Rosario Beach / Bowman Bay launch

Spent 4 hours yesterday afternoon fishing for lings on the incoming tide around Rosario Head and NW Island on Whidbey Island.

There are 3 potential launch locations, one at each of the three beaches around Rosario Head, Rosario Beach, Sharpe Cove, and Bowman Bay.  Check out the area on Google Earth.

Rosario Beach is the north-south beach on the north side of Rosario Head.  Lots of drift logs and a narrow rutted path down the short slope to the beach.  Access is on the extreme south end of the beach.  At this location you will likely need to carry your kayak down the short slope and across the logs.  I don't carry my yak except for very short distances.  The distance from the beach to NW