Port Townsend tide times

Port Townsend sits at the northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula, where Admiralty Inlet — the main tidal channel connecting Puget Sound to the Strait of Juan de Fuca — runs just offshore. The tidal pattern here is mixed semidiurnal with a large range: mean tidal range is 2.3 metres, with spring tides regularly reaching 3.7 to 4.0 metres at the stronger exchanges. This is serious tidal country.

Admiralty Inlet runs 3 to 5 knots on peak spring ebbs — the current is visible from the beach as rips and upwellings on the surface. Kayakers and small-boat sailors treat this current as both hazard and asset: use it when it's going your way, shelter when it isn't. The ferry to Whidbey Island crosses Admiralty Inlet at the Point Wilson lighthouse, and the state ferry schedule is partly timed around current predictions.

Point Wilson itself is one of the most-watched tide observation points in Washington. The lighthouse sits at the tip of the spit that separates Port Townsend Bay from Admiralty Inlet. Surfing of a kind occurs here: on minus low tides (common in summer mornings), the kelp forest emerges and sea otters use the exposed reefs; on spring high tides, the saltwater marsh above the boat launch floods. The range of 3.7+ metres produces a completely different landscape twice a day.

For anglers, the spring chinook salmon run through Admiralty Inlet in March and April is the season. Boats troll in the main channel with heavy gear — the depth changes from 30 to 100 metres within a kilometre, and fish stage in the transitions. Halibut open in May; the outer straits hold fish in 60 to 120 metres. Crabbing in Port Townsend Bay is year-round for Dungeness crab; the minus tides in summer allow wading anglers to reach oyster beds in the bay's protected coves.

Port Townsend is a Victorian seaport town with a working boatyard culture. The Northwest Maritime Center hosts the Wooden Boat Festival each September — a week of racing, demonstrations, and maritime skill-sharing. Boat launches are available at the public marina and at Fort Worden State Park, which occupies the north end of town.

Kayaking the bay is a full-day trip: Fort Worden to Indian Island to the Port Townsend shoreline and back is roughly 20 kilometres. The crossing to Whidbey Island (Keystone State Park) is possible for experienced sea kayakers — plan for Admiralty Inlet current and use the slack water window carefully, as it may last only 20 minutes on spring tides.

Predictions on this page come from Open-Meteo Marine, a gridded global ocean model. Accuracy is typically within plus or minus 45 minutes on timing and 0.2 to 0.3 metres on height — model-derived, not from a local gauge. For authoritative US tide data, consult NOAA CO-OPS at tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov.