A first timer to this bay. Met up with a friend whose friend had a 15-foot Alaskan Smoker Craft, so we all decided to meet up at the boat launch at 6:00 AM on Friday morning. The line going into the boat docking area was super packed! Probably had to wait in line for 20+ boaters to get to the boat launch area before it was our turn. I think it took about 30 minutes or so... Once we were able to get the boat into the water and get going, it was a very scenic and peaceful atmosphere. The views were great, temperature was just right and water was pleasant. When we arrived at our preferred fishing spot, we prepared our bait, tossed in our lines and trolled. After a minute, the fishing pole got the first fish on! My friend reeled in a Chinook Jack. Released it. Then after baiting the first fishing pole and casting, not even a minute later, hooked on another fish. This time it was a Coho, but as the line got closer to the boat, the fish came off. Afterwards, we were able to get both fishing poles set up and ready to go. I was next to get a fish on and reeled in a nice Adult Coho for my first catch of the day! Not long after that, I got hooked on another fish and reeled the second Coho. We trolled around the water for a bit before I got another fish, but lost it 10 feet away from the boat as it came off. I believe we were in the water for 5 hours. During that time, I was able to land 5 out of 7 fish. My friend landed one big Coho out of 4 of his bites. Limited out with 6 fish, so we were happy about that. All in all, it was a decent experience as my first time boat fishing. Learned a lot while enjoying the bites in the water. There were a whole lot of boaters on this day. read more

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The Folks at Shilshole are top notch professionals. Who do everything they can, to make mooring there a great experience. 5 stars.

It's a stunning place to be at sunset. If there's no wind, the water is like glass. If the night is clear, you can see Venus, the moon, and many constellations. There's a place called Jibe that you can get coffee and a bite to eat until it closes around 6 o'clock. Down one of the docks there's also a supply store where you can get bottled water and beef, jerky and fishing gear along with your fuel. If you find the right building near the giant statue of Leif Erickson and pick Eric tables, there are public toilets open until 9 PM. read more

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Peaceful in the early spring especially. A lot busier in the summer. If you want to use the lot to walk over to the beach, you should get a parking permit. Cars are left at your risk. They spent money putting up flashing blue lights, but that does very little to deter against crime. Community deters against crime. read more

We dropped by for some winter crab fishing and had a fun afternoon. Dock A is open to the public on the southern end of the marina (edit: The north pier beside the boat launch is open too, is closer to parking and crabs just as well), and public parking is clearly marked. Staff was also super kind when we called to confirm crabbing season was open since we saw no one else on the pier. We saw some Cormorants, sea lions, and even a whale for about 10 minutes, far out on the sound. Crabbing wasn't stellar, but it's literally as close as you can crab to downtown and we only soaked a large pot for 90 minutes, and had a few rounds with the hoop net. Nothing but red rock crabs, and about every twelfth was over 5". Pate Cat food did the trick better than chicken. read more

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Wow. How big is this marina? Do people who have slips here have amusement park parking lot flashbacks? The docks seem to go on forever! My friend and I stopped by on a rare sunny autumn day and immediately realized despite two decades in the region we've never visited Shilshole. First thing that struck me was the parking signage was very clear. I was grateful we arrived there by mid-morning because by the time noon rolled around there wasn't an available public stall space left. Every other parking spot was behind the blue permit lines that clearly define the space. It had a gorgeous view of the Olympics. I felt spoiled just staring at the mountains. It was a solid reminder why this is such an awesome region to live in. It is just so beautiful! The marina itself was lovely. It appeared well maintained. There were a few areas where inconsiderate dog owners left their dog's bombs unattended. That was a bit gross. Otherwise though it was very picturesque. read more

Shilshole Bay Marina - Marina - Marinas Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Speaking as someone who just like to be around the water, I found this marina to be absolutely lovely! Very large marina that just seems to keep going forever. Everything in general was very clean, even the water! Ample parking for everyone, both reserved spots and free spots, with reserved being closer (probably most likely to help justify the charge of moorage??). There's a place to fish/crab or even just get a nicer view of the sunrise/set. Keep walking and you'll hit Golden Gardens Park which also has great places to walk. Overall Shilshole Bay Marina is a lovely place to take a stroll and I'll most certainly come back when I'm in the area again. read more

