Fish Finders Private Charters in Seattle, WA

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Telephone:	+1 206-632-2611
Website:	www.fishingseattle.com
Address:	Shilshole Bay Marina 7501 Seaview Ave NW, Seattle, WA, 98117 Olympic Manor
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:	0.2 mi24th Ave NW & NW 87th St 0.3 mi24th Ave NW & NW 85th St 0.3 miNW 85th St & 24th Ave NW

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Local time (Seattle)	21:55 Friday, 20 June 2025

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Description

Specialties

Salmon Trolling, Lingcod and bottom fishing, Groups of up to 6 people per boat as well as singles and couples on shared boats.

History

Established in 1994.

I began this Seattle Washington Charter fishing operation in 1994 with the interest of providing personal, fulfilling and productive fishing trips catering to small groups, families, businesses and individuals looking for that quality Salmon fishing experience while reducing the time and cost associated with remote destinations.

I have lived in Seattle since 1968 when I was just 3 years old. Born in San Diego, I was first hooked on fishing when my Grandpa took me out on a Charter Boat while revisiting San Diego at age 9. I was instantly amazed at the diversity of the Sea.

In the 80’s I attended Trident Marine Engineering School in Seattle, then in the early 90’s studied for my US Coast Guard License and in 1994 and after receiving my USCG 100 ton Masters Vessel Operators License I found and bought a WA. State Salmon Charter license, fulfilled other requirements such as 1^st aid/CPR and now I’m a full time charter captain. Really it’s overtime in the summer, part time in winter.

Meet the Business Owner

Carl N.

Business Owner

Captain Carl is a local Seattle guy who was brought up in the Norwegian neighborhood of Ballard where he now operates the fishing charter business Fish Finders Charters. Carl is married with three boys born in ’93, ’99 and ’02 and three dogs of varying size and personality. Also an experienced rock and blues drummer, evolving guitarist and studio engineer, Carl’s hobbies include music, skiing, cooking, mechanic, gardening and of course fishing.

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11 reviews of Fish Finders Private Charters

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Ski M.

Place rating: 5
Redmond, WA

Captain Carl is the best in Seattle hands down. He put us on fish right away even in tough conditions late in the winter with many marine areas closed. He has many years of fishing experience, knows all the fishing holes and is a great guy! Big clean boat, great gear and lots of fun. I will book again with him for sure!

Steve S.

Place rating: 5
Seattle, WA

I wanted to go fishing for my Birthday and not knowing who was available I decided to check Unilocal for some help. Fish Finders had great reviews and was also based in my own neighborhood of Ballard so the easy choice was made and the trip was booked. We met at the pier at 6 am. A little tip, If you go in the morning try and be on time because you will be holding up everyone else and you don’t want to be that guy! Another little tip for you is that this pier is past the main office about 100 yards to the north and there is parking for you in front of it even though there are signs indicating permit only. I hooked the first fish moments after we left and it was a nice King that we were able to land and release, that fish made my day! Captain Carl is a knowledgeable, competent, and efficient guide and boat captain. I was very happy with the experience and would go with him again. The boat is comfortable and we were full up with 5 clients but it did not seem crowded and taking turns catching fish did not detract from my experience. There is no guarantee when you go fishing but everyone in our boat limited! I would also like to add that Carl is an easy going guy, fun to fish with, and someone you would definitely go back out on the water with. Thanks Carl! Best of luck to you!

Monica R.

Place rating: 5
Snoqualmie, WA

We had a wonderful time with Captain Carl! He took us out on a beautifully sunny and breezy day for catch-and-release King and Coho salmon fishing in the Puget Sound. We had so much fun wrestling with a couple of large King salmon, and he helped us quickly snap great photos before they had to be released. Towards the end of the day, he found us a spot to fish flounder so we’d have something to take home, and we definitely weren’t disappointed. We even caught and released a couple of sharks! At the end of the day, he cleaned and packed all of our catch for us right on the dock. We later followed his suggestion for pan-frying the whole fish he had scaled and cleaned, and it was delicious.
What I respected most was Captain Carl’s complete professionalism. He was responsive and very upfront about fishing and weather conditions, and he was patient as we rescheduled multiple times to find the perfect day.
Tips for potential fishing adventurers: make sure you check Captain Carl’s website to understand what’s in season. We went before salmon season opened and had a great experience, but if you really want to keep the salmon you catch, you should go after July 1^st. Also, bring sandwiches (or some other small, clean, easy-to-eat meal). It’s a six-hour day starting very early in the morning, so you don’t want to get too hungry! Captain Carl has water, a restroom, and some storage space on the boat.

Robert M.

Place rating: 5
Miami, FL

Had a great time fishing with Captain Carl! My wife and I were on our honeymoon and decided to hire the captain and his boat for a day. I am an experienced fisherman from Florida and wanted to experience the fishing in Seattle. I know that experience is paramount when booking a charter, but personality is a close second. Captain Carl did not disappoint with either!
If you are looking for sleek sport fishing boat with AC and a TV, this is not it. The boat is an older boat, but is clean and comfortable with a head and heat in the cabin if needed. Everything you need to be comfortable and catch fish. The Captain is the most important for a good experience.
He is a great guy and is extremely knowledgeable about the fishery in the area. He was eager to explain to us how the fishery is managed, and about his involvement at the local level. I learned a lot about the local King Salmon and about the hatchery programs that are in the area.
We also enjoyed boating 20 plus King Salmon that day, all released. We also boated some nice Flounder as well.
I would recommend this captain to anyone who wants to have a good time and catch fish.

