Your guide to a kid-friendly city
NOTE: Watch for beach closures before planning your fishing adventure.
Fishing can be enjoyable, but kids often have shorter attention spans. It may help to combine a fishing trip with a playground—either fishing first with the promise of a playground afterward, or getting the wiggles out before settling into fishing. Visit 10 of the best places to go fishing around Seattle and head to the park after.
Kids 14 and younger don’t need a fishing license. However, anglers of all ages (kids and adults) who fish for salmon, halibut, sturgeon, steelhead or Dungeness crab are required to have a catch record card with them while fishing. You can read more about fishing licenses here.
Species note: Lake Washington is home to dozens of species, especially coastal cutthroat trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, and black crappie. The smaller lakes are stocked with rainbow trout plus a few resident species.
Martha Lake Park (Lynnwood) This 6-acre park offers room to roam, with two playgrounds, multiple fishing piers, and a small beach. There is a pirate ship playground and a pier next to the parking lot. Head west along the paved trail to reach more piers, the beach, and the second playground.
Shoreline access: Public piers; the boat ramp Species: Rainbow trout (stocked), largemouth bass, yellow perch, brown bullhead Season: 4th Saturday of April through October 31 Address: 16300 E. Shore Drive, Lynnwood, WA 98036
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Lake Tye Park (Monroe) This is a lovely park for a day of family fun and a great place to go fishing around the Seattle area. You can fish from the shore and play on the sandy beach. The playground is steps away, with a unique circular swing set and lots of fun play structures. The paved, level 1.6-mile loop around the lake is great for walking or biking. Round out the fun with the skate park, baseball fields, soccer fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, and picnic shelters.
Shoreline access: From the shore Species: Triploid rainbow trout (stocked), largemouth bass, pumpkinseed sunfish, brown bullhead Season: Year-round Address: 14964 Fryelands Blvd, Monroe, WA 98272
Log Boom Park (Kenmore) The park was renovated and re-opened in June 2022. It packs a lot of activities into a small 4-acre space! The playground is located halfway between the pier and the small beach. Even if you’re not fishing, the long pier is a nice spot to view seaplanes or the sunset. In summer, WhatsSup rents paddleboards. The Burke-Gilman trail runs next to the park—watch for fast-moving bicycles, or go for a ride yourself!
Shoreline access: 1,200 lineal feet of shoreline; public pier, max depth 8′ Species: See Lake Washington species note, above Season: Year-round Address: 17415 61st Ave NE, Kenmore, WA 98028 Seattle
Madison Park Beach (Seattle) With a long, narrow strip of beach, Madison Park has room to spread out. The beach transitions from small rocks on the north end (near the fishing pier) to sandy. Head uphill to reach the playground. Kids can enjoy playing “floor is lava” on the bigger play structure, which is made of ropes and poles. The park also has toddler-size equipment, swings, a small zipline, stone animal sculptures, and a tennis court. There are several restaurants, a grocery store, and a coffee shop nearby.
Shoreline access: Public pier, max depth 9′ Species: See Lake Washington species note, above Season: Year-round Address: 1900 43rd Ave E, Seattle, WA 98112
Seward Park (Seattle) At 300 acres, there is plenty to explore at Seward Park! The fishing pier is on the northwest side of the park and the playground is on the southwest side, about 1 mile apart. You can stroll or roll between the two spots on the perimeter loop, which is a paved path around the outside of the park. There are also several hiking trails through old-growth forests, a swimming beach, tennis courts, picnic shelters, a clay studio, and an environmental center.
Shoreline access: Public pier (search for “Reverend UG Murphy Pier”), max depth 10′ Species: See Lake Washington species note, above Season: Year-round Address: 5900 Lake Washington Blvd S, Seattle, WA 98118 Eastside
Cottage Lake Park (Woodinville) This pleasant park has nice views of the lake from the fishing pier or along the boardwalk. Take a stroll on the paved paths, or play basketball on the multi-use court. The playground has several low ropes obstacles to climb. It’s a nice complement to the high ropes course adjacent to the playground, which are operated by the Northshore YMCA.
Shoreline access: Public pier Species: Rainbow trout (stocked), coastal cutthroat trout, perch, crappie Season: Last Saturday of April through October 31 Address: 18831 NE Woodinville-Duvall Rd, Woodinville, WA 98072
Juanita Beach Park (Kirkland) With an inclusive playground, protected swimming area, and extended pier, this popular park is a great spot to visit. The playground was remodeled in 2020 with a fun mix of all-abilities play equipment and synthetic turf. The sandy beach and swimming area are lifeguarded from July through Labor Day. The U-shaped pier, about 1/4 mile long, is nice for fishing or a stroll over the water. Across the street, younger kids can climb into a tree stump turned fairy house!
Shoreline access: Public pier, max depth 7′ Species: See Lake Washington species note, above Season: Year-round Address: 9703 Juanita Dr NE, Kirkland, WA 98034
Luther Burbank Park (Mercer Island) This park has a bit of everything! On the north side of the parking lot, follow the gravel path past the amphitheater to a short boardwalk and lake access with a pebbly beach. Then follow the paved path back to find an abandoned dairy barn foundation—perfect for hide-and-seek/tag. You’ll also pass an off-leash dog park with lake access on your way back to the playground with newer play structures. There are tennis courts next to the playground, and the fishing piers are just down the hill. For more exploring, check out the community P-Patch and up to 3 miles of hiking trails.
Shoreline access: Public pier, max depth 20′ Species: See Lake Washington species note, above Season: Year-round Address: 2040 84th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040 South End
Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park (Renton) With so much to do, it’s hard to know where to start! The long U-shaped fishing pier ends next to the two-story pavilion, a great spot for lunch (Ivar’s, Kidd Valley, or bring your own snacks). Walk past the boat launch to reach the sandy swimming beach. The playground is bigger than most, with some inclusive features and lots to climb. For more fun, check out the sand volleyball courts, tennis courts, and horseshoe pits.
Shoreline access: Public pier, max depth 30′ Species: See Lake Washington species note, above Season: Year-round Address: 1201 Lake Washington Blvd N, Renton, WA 98056
Lake Wilderness Park (Maple Valley) Fish from the pier, play on the sandy beach, or swim in the lake! Follow the paved path to the playground, with a fun mix of equipment including a rope carousel. There are also baseball fields, tennis courts, and picnic shelters. You could also check out the adjacent Lake Wilderness Arboretum and Gaffney’s Grove Disc Golf Course—both free admission. Bring a picnic lunch and you could easily spend a day here!
Shoreline access: Fishing pier; bank access on the northwest shore Species: Rainbow trout (stocked), kokanee, largemouth bass Season: 4th Saturday of April through October 31 Address: 22500 SE 248th St, Maple Valley, WA 98038 Read more
New to fishing? Here are some tips to get you and your child started. Want a stocked pond to fish? Here’s where to go. Check out more fun places to go and things to do.
Anne and her two kids started visiting Seattle-area parks as a pandemic project and began sharing about them on Instagram @SeaKidsRoam. So far they have visited over 80 parks - with a list of dozens more to go.
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