This is a gorgeous marina with ample parking and restrooms located throughout. I can't comment on the staff nor the boater experience but other than it's a beautiful and really clean area. This is a great place to spend the day or spend your evening catching a sunset. I plan to come back again during the summer months. read more

Shilshole Bay Marina - Marinas Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I love being around the water and so i saw this as a great place to crab / fish. Love seeing the boats too as well. Fishing is calming too out on a boat. read more

Love the improvements to Shilshole Bay Marina. First time we've stayed on our boat since the new showers/bathrooms went in. Very clean & spacious. Marina staff is excellent--very helpful. Same for the fuel dock/store. Will definitely come back. read more

I had the rare opportunity to spend a couple of weekends at Shilshole Bay Marina recently when some sailboat-racing friends were docked here and invited me to stay. What a beautiful spot! The sunsets were stunning, the water was calm thanks to the large breakwater, and there were plenty of people-watching opportunities as we were tied up near the boat ramp. In the evening you could see campfires dotting the beach at adjacent Golden Gardens Park, which was a nice place to take an after-dinner walk too. The location is also very close to shops and restaurants, from fancy fare to fish 'n chips to dive bars. Parking is a bit of a bear, though, when the marina is busy. But usually there's a spot somewhere along the street. read more

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Beautiful place to watch the sunset! The beach side gets a little crowded in the summertime but it's a great place to gather at the docks and watch people sail. There are many benches on the dock and it is very dog friendly. read more

Shilshole Bay Marina - Marinas Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I should preface this review by noting that I do not own a boat and, therefore, do not have a boat moored here. However, I've gone down to the marina on numerous occasions and walked along the docks. There's a long dock where you can walk down and view the water. I've seen a lot of people fishing down there and also just relaxing and enjoying the view. I live by the Locks, so it's a great little walk for me to head down there and check out the sunset. I once used the marina bathrooms since someone was nice enough to let me in to use them and they are fancy inside! Quite nice and very clean. I will note that my boyfriend's parents dock their boat here and they've never had any complaints. Also, down at Dock X is Little Coney, which has amazing soft serve ice cream, as well as burgers and fries and all sorts of goodies! read more

Shilshole Bay Marina - View from the Marina dock - Marinas Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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When we lived in Magnolia, it was fun to take a drive over to Ballard and walk along Shilshole Bay. There are plenty of places to park and to enjoy the views. The Marina also has some very expensive boats, both power and sail and there are many food options nearby as well. For us, it was fun to walk along the beach up to Golden Gardens and look for sea life along the shore line. A wonderful place! Go! Enjoy! read more

The BF and I love love love sailing out of Shilshole Bay Marina! We live close enough to the marina we can walk, but we often drive and parking is never a problem. The bathrooms are always clean, and there's hot water. Who enjoys washing their hands in ice cold water after sailing around the Puget Sound? Sunset sails out of Shilshole Bay Marina are so much fun! Blue Heron can usually be seen hanging out on the docks. We have seen countless seals and schools of porpoise. If you get a chance to sail out of Shilshole Bay Marina, you won't be disappointed! read more

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Clean, safe, and generally bum-free. The bathrooms are well maintained. read more

Since I am not a boating fanatic, I found this marina A-OK. It is a very large marina. While in port overnight, we strolled the dock. Each section has a locked door, so you can only access the area where your private boat may be docked. There was one long wharf and it was open to walkers, bikers, runners, fishermen, and those out for some space. We were able to use the public facilities in the management building and they were well maintained. We were not looking for a place to dock a boat, we don't own one. There appeared to be ample parking and we were told that people who drove to the cruise ship could leave their cars. It all worked for me. read more

I trim the Main Sheet on a friend's boat out of Edmonds; we do a lot of races with the CYC out of Shilshole Marina. Rather than drive way up to Edmonds just to sail back down, we generally meet up at the X dock at a designated time, hop on board and take off. Shilshole has a ton of free, unregulated parking. This makes it better than Edmonds Marina -- Edmonds has two hour time limits on the street. Who sails for only two hours? Ridiculous. X Dock also has a little burger joint that I grab clam chowder or a BLT regularly at. During the summer, it's nice to have the soft serve ice cream as well. The Marina is pretty well protected -- we have been out in gale force weather and once we're behind the breakwaters it's very relaxing. There's some pretty cool art on top of the breakwater as well. read more

