Seattle · United States

5.2

wave <0.1 m

visibility2m

Today — right on the edge — wave <, wind and visibility.

Sources: NWS · NDBC · Open-Meteo · Copernicus — high confidence · data 20:15

Sources & confidence

Sources: NWS · NDBC · Open-Meteo · Copernicus
Method: spearo sea-state engine: consensus of up to 6 models + satellite clarity (ZSD) + buoy-bias checks
Freshness: Re-read every hour, per coast

Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine · How it works →

The verdict comes from seven water factors and hard safety gates — not ten tabs. Go or stay.

How we score the water

Our own model

Our own forecast engine — not a third-party widget. It weighs these water factors into one go-or-stay verdict for this coast; the 0–10 dial is that verdict, read out as a number.

Swell & wave memory: Height, period and direction of the swell, plus the wake of recent storms — an old storm still stirs the water, and the engine remembers.
Wind & gusts: Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
Tide phase: Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
Water temperature: Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
Currents & outflow: Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
Rain runoff & air clarity: Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
Coast shape & exposure: How the coast faces the swell — a sheltered cove keeps the water clean; an exposed, head-on point takes a penalty.

Safety gates

Thunderstorm forecast — an instant red, no exceptions.
An official warning (MeteoAlarm / IPMA) — yellow, or red for the higher ranks.
Missing input data — a would-be green is capped to yellow rather than overstated.
Strong disagreement between forecast models — a green day is pulled back to yellow.
Night hours — where night spearfishing is banned by law the window is forced red; where it is legal (Australia outside NSW, New Zealand, South Africa) it is capped at yellow, never green.

It all folds into a single 0–10 score and one verdict: go or stay.

A forecast, not a guarantee — the sea has the last word.

Where to get in, where to hunt

Entry points with coordinates

Seabed relief — promising ground

This verdict — in your pocket. Open the app for the week's window.

Google Play — QR code — point your camera

0 m

Surface

Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.

spearo.app

NWS no dataupdated 20:15

Seattle — solo, off the rocks

BORDERLINE

caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site · murky water (visibility ~2 m)

wave <0.1 mwind 3 km/hvisibility ~2 mwindow 18:00–21:00

today, best window 18:00–21:00

fish · Visibility 2 m · Water —

confidence high · verdict for the selected day

Whole week — tap a day. is driving swell right now.

Solo risk: carry a float · tell someone your plan and exit time · doubt = don't go. A model-based planner; the call is made on site.

Selected day

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

The day is picked above, in the hero. Here are that day's windows, the hour-by-hour map and the trends. Tap a window to break down the conditions.

Monday · today2026-10-12

07:24–18:26 · waxing crescent

Hours (06→20)

Day's trends

Tide— no data

Wave0.00 m

Wind5 km/h

Water— no data

fish activity: moon underfoot 02:10 · high · moonrise 10:00 · moderate · moon overhead 14:30 · high · moonset 18:54 · moderate

Conditions window18:00–21:00

caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site fish

Hs 0.00 m · calmperiod 1.7 swind 3→9surge 0viz 2 m

0.00 mcalm · up to ~0.00 · 30° at an angle

1.7 sswell moderate

3→9gusts 9 km/h

0weak surge

—m/s

2 mrecent swell

—no data

—

Atmosphere27 kmlandmarks visible

moderatemoonset

murky water (visibility ~2 m)
dawn/dusk

confidence hightwilight

Open the seafloor map with entry points

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Where to get in
off the rocks.

Scouted entries, coloured by today. The colour is the sea state at the spot, not a guarantee: the wash and a slippery entry you judge on site.

Open the seafloor map

16th Avenue West AccessSeattle

borderline

in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind

window: —
Seabed depth of the selected area: ≈0.5–11 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM, 3 m)

You can walk into the water at 16th Avenue West Access; the town of Seattle is 2.3 km away. Mapped by Washington Ecology as a beach. Marker position: 47.633° N, 122.379° W. Depths reach about 11 m.

Google Maps

Alki Beach ParkSeattle

borderline

in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind

window: —
Seabed depth of the selected area: ≈1.3–42 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM, 3 m)

Shore access point Alki Beach Park, roughly 3.1 km from Seattle. Depths reach about 42 m. The nearest protected area on our map, Richey Viewpoint Marine Preserve (Seattle city park), is about 3.0 km away.

Google Maps

Ballard Elks Public AccessSeattle

borderline

871 m from the boundary of Discovery Park Marine Preserve (Seattle city park) (WDFW boundary) (no-take zone)

in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind

window: —
Seabed depth of the selected area: ≈0.9–12 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM, 3 m)

Ballard Elks Public Access is a shore entry about 7.6 km from Seattle. Marker position: 47.675° N, 122.409° W. Depths reach about 12 m. Discovery Park Marine Preserve (Seattle city park) is the closest protected area we map, roughly 1.7 km off.

