The Lake Washington Ship Canal Fish Ladder
The Lake Washington Ship Canal Fish Ladder
The Lake Washington Ship Canal Fish Ladder
4.5
About
Underground windows offer a rare view of migrating salmon and trout passing through the fish ladder headed for rivers and streams to their spawning grounds.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience The Lake Washington Ship Canal Fish Ladder and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
724 within 3 miles
Attractions
611 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
78 reviews
Excellent
33
Very good
33
Average
11
Poor
1
Terrible
0
BobiTychynskiShimoda
Oakville, Canada402 contributions
Jun 2023 • Couples
Pick your times to visit based on the timing of the salmon run! We went in mid June and unfortunately it was too early for this year. As of yesterday they had seen just 7 fish through so far! So wait a little for 2023! Nevertheless, it was interesting to get a sense of it.
Written 17 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Angelo Z
Crawford, TX333 contributions
Sept 2023 • Friends
Very fournate to be visiting during spawning season. We were able to see the salmon from above at the dam and especially from the viewing windows with the salmon just on the other side. It was amazing. Seals were also present taking advantage of an easy meal. Deffenty worth a visit if you’re in Seattle during July august or September.
Written 14 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
klsalas
Seattle, WA3,832 contributions
Jun 2013 • Couples
This is the only place I can think of where you can watch salmon run in a major metropolitan area. The H.Chittenden locks website has a calendar where you can see when to expect various salmon runs to be passing through the ladder and a small underwater viewing window at the top of the ladder gives visitors a look at salmon resting at before taking their last leap out of the ladder and on up the ship canal to Lake Union and Lake Washington beyond. There are also many place to watch outside from above which is really the best part of the experience -- to see the salmon leap up from level to level in the ladder. To see this ancient journey of determination play out in front of you is really special. It is also not uncommon to see sealions feeding on salmon right outside of the entrance to the fish ladder. I was there yesterday and the sockeye run had not really started in earnest but two sea lion were cruising and presumably doing a little feeding but during the heart of a run you may see sea lions coming out of the water and ripping a caught salmon apart. Seeing harbor seals and blue heron on the Sound side of the fish ladder entrance is not uncommon.
Obviously your overall experience depends on when you visit. If you visit between runs the ladder is interesting but an average *** to very good **** experience depending on other wildlife you may see at the locks.
Obviously your overall experience depends on when you visit. If you visit between runs the ladder is interesting but an average *** to very good **** experience depending on other wildlife you may see at the locks.
Written 11 June 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
honeyelfin
Reno, NV84 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
We missed the salmon by a few weeks but did get to see a seal pup carrying one around in the chutes. Interesting to watch the whole process of shutting the boats in, dropping the water level and then opening the gates to let them through.
Written 21 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelinSuz
Fernley, NV939 contributions
Sept 2017 • Solo
Not many places give the public access to how it’s assists fish. You can see above and below the waterline what is happening. If your there for migration period you can see how works and handles high traffic periods.
Written 18 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SeattleRobertson
Seattle15 contributions
Aug 2015 • Family
Ballard Locks are a draw for many Seattle visitors who generally park and walk to the locks from the north. Be sure to cross over the locks [part of the 'entertainment' is waiting for the walkways as they open and close the locks] and walk south to the Fish Ladder. Here you view the engineering feat that provides a pathway home for our Northwest salmon as they migrate from the Sound's saltwater to their freshwater river birthing place, their last journey...the journey home to die. Seasonally the ladder is teeming with fish and some will be spotted leaping outside the ladder. Exhibits note the types of fish and general time period for this migration.
Written 25 April 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Larry_O5
Orlando, FL66 contributions
Aug 2019
It was my second visit to the locks and the ladder. My first visit was in April so we didn't see any salmon in the ladder and there were only a few boats going through the locks. This time in August we saw salmon in the ladder as well as in the water outside the ladder, we saw seals frolicking and the boats were line up to go through the locks.
We were visiting our adult daughter who lives in Washington and our adult son traveled with us from Florida. The options in the review section don't have just family as an option, it's either Family (young children) or family (teens). Why not have just "Family".
We were visiting our adult daughter who lives in Washington and our adult son traveled with us from Florida. The options in the review section don't have just family as an option, it's either Family (young children) or family (teens). Why not have just "Family".
