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Flounder fishing in Seattle

Open year-round, steady bites, and the single best charter for kids and first-timers on Puget Sound. If you want a rod that actually bends, start here.

The honest case for flounder

Nobody dreams about flounder. People dream about a thirty-pound Chinook. But here is the thing every guide knows and few will say out loud: a salmon trip can be a long, quiet, cold day of not very much. That is fishing. It is a wonderful day if you are an angler and a genuinely miserable one if you are eight years old.

Flounder bite. That is their virtue. If you are bringing children, or a partner who is not sure they like fishing, or a group who mostly want to be on the water on a nice day and catch something, this is the correct trip and it is not close.

Open all year

Unlike salmon and lingcod, which run on tightly regulated seasons, flounder fishing on Puget Sound is open year-round. That makes it the reliable answer in the dead of winter, or in the gap between seasons, or on any date when the species you wanted is closed.

It also makes it easy to plan. You are not building a trip around a WDFW announcement.

How we fish for them

Flounder are flatfish that lie on sandy and muddy bottom waiting for something edible to drift past. We anchor or drift over the flats and fish bait near the bottom on light gear. It is simple, which is exactly why it works for beginners — the technique takes about ninety seconds to teach, and the fish are forgiving of imperfect technique.

Light tackle is the key. A flounder on gear scaled to its size is a genuinely good fight.

What you actually catch

Puget Sound flatfish include starry flounder, sand sole, rock sole and English sole. They are excellent eating — delicate, mild, sweet white fillets that cook in minutes. Pan-fried with butter and lemon, it is a better dinner than most people expect from a fish they had never heard of that morning.

We fillet everything at the dock.

Good to know before you book

Trips run out of Shilshole Bay Marina, Dock V. Our afternoon flounder trip is three hours, which is about the right length of day for young kids. Rods, tackle, bait and life vests are all provided. A Washington fishing licence is required and a one-day licence can be issued onboard.

Common questions

Is flounder fishing open year-round in Seattle?

Yes. Unlike salmon and lingcod, flounder fishing on Puget Sound is open year-round, which makes it the reliable option in any season.

Is flounder fishing good for kids?

It is the best charter for children on Puget Sound. Flounder bite steadily and the technique is simple to learn, so kids stay engaged instead of waiting hours for a bite.

What flounder are caught in Puget Sound?

Starry flounder, sand sole, rock sole and English sole. All are excellent, mild-flavoured eating fish.

How long is the flounder trip?

Our afternoon flounder trip runs three hours, departing at 1:00 PM — a good length for younger children.