Google Maps

Cormorant CoveSeattle

borderline

228 m from the boundary of Richey Viewpoint Marine Preserve (Seattle city park) (WDFW boundary) (no-take zone)

⚠️ This point is inside the restricted zone “Richey Viewpoint Marine Preserve (Seattle city park)”: fishing there is regulated (season, gear, permit), not banned outright. Read the zone's rules before you go.

in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind

window: —

Shore access point Cormorant Cove, roughly 6.4 km from Seattle. The entry lies inside our broad outline of Richey Viewpoint Marine Preserve (Seattle city park); the official boundary is about 230 m away, and spearfishing is prohibited inside it. Pin: shore access; water entry unverified.

Google Maps

Discovery ParkSeattle

borderline

902 m from the boundary of Discovery Park Marine Preserve (Seattle city park) (WDFW boundary) (no-take zone)

in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind

window: —
Seabed depth of the selected area: ≈0.8–12 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM, 3 m)

Shore access point Discovery Park, roughly 6.7 km from Seattle. Access type in the Washington Ecology data: beach. Coordinates of the entry: 47.667 N, 122.406 W. Expect no more than about 12 m of water.

Google Maps

Sw Andover St EndSeattle

borderline

130 m from the boundary of Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook Marine Preserve (Seattle city park) (restricted zone)

in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind

window: —
Seabed depth of the selected area: ≈0.3–24 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM, 3 m)

Sw Andover St End is a shore entry about 6.5 km from Seattle. The deepest water here is close to 24 m. Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook Marine Preserve (Seattle city park), a restricted area, lies about 130 m away; check its rules and boundary.

Google Maps

SOLO is the biggest risk: underwater you can black out from lack of oxygen silently and fatally, with no one around. Solo is never truly «safe». Below are the best weather windows; carry a buoy, tell someone your plan and exit time, and any doubt — don't go.

What's in season,
what the law says.

In season now

greenling
Hexagrammos spp. · 2–20 m · legal
Year-round in both states with no minimum size. The trap is the aggregate: it almost always fills a slot you already spent on rockfish — Oregon's 4-fish General Marine Species limit, or the WA area bottomfish aggregate (15 in Puget Sound Areas 9/13, 9 on the coast in Area 2).
surfperch
Embiotocidae · 0–12 m · legal
Oregon explicitly lists spear among the legal methods ('by angling, hand, bow and arrow, spear…'). Year-round in both states, no minimum size. Bag: OR 15/day in aggregate for all marine perch; WA Area 2 12/day (or 15 shiner perch), not counted in the bottomfish limit. The default shore-dive target when rockfish are closed.

Regulated — check your state

lingcod📋 season by state
The SPEARFISHING window in Puget Sound (Areas 5–13) is its own: spear May 21–Jun 15 only, while hook-and-line opens May 1. There the spear has no minimum but a 36″ (91 cm) MAXIMUM, 1/day. WA coast (Areas 1–3): 2nd Saturday in March–3rd Saturday in October, 2/day. Oregon year-round, min 22″ (56 cm), 3/day.
rockfish📋 season by state
In WA Marine Areas 6–13 (Puget Sound) rockfish are CLOSED outright — unlawful to fish for, retain or possess. That covers Edmonds, Tacoma, Port Townsend, Friday Harbor and Anacortes. Open on the WA coast (Areas 1–4): 7/day in Areas 2 and 4, no yelloweye, seasonal release requirements for copper, quillback and vermilion. Oregon year-round inside the 4-fish General Marine Species limit, canary sub-limit 2.
cabezon📋 season by state
Oregon is CLOSED Jan 1–Jun 30, open from Jul 1, min 16″ (41 cm), 1/day inside the 4-fish General Marine Species limit. WA Puget Sound (Areas 9, 13) May 1–Nov 30, min 18″ (46 cm), 1/day. WA coast (Area 2) year-round with the bottomfish season.
Pacific halibut📋 season by state
Both states name spear as legal gear for halibut — WA: 'Hook and line angling and spearfishing only'; OR: 'May be taken by angling with a single line, no more than 2 hooks; and by spear.' It is the biggest legal fish a PNW diver can take. The season is set annually: WA by marine area (check WDFW in April), OR by port-of-landing windows. WA 1/day, 6 per year, Catch Record Card required.

Not a target — don't shoot

salmon🚫 no-take
This is a GEAR prohibition, not a stock closure: salmon is an open fishery by rod, but spear is not on the methods list in WA or in OREGON — ODFW lists spear for groundfish, flatfish, surfperch, offshore pelagics and Pacific halibut, never for salmon. WA also restricts white sturgeon to one single-point barbless hook, catch-and-release only, so sturgeon by spear is out in both states.