Got to check out the Marina from the back of a Stand Up Paddleboard while on a tour with Stoke Harvester. Its a pretty sweet little spot for fishing . There are some phenomenal boats here, and the natives are pretty friendly. Apparently its quite a wait to get your boat in a slip here. Fortunately its pretty sweet to paddle through as well! read more

Sailing the evening away I came for the summer sailing competition. If you are a member you can take a boat out for free and get some free grub (hotdogs and hamburgers) afterward. The scenery is amazing and there's nothing like floating on the water while the sun sets over the mountains. read more

Why must you pay to shower? 25 cents for 2 minutes with a $1.00 maximum is a hefty price to pay and a pain in the butt if you live aboard your boat. They should really just make it free or risk the chance of having smelly boat owners walking around the marina. Ok, we ran out quarters and got lazy and we skipped day of showering. My mother said that we were "being European," whatever that means. Other than the bathroom and showering facilities, the marina is actually quite nice. The docks were remodeled relatively recently and are wide, even, and sturdy. There's plenty of parking everywhere. The views are also spectacular - but I just can't get over the coin showers! They should also abandon writing the dock letter on the carts. We were at Dock D, but there were carts labeled pretty much everything from A to V near our dock. If they fix these two minor complaints, the marina would earn at least another star. read more

I went sailing 2 weeks ago and Shilshole Bay Marina is my first marina experience. My experience was very positive even tho I don't have other experience to compare with. Pros: -A lot of parking -Clean bathrooms -Office staff was helpful -Not crowded for loading/unloading zone -Allow overnight parking -Great food/ gas stand by the loading zone -Many wheelbarrows available for loading/unloading Con: -Need a bigger sign in the parking lot to point out overnight parking areas read more

FREE MOVIE TONIGHT! 8/31/2012 Shilshore marina 8:30pm 7001 Seaview Avenue Northwest Seattle, WA 98117 (google this for directions) Move: How to train your Dragon! Hey Patches Pals, got kids? Or want to just go to a free movie? This is the first time the Shilshore marina just outside of Ballard has done this the more people we can get to show tonight, they will continue to do this every Friday in the next summer of 2013!!! Grab your chairs and blankets, wear your Viking Helments if you have them, what a great thing to have at the end of this summer! Let's go!! read more

The worst marina in seattle, after calling the marina office for anyone to assist in some engine trouble the people at the office just call the coast guard. Do not call the marina for any help because they will make things worse. read more

We found the marina staff to not be very helpful also they advertised ashuttle that doesn't run. The restrooms were not clean and when we left our slip to go out for the day we came back and somebody was in our slip and we were told at that point once you leave then you leave your slip even though I was paying mortgage and just park someplace else not helpful read more

Boat watching/people watching at the marina is a lot of fun! I don't have a sailboat there, but had the chance to go out on a friend's recently. I really enjoyed checking out the boats on the end cap of each row, where you could see the old fisherman's schooner turned into a very serviceable yacht, and the old wooden 50' mast sailboat that probably is owned by Bill Gates or someone similarly wealthy. read more

Stayed on the guest dock for a week in the spring, prices are really reasonable and the staff are really nice. The marina is well managed, rental bikes are included for those staying at the guest dock and they have at least one person on site at all time (only by phone later in the evenings). Will certainly stay there again. read more

I love our marina. It is our homeport and we have been slowly making friends there in the boating community. There is a new coffee shop in the main building and we love having easy access to the Puget Sound. The staff are always helpful and I even enjoy the salty gas dock attendant. read more

I don't own a boat but have friends in the marina who do. I love this place and have since I was a chile (I am a native Ballardite after all!). Great to visit on your way to the beach and even better if you know people in the marina. If you don't, I highly recommend joining the local yacht clup. more info ar cycseattle.org You can join for $30 month or $90 per year for an associate membership. This gets you discounted beer on the water!!!! And, you can volunteer to crew on boats. This is surprisingly easy since many boat owners need help and it is also a very good way to meet people and to get connected to the marina and to lovely puget sound. Enjoy! read more