The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) owns or manages approximately 475 water access areas on state waters, providing fishing, boating, and other water recreation for Washington residents and visitors. These areas include more than 360 boat launches, notably the largest system of its kind among public land management agencies in Washington, providing public access to roughly 220 lakes, 50 streams, and inland and coastal marine waters.
In 2024, WDFW initiated a regional water access management planning pilot in North Puget Sound - Region 4 as called for in the Department's 10-year Recreation Strategy for WDFW-managed Lands (2022). The planning process is guided by WDFW’s draft Regional Water Access Management Planning Framework. For more information about water access management planning in North Puget Sound, please contact R4WaterAccessPlan@dfw.wa.gov.
To find water access areas in your region, use the search tool on WDFW's water access area webpage.