Written 27 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rainier72
Lynnwood, WA764 contributions
Jul 2019 • Solo
The Fish Ladder might be the smallest attraction of the 3 here, but it is definitely worth checking out. It's mainly a small room, but there are some big windows to check out the salmon heading upstream going through the ladder. I happened to be there when it was sockeye season, but there are other seasons for other salmon. There's a good chance you'll see some fish when you are there. The exhibits down there are very informative as are some volunteers who were there. There is some nice artwork outside to enjoy as well. It might not look like much at first sight, but one will have fun here.
Written 2 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ozcan1
Bunbury, Australia2,726 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
The Locks themselves _are_ interesting, but no more so than any we've viewed in a dozen different parts of the world. These are far more recent than many centuries-old systems still serving barges in the UK and Western Europe... and while the patience, cooperation and organisational skills of owners of the three-abreast pleasure-craft awaiting access are admirable, some of the locks mystique is missing.
The Fish Ladder experience however adds much to the area's attraction. The ladder system itself is not all that unique, but the display area below adds an educative novelty which is truly worthwhile. It's a well-thought-out display, where visitors can see firsthand various species of migrating salmon which have battled up the system to either breed, or simply practise that ordeal for future runs. Thus many of the fish are too young to breed as yet... and many more will die in-transit; or when exiting the system, prey of voracious, waiting seals... .
It's a _free_ must-see for families... and anyone at all interested in marine life... .
The Fish Ladder experience however adds much to the area's attraction. The ladder system itself is not all that unique, but the display area below adds an educative novelty which is truly worthwhile. It's a well-thought-out display, where visitors can see firsthand various species of migrating salmon which have battled up the system to either breed, or simply practise that ordeal for future runs. Thus many of the fish are too young to breed as yet... and many more will die in-transit; or when exiting the system, prey of voracious, waiting seals... .
It's a _free_ must-see for families... and anyone at all interested in marine life... .
Written 15 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rockyjoe
Minneapolis, MN8,192 contributions
Sept 2017 • Couples
The Lake Washington Ship Canal Fish Ladder is a fish ladder built next to the Hiram M Chittenden Locks. The Fish Ladder is located about six miles northwest of downtown Seattle in the trendy Ballard neighborhood. There is no charge to see the fish ladder and guided tours are offered throughout the day.
I visited the Fish Ladder with my wife on a Monday morning in early September and thought it was very cool. You can look at schools of salmon outside in the river and then you see them at the outside ladder and finally they appear inside in the underground viewing room (with glass windows). We saw lots of fish outside in the river and some on the ladder but we didn’t see any fish go up the ladder (they were just sitting there for some reason). There are a bunch of signboards that tell you about the different types of salmon and where they migrate (plus some other stuff that I forgot). My wife and I spent some time trying to figure out what type of salmon where in the windows. It was hard as they are all very similar.
Overall I really enjoyed the Fish Ladder and recommend it. I am amazed that the fish are smart enough to find the small fish ladder opening so they can move past the man made canal locks and get back to the stream where they hatched. We spent about 30 minutes at this attraction which was more than enough time. This is an easy attraction to visit if you are already visiting the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks.
I visited the Fish Ladder with my wife on a Monday morning in early September and thought it was very cool. You can look at schools of salmon outside in the river and then you see them at the outside ladder and finally they appear inside in the underground viewing room (with glass windows). We saw lots of fish outside in the river and some on the ladder but we didn’t see any fish go up the ladder (they were just sitting there for some reason). There are a bunch of signboards that tell you about the different types of salmon and where they migrate (plus some other stuff that I forgot). My wife and I spent some time trying to figure out what type of salmon where in the windows. It was hard as they are all very similar.
Overall I really enjoyed the Fish Ladder and recommend it. I am amazed that the fish are smart enough to find the small fish ladder opening so they can move past the man made canal locks and get back to the stream where they hatched. We spent about 30 minutes at this attraction which was more than enough time. This is an easy attraction to visit if you are already visiting the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks.
Written 16 January 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, Kathy here. Could you please tell me if the Fish Ladder is active this week? I guess I am asking if the fish run upstream in the last part of August? Thanks
Written 20 August 2015
Showing results 1-2 of 2
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing