The Ballard Locks field guide
Will I see salmon?
A little timing goes a long way. Pick a day to see what usually runs, then check the recorded counts from the fish ladder.
Typical seasonal activity
Autumn belongs
to the coho.
September is a good time to look for returning coho at the viewing windows.
Coho seasonA seasonal guide, not a live sighting report.
A year at the ladder
June — NovemberSockeyeChinookCoho
Typical run timing. Higher curves mean a busier part of each species’ season, not a predicted fish count.
From the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The recorded run
Cumulative counts through August 30, 2026
Chinook
10,785Coho
413Dated snapshots published by USACE; counts are preliminary. WDFW and Muckleshoot Indian Tribal staff conduct the counts. View the official count table ↗
About these numbers
These are passage counts, not the number of fish visible at the windows or the number that eventually reach spawning grounds. The two snapshots end on different dates, so they are not a year-to-year comparison. This page does not refresh from a live feed. The seasonal guide uses the site’s approximate run curves; official totals are kept separate.
Meet the homecoming crowd.
Find the viewing windows ↗Make the most of your visit
Give the windows
a little time.
Fish move in pulses. Stay a while, look into the corners, and let your eyes settle into the underwater light.
Plan a visit ↗When is the best season?
Summer into early fall is the main adult salmon viewing season. Sockeye generally come first, followed by Chinook and coho. The timing shifts from year to year.
What if there aren’t any salmon?
Watch the boats, wander the garden, and look for harbor seals below the spillway. A quiet fish window can still be part of a very good afternoon.
Where do I go?
The fish ladder is on the south side of the Locks. From Ballard, follow the public crossings over the lock gates and spillway, then look for the viewing gallery.