short spring and late-summer halibut season. Trips run four to six hours, private boats are common, and the water is sheltered. Westport and Ilwaco boats run offshore for halibut, lingcod and rockfish on bigger quotas, sell seats per person, and start with a drive of two and a half hours or more. "Deep sea fishing" can mean either; what decides it is the species you want and the month you can go.
First charter? What to expect
Operators here supply rods, tackle and bait and clean your fish; several sell the one-day license on board, and the rest expect you to buy it online first. Shared trips need a minimum number of anglers to sail and usually cap at four to six. Expect a deposit, sales tax on top of the quoted price, and a tip for the deckhand. Seasons decide the target, so read the seasons calendar before you pick a date, and ask the captain what is actually biting that week.
Season quick reference
Washington salmon, halibut and crab seasons reset every year and can change in-season as quotas are met. Always check WDFW for current regulations before you book or fish. The dates below are 2026 planning figures, not a guarantee.
| Species | Area | 2026 window |
|---|---|---|
| Puget Sound Salmon (Chinook / Coho) | Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) & Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) | Coho through Sept 30 (MA 9) and Nov 15 (MA 10); winter blackmouth Mar 1 – Apr 30, 2027 |
| Dungeness Crab (recreational) | Puget Sound (Seattle is Marine Area 10) | Summer 2026: July 2 – Sept 7 (Seattle: Sun–Mon only from July 5); winter season not yet announced |
| Halibut | Puget Sound & Strait of Juan de Fuca (MA 5–10) | 2026: April 2 – June 30, plus Aug 16 – Sept 30 (daily) |
Full detail, license fees and razor clam dates on our seasonal calendar. Source and always-current regulations: wdfw.wa.gov.
No boat? Fish from a pier
Washington keeps a set of public piers open to salmon fishing year-round under a pier rule (two salmon a day, one of them a Chinook), and the same piers are where Seattle jigs for squid in winter. All you need is a license. Two well-known piers are shut for rebuilding; details in our squid jigging guide.
Seacrest Park Pier
West Seattle (Elliott Bay)
Salmon under the year-round pier rule (two a day, one Chinook); squid jigging at night in late fall and winter
Parking (hard to find in summer), ADA access, restrooms, lights, railings, fish-cleaning station; food and tackle next door year-round.
Edmonds Pier
Edmonds waterfront
Salmon year-round under its own pier rule (two a day, one Chinook; release chum Aug 1 – Sept 30); squid jigging, with the run reaching Edmonds around September
Parking, ADA access, restrooms, lights, rain cover, railings, fish-cleaning station.
Des Moines Marina Pier
Des Moines, WA (Marine Area 11)
Salmon under the year-round pier rule (two a day, one Chinook); squid jigging, typically late November into December
Parking, ADA access, restrooms, lights, railings, fish-cleaning station. Parking lot closed 10pm to 5am.
Point Defiance Marina Boathouse pier
Tacoma, WA (Marine Area 11)
Salmon under the year-round pier rule (two a day, one Chinook); squid jigging
Fishing and squid jigging only during marina store hours, sunrise to sunset, 363 days a year. Parking, ADA access, restrooms, rain cover, fish-cleaning station, tackle shop.
Redondo Pier
ClosedRedondo Beach, Des Moines (Marine Area 11)
Named in the year-round pier salmon rule; squid jigging once it reopens
Closed since 2019 for failing timber piles. The City of Des Moines broke ground on a replacement pier in November 2025. Confirm it has reopened before you go.
Elliott Bay Fishing Pier (Pier 86)
ClosedSeattle waterfront, north of the Pier 86 grain terminal
Still listed in the Marine Area 10 pier salmon rule, but the pier itself is shut
Closed since 2016 for structural safety. WDFW and the Port of Seattle have a replacement designed (final design due 2026, permits expected 2027), with shore-power outlets planned for squid lights, but the Legislature has not funded construction.