I am camping with the family at Deception pass in a few weeks and need some info about launches, fishing from shore, etc.

I see there are two launches, Bowman bay and Cornet. With my 16 ft. Gregor, and a 40hp engine, can I run through Deception pass? I hear that the waters are treacherous, but too treacherous for me to run through? If I want to fish the west side, should I launch from Bowman or is Cornet OK?

How about good fishing spots in that area? from boat and shore?

We are camping in the lower loop, spot 197 which you can see on the park website.
I want to target coho while I am there but Have never camped and fished from Deception before. Any help appreciated.

Thanks all-

Good pink fishing and occasional coho at West Beach adjacent to the Cranberry Lake swim hole. Try tossing a bobber herring combo from the beach for coho. If you get tired of that scene fish between West Beach and the bridge. Climb up on a rock and let the rips carry your bobber/herring about 150-200 feet from the beach, always fun to do providing there's no boats to contend with. Wild coho and Chinook release.

BD

I just got back from camping there Labor Day week end. Caught three pinks and didn't see any coho. Mostly I did the buzzbomb thing after finding out I couldn't cast far enough or there wasn't room for a fly rod. I would launch at Cornet Bay. Just be carefull. One night the waves got really big for some reason, nobody could figure it out. No wind just current but, they where bigger than the other days. I'm talking about 6' average and some closer to 10'!

I would launch at bowmen bay so you dont have to worry about the currents in the pass. I launched at bowmen bay and it is not a bad launch unless it is low tide. I fished bowmen bay and limited every day. I fished outside and to the right and trolled north. fished from the north bank and got only one fished for about 1 hour of fishing in the afternoon. Saw alot of people on the west beach catching fish all day. Saw boats out in front getting fish. I did best at bowmen bay though. I was trolling the normal humpy set-up. Didnt see any silvers caught. Good luck

Thanks for the info so far. So in my size boat is launching at Cornet and running to the west out past Bowman unadvisable? Should I fish the side I launch in or will there be an issue running through the pass?

I am not interested in pinks anymore, just Coho. If I see another pink this year I'll puke.

I'm having visions of whirlpools sucking me and my rig up! I know the currents can be quick in there!

Been through there several times in boats a bit bigger than yours. We never had a problem, and you wouldn't have had one either on the days we were there. We launched at Coronet Bay, and ran out to the islands through Deception Pass. Watch the weather, and make the run when tidal flows are minimal...should be a piece of cake. A piece of cake with swirly frosting , that is

Bowman Bay is very shallow. On a low tide you might be dragging your boat across the sand to launch or retreive. I used to take a 12' Achilles inflatable through the pass, as well as a 16' glasspar. No big deal. Just run with the tide. Even going against the tide is not that big a deal if you've got enough hp on your boat.

Thanks Guys, so anyone been catching fish up that way? Any other must-knows about the park or water in the area? Good Trolling spots?

I run iT all the time in my 14 foot boat, good boating practices well keep you out of trouble, so it should be no problem...DJ

You should be able to run Dec. Pass even at the worst part of the tide as long as you're on a plane and stay there. You just need to be able to see the really bad rips to avoid them, which can be bad because you're so low.

The last hour or so (this is from memory....somebody correct me if I'm off) of the flood is the worst because water is coming in from the strait AND up from the east side and meeting at the Pass. Obviously slack tides are best for traveling through it slowly. I've been through there in deep displacement hulls and it's just a matter of timing with the slack.

I've never fished it so no help there.

Out on an outgoing and in on an incoming is always preferable but if you cant then try to catch it when the changeover is long gone(have taken waves over bow during those times) otherwise treat it like a very fast flowing river and make small steering moves when going against the current. West beach to Smith Island should be good for silvers and humpies about then. Good luck!

I've ran my 16 ft. through there many times in all tide conditions, because I like Cornet Bay for launching.
Deception Pass is stunningly beautiful and exciting- I particularly like to run the motor 3,000rpm and stay in one spot because of the advancing current!
As someone else mentioned, just look out for the large rips- they look like toilet bowls being flushed. I think one of those could swallow you if you got in there. Otherwise, have a great time!.
Mark

30 years ago - back in my young and stupid days - when I was stationed at Whidbey Island NAS, I would run it in a 12' or 14' car topper. I would wait for high slack and go through the pass. The water would be flat and calm. I would then hold position in the hole, staying out of the fast current, and troll a herring in the eddy for salmon. When the current is ripping through there, the salmon stack up in that eddy. I caught some nice fish that way. I would then wait for low slack to run back through to Coronet. That water can get incredibly rough and I wouldn't attempt running the pass when the tide is boiling through there.