Chart Viewer
Electronic Navigational ChartsSign in to open the chart
Free account. Read nautical charts and seamarks across all Washington waters, and save your own launches, hazards and spots so they follow you to any device.
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Base charts: official Electronic Navigational Chart data, updated weekly · Soundings are in feet below Mean Lower Low Water — check the tide for your date before trusting a charted depth.
Reading a Nautical Chart
Soundings are depths in feet at Mean Lower Low Water — the average of the lower of each day's two low tides. Real depth is usually more than charted, but on a big minus tide it can be less, which is exactly when people find bottom they did not expect. Depth contours trace the shape of the bottom; the tight ones mark drop-offs and edges where salmon and bottomfish hold. Buoys and beacons appear in the seamark layer — red and green marks, lights, and cardinal marks around hazards.
For planning a trip, pair this with the tide charts and bite forecast to see how the water will move over your spot, the trip planner for a full forecast by Marine Area, and the season calendar for what is open. Always confirm current rules at WDFW — seasons and limits change by Marine Area, sometimes mid-season.