Law

✓OR: fishing licence + the new Ocean Endorsement (2026, $9/yr). WA: licence + Catch Record Card for certain species (halibut).
✓This is a GEAR prohibition, not a stock closure: salmon is an open fishery by rod, but spear is not on the methods list in WA or in OREGON — ODFW lists spear for groundfish, flatfish, surfperch, offshore pelagics and Pacific halibut, never for salmon. WA also restricts white sturgeon to one single-point barbless hook, catch-and-release only, so sturgeon by spear is out in both states.
✓Lingcod/rockfish/cabezon/halibut allowed; the diver must swim/float, bang sticks banned. No yelloweye retention.
•Puget Sound, WA Marine Areas 6–13: rockfish are CLOSED outright (no fishing for, retaining or possessing), bottomfish fishing is prohibited deeper than 120 ft (37 m), with a 15-bottomfish daily aggregate. That covers Edmonds, Tacoma, Port Townsend, Friday Harbor and Anacortes.
•Five Oregon marine reserves are no-take for all fish and invertebrates: Cape Falcon, Cascade Head, Otter Rock, Redfish Rocks and Cape Perpetua. The adjoining allow only troll salmon/crab or shore angling.

⛔ 🚫 Salmon and sturgeon — NOT by spear (hook-and-line only). Yelloweye rockfish: no retention in any WA marine area.
⛔ 🚫 Oregon Marine Reserves and Puget Sound conservation areas — take restricted/prohibited; check the specific site.
⛔ 🚫 Puget Sound (WA Marine Areas 6–13): rockfish closed outright, bottomfish prohibited deeper than 120 ft. 🚫 Oregon marine reserves — Cape Falcon, Cascade Head, Otter Rock, Redfish Rocks, Cape Perpetua — no-take for everything.

US spearfishing law is state-by-state. License, spearable species, powerhead rules and distances vary; federal sanctuaries (Gray's Reef, the Keys, Flower Garden Banks) ban spearfishing. Always confirm with the state agency and local ordinances.

Safety protocol

Sets: watch the wave trains ≥15 min before entering; Hmax ≈ 2×Hs, the wash can run 50 m past the foam line. A lull >10 min with period >12 s = a big set «overdue», do NOT enter; enter right after a full set passes and re-check at minute 30.
Exit FIRST: find your exit AND a backup before entering. On a rocky/boulder shore a 0.5 m rise in swell can make the exit impossible — getting pinned/unable to climb out is the main killer.
Headland rip: prominent points often have a permanent topographic rip regardless of the model — locate it, enter/exit on the windward side, never swim against it.
Cold: wetsuit per the SST chip; the first shiver = a metabolic surge and a drop in breath-hold → get out at the first steady shiver. Cap the session at 45–60 min below 15 °C.
Solo discipline: buoy up; tell someone the spot and exit time; conservative breath-hold (never push it in cold/murky/surfy water); visibility <3 m — don't enter.
Afternoon wind: on many coasts the wind builds from midday — plan to be out of the water by midday; the chop builds — get out.
UV 11:00–15:00 (UVI ≥6): sunscreen and cover up on the surface interval.
Solo is a fundamental risk (hypoxic blackout with no buddy). Any doubt = No-go.

FAQ — spearfishing in Seattle

Where can I spearfish in Seattle?

Seattle has rock entry points such as 16th Avenue West Access, Alki Beach Park and Cormorant Cove. Seattle is a city on the Washington coast of United States; its shoreline faces south-west, at 220°. Below you'll find each spot (access, shelter and hazards) and today's forecast.

When is the best season in Seattle?

Jun–Sep; lingcod/rockfish/halibut, but salmon and sturgeon are spear-PROHIBITED.

How cold is the water in Seattle?

Cold, 8–13 °C; kelp and low viz, better in the straits.

Is Seattle good for a beginner?

Advanced: cold, kelp and low viz; no salmon/sturgeon by spear.

Do I need a licence in Seattle?

Yes — in Seattle almost certainly, but the licence is the STATE's, not a federal one: nearly every coastal state requires its own saltwater fishing licence, and several add a free registration or an extra endorsement on top (Florida's free State Reef Fish Survey for reef fish, Texas's saltwater endorsement, California's Ocean Enhancement Validation). Hawaii asks nothing of residents and charges visitors the NRMFL. What may be speared, and with what gear, is state law too — the price and the details depend on the state, so read the «Law» block below.

Full guide: spearfishing on the US West Coast →

Surface

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

Spots in United States

🇺🇸United States

Nearby towns

Washington

Oregon

Help us make it better

The water column

A marine instrument,
go / no-go for solo hunting.

The seabed

The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.

Where to get in
off the rocks.

Surfacing

What's in season,
what the law says.

FAQ — spearfishing in Seattle

California

Alaska

Seattle spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras

Windows, hours and the day's trends.

Get the go / no-go verdict for Seattle by email

Spots in United States

🇺🇸United States

Nearby towns

Washington

Oregon

Help us make it better

A marine instrument, go / no-go for solo hunting.

The forecast is the plan.The call is on the rock.

Where to get in off the rocks.

What's in season, what the law says.

FAQ — spearfishing in Seattle

California

Alaska

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

A marine instrument,
go / no-go for solo hunting.

The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.

Where to get in
off the rocks.

What's in season,
what the law says.