Scott M.

Place rating: 5
Littlerock, CA

My hat’s off to the Captain. We scheduled a trip with Carl not realizing this was the start of the really rainy season. Carl forewarned us about this and asked us the consider a back-up date. Well, as our scheduled fishing trip approached, we saw that it was raining most of that whole week. There was a small window of opportunity the day before our scheduled trip and I called Carl to see about switching our fishing day. Carl obliged us and we were set for our day of fishing.
Though the weather was poor that morning, and Carl warned us we may have to call it quits early, Carl nevertheless set off for one of his spots. Once we got there Carl set the downriggers and we proceeded to catch fish after fish. Unfortunately, the majority of what we caught, and had to release, was undersize. However, we did catch a number of very nice keepers.
Once we done and back at the docks, I watched as Carl expertly filleted and packaged our Salmon. This was our first Salmon fishing experience and Carl’s tenacity, knowledge of the fishery, friendliness, and customer service made this trip an experience to remember.

Michael G.

Place rating: 5
Fortson, GA

Came across Carl while looking to fish in Seattle while visiting our son, a guide for RMI. Booking was easy, and confirmed right away by text. The day before we got a reminder, and this morning set out on a great day. I’ve fished here and there, mostly the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, and Carl compares favorably to any guide I’ve had. Just enough business and humor to make you think he is your best friend for the day. We hit our limit early, and are eating like kings tonight. Can’t say enough good things.

Ron B.

Place rating: 5
Tacoma, WA

Captain Carl provided us with an incredible fishing trip! I’m not even sure where to start. He provided excellent communication and was a consummate professional throughout the entire event to include booking the trip. His boat — the Fishwitch — was comfortable and Capt Carl made us feel at home on it. During the trip, he whet our appetites by having us catch our own live bait. He knew a spot where the flounder was biting and catching them in itself was a treat. After we caught enough flounder he took us to the lingcod area about 40 minutes away. There were many other fishing boats in the area and based on their radio communications with Capt Carl, they weren’t having luck. I don’t know if he was just lucky or if Capt Carl was more experienced, but we had no trouble catching our quota. Some of the fish we caught were so big we had to throw them back. My arms got sore fighting the fish but it was a blast! My party of three were new to fishing but Capt Carl taught us how to use the rods and reels and he did all the messy work of baiting the hooks and cleaning our catch.
On top of the fishing, Capt Carl was instrumental in helping me propose to my girlfriend. He attached my engagement ring to some line which I then secretly inserted into the mouth of one of the bigger fish we caught. Capt Carl set up the situation by saying there was something in that fish’s mouth. I held up the fish’s head and asked my girlfriend to pull on the line. When she saw what was on the end of the line she said «Oh my god it’s someone’s engagement ring!» It didn’t dawn on her that it was hers until I inserted it on her finger. Capt Carl was astute enough to catch this humorous and special event on video. In the end not only did we catch some big fish, I also landed myself a fiancée.
Book a trip with Capt Carl and you will not be disappointed!

John C.

Place rating: 5
Austin, TX

After fishing in Alaska for the past week and then spending 4 days in Seattle before traveling home, my 8 year old daughter wanted one more trip out (she is a fishing nut)! We found Captain Carl on the internet and gave him a call. Even though he was loooking forward to a well deserved afternoon off, he went ahead and booked us for the next afternoon. He and his son Nick were fantastic and they really went out of their way to cater to my daughter. We hit our limit on salmon inside of an hour while all the other boats were not catching anything. He then took us off to fish for other kinds of fish. Fantastic day, can’t wait to go fishing with him again.

Russ N.

Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA

We’ve never been to Seattle so I wanted to make the trip memorable. I found Carl’s website from a google search (
) and also found 1 review on Unilocal.Since there was only 1 review, I thought I would add a 2^nd review (although I have not gone on my trip yet).
So far, here are some perceptions:
1– Book early! I initially emailed Carl back in May (for a July outing). He told me to provide a cc # to hold the reservation but I dropped the ball. I called back today and the date/times we wanted were already booked! I ended up figuring out an alternative date/time with Carl (woo hoo!)
2– After speaking with Carl over email and phone, I can say that Carl is a nice guy who is easy to work with. He even went so far as to look up the tides on the day we wanted to go out. It seemed like customer service came natural to him =)
I’ll update my review after the trip.

Eric S.

Place rating: 5
Seattle, WA

I had guests out from Ohio and wanted to show them an amazing time — PNW style. I selected Fish Finders first for their location, but second for the pleasant interaction I had when I called. I book a few weeks ion advance, and the day before the event the Captain Carl called to remind me and answer questions about the coming day of fishing– which I really appreciated. We showed up at 7 AM, got our temp. fishing tags and the rest of the day fished for salmon and whatever else might bite. Flounder, salmon, a single cod all made the day a hoot! We got 2 keeper salmon (over 22″) and my buddies had a blast! Carl added to the enjoyment –and it was not to afterwards that we realized how lucky we felt we were that we had him along as our guide. This service is definitely worth it!

Kristin Y.

Place rating: 5
Laguna Hills, CA

Tons of fun. Spent a day flounder fishing with Carl the captain. He is very helpful. Before my trip I never caught a fish in the wild. We caught at least 100 flounders between the 4 of us and kept about 55. Carl baits your hook, teaches how to fish, takes the fish off the hook, and cleans/fillets the fish for you. I just had to drop the line and catch the fish. Carl did the rest. I’m planning on going salmon fishing with him in July.

Fish Finders Private Charters

Seattle, United States