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LaPush
LaPush
LaPush, Washington is located
on the northwest coast of the Olympic Peninsula. From Seattle, the shortest
route is the ferry from Edmonds to Kingston. From there, follow the signs to
the Hood Canal Bridge. After crossing, continue on (the road flows into
Hwy.101) through Sequim and Port Angeles, around Lake Crescent, and just before
you get to Forks (1 mile), turn right on Hwy. 110. Continue for 14 miles, wind
your way through the small village, and you arrive at the Lapush Marina. The
first building on your right is the fuel dock, a colorful mural painted by a
Quileute tribal artist marks the building. The dock area follows, and at the
end of the three ramps that access the boats, you will find a boat launch. The
marina is open from approximately 6:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Recently, the
Quileute people have added several cabins for overnight stays, and they have
opened a new restaurant located next to the dock area.
Getting from the harbor to
the ocean requires a short boat trip (less than 5 minutes to the ocean) down
the tide waters of the Quileute River, which flow on the lee side of James
Island. The best part is, the potential for hooking fish begins instantly. This
area, at the mouth of the river, offers fish that are staging for their journey
up the Quileute and on to one of the three world-famous streams that make up
the Quileute system – the Sol Duc, Calawah and Bogachiel. As the summer
progresses and freshets begin to signal the transition to fall, the area
directly in front of the river on out to the "Q" buoy becomes increasingly
fishier.
Fishing for the last several years has been better than I have
seen since the 1970's. Silver limits are the rule for every boat that ventures
out to the "rock pile" (7.5 miles outside the mouth of the river), and the
chinook fishing so far this year has been great. Other spots to look for
chinook and other species are literally too numerous to mention... every piece
of underwater structure and every current rip on the surface can hold fish...
really.
As great as the fishing is,
be aware that when temperatures are hot inland, the possibility of fog
increases on the coast. Anyone fishing here should have a GPS system and the
ability to use it accurately. It's important to "pop" a number dead center at
the mouth of the river, another mark at the red entrance buoy (just to the
south of the river), and one more number at the "Q" buoy. This will ensure a
safe entrance in heavy fog conditions. James Island offers wonderful protection
at the entrance of the river, and there really isn't a "bar crossing" to worry
about, unlike other coastal fisheries.
However, one exception exists:
on a heavy southwesterly wind, the swell comes directly into the river and in
this event, simply do not go fishing. The good news is, this is not the
customary wind in fact, during the summer, it is unusual. The prevailing summer
winds are west-northwest and these are totally blocked by James Island, making
the normal trip to the salt the easiest and quickest on Washington's coast.
For more information, call Larry Williamson at Admiralty Charters,
360-417-2875, and he'll be happy to help you out. Also, it's always a good idea
to book a trip on a charter boat first, to get the "feel" of the place before
you take your own boat out for the first time.
The fishing's great.
What are you waiting for?
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