Lake Washington Boat Launch in Kenmore

[jdp53]

Can someone educate me on the best route from the Kenmore boat launch to Lake Washington? I have launched here probably 10 times now and I constantly find myself worrying about how shallow it gets when leaving the slough past Kenmore Air. It often registers a two feet or less on my fish finder. The best I have found is to hang a left 45° after the first two buoys. Am I missing something?

[The Quadfather]

You are not crazy.. it is quite shallow going out of the slough.
Unless you are in some crazy large boat, you should be just fine though. Just use your sonar to stay as deep as possible. You should be able to keep it above 2’ , and very soon it opens up.

FYI.. depending on your fishing destination etc. the downtown Kirkland launch is free and open from Nov-March. It is a very nice single lane boat launch. It is a little janky in the workflow, in that you need to launch, then walk your boat via bow line out along launch/dock, secure boat to end of dock, then go back and park. (Parking is North of launch about 500’). Then walk down to your boat.
But you’l be Likely closer to your Cutthroat destination, if that is your target audience.

[jdp53]

Thanks for your input!

I went to check out the Kirkland launch thinking the same thing, free and closer to the cutt action, but I was afraid to launch there due to the weird drop off at the end of the ramp. I tow my boat with our lovely Toyota Sienna which doesn't do well with bumps or sudden changes in grade, so we went back up to Kenmore. I love the Kenmore launch (I will love it more once the construction is done) but I don't love having to navigate the shallow parts of the slough.

[Mike Carey]

If you have GPS you can keep the bread crumb so you'll follow the same track each time (assuming you don't ground... ). I have run my 20 foot Thunderjet through with no issues. I did raise the prop a bit and went slow of course.

[rseas]

The slough is doable with almost any OB. Just keep your line leaving the slough. That said, take it slow and be aware of the depth. As with Mike's boat there are times when I have to tilt the main on my 21' Thunderjet to get to the deeper water.

They used to dredge the lower slough. In my uneducated opinion, when they did the slough's flow was much improved. The water was cooler and more friendly to salmon survival/migration.

I grew up in Bothell and used to regularly catch winter steelhead and salmon drift-fishing corkies or Okie Drifters. I know that the slough no longer has a steelhead season but even if it did, there isn't any free flowing weed free water left.

I know that reduced stream flow is only part of the problem; increased fur bag predation at the locks, water temperature and the use of fertilizers or phosphates along the slough choking it with aquatic vegetation are all responsible for the decline in migrating fish survival.

The slough needs a management plan that focuses on increased stream flow and lowering water temperatures. The Lake Washington system used to host a very robust chinook, coho and steelhead population. I wonder if the co-managers/orca task force have looked at the potential for chinook production within the LW system?

[jdp53]

I should probably erase some of the bread crumb lines as I have tried a few and some have been good while others have been a little uncomfortable. I run a 17' aluminum outboard so I really shouldn't have issues navigating.

As for the management of the slough, I agree. There are quite a few fish that come into the lake and I don't feel that they are given a very good chance to thrive in the slough. I grew up in Bothell as well and have heard so many stories about how great fishing used to be in there. I can't say I would ever like to see it open up for salmon/steelhead even if the conditions were improved, but I sure would love to see it be a viable option for improving the populations of chinook and steelhead.

[Bodofish]

I'm not sure about needing bread crumbs or GPS, how about just using the navigation buoys, just stay between them till you get to the last pair. Kind of what they're there for. Kind of a silly question but do you have your boating safety card?

[rseas]

Boating Safety Card, what's that? When we bought the boat the dealer said it was safe!

[Bodofish]

Boating Safety Card, what's that? When we bought the boat the dealer said it was safe!

Yes RSeas, funny, but for the poster, If you don't have a Boaters Safety Card when the safety inspection happens at the launch or you give LE a reason to come aboard, not having it will net you a healthy fine, not mention a possible impoundment of your boat if no one on board has one. And BTW in the course it gives a little bit of navigation how to for entering and exiting a launch facility. Mine is the only answer that should have been offered for the how to, anything else is to invite disaster. I've seen some pretty small boats stuck in the mud just off the mouth. You know the navigation buoys, the huge green and red guys bobbing about there with the bells. The ones that are so big if you don't notice them you prob shouldn't be running a boat. Safety is a serious issue and totally entwined in navigation. Telling anyone to disregard the channel markers is a disservice none of us needs.

As far as Salmon goes, I hope that the Issaquah Hatchery gets put back into operation. It used to supply a lot of Sockeye, Kings and Cohos. Now that Unsworth is gone we can get back to logic, no more collusion with the WFC. Shutting down hatcheries does not make more fish in a system, I don't care what the WFC says, it just doesn't happen. Issaquah should not be relegated to an educational facility, it should be pumping out as many fish as it can, like all the hatcheries he shut down or handed over to the tribes. They should all be running full steam in conjunction with environmental improvements and maybe even hatcheries for bait fish in PS. The ones the salmon eat.
<off soap box>

[rseas]

Agree with all points, thank you.

[ddd]

jdp53 I am with you. I have been up and down the slough (to Bothell Landing) and the most shallow stretch seems to be at the end of slough along the two small red buoys. Seems like the channel should be deeper. I just take it slow but you will see some boats that are able to rip through. Yes Bodofish, I'm in the channel and have a safety card : )

[jdp53]

Boating Safety Card, what's that? When we bought the boat the dealer said it was safe!

Yes RSeas, funny, but for the poster, If you don't have a Boaters Safety Card when the safety inspection happens at the launch or you give LE a reason to come aboard, not having it will net you a healthy fine, not mention a possible impoundment of your boat if no one on board has one. And BTW in the course it gives a little bit of navigation how to for entering and exiting a launch facility. Mine is the only answer that should have been offered for the how to, anything else is to invite disaster. I've seen some pretty small boats stuck in the mud just off the mouth. You know the navigation buoys, the huge green and red guys bobbing about there with the bells. The ones that are so big if you don't notice them you prob shouldn't be running a boat. Safety is a serious issue and totally entwined in navigation. Telling anyone to disregard the channel markers is a disservice none of us needs.

Of course I have a Boaters Safety Card and understand the navigation buoys, but between the channel markers it can get awfully shallow. My question is about navigating the channel... something like "best to try and stay as close to the middle of the channel as possible" or "stay away from the middle of the channel, it's the most shallow there".

Do you not find the channel leaving the slough into Lake Washington shallow?

[Bodofish]

Not really. Try some of the harbors up in the San Juans at low tide or maybe the Impoundments on the Columbia. A couple really good ones are on Baker Lake. If you stay between the buoys you shouldn't have any trouble. I'm not sure how they get up the slough under the bridge but there are some big boys docked up there. I normally just get out in front Kenmore and gas it and go where ever I want to but, I have taken a trailerable Sailboat out of there numerous times. Gotta be real careful with the centerboard and the mast when in the slough.