After viewing the salmon at the Ballard Locks Fish Ladder and watching the seals play in the water nearby, we headed to the Ballard Locks to watch how the boats transfer to and from the freshwater bodies of Lake Washington and Lake Union and the tidal, saltwater waters of Puget Sound via Salmon Bay.We were fascinated as we watched boats come from either the lake or the bay and how the Locks were operated to either bring the water level up or down depending on the direction of the boat. The Lock system is used on demand and we were able to watch it operate multiple times as boats keep passing through. We even watched a huge barge pass through.

Ballard Locks opened as far back as July 4, 1917 and has been continually used since then. 

We found the Ballard Locks and the Fish Ladder so interesting-I definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Seattle.

Posted: January 27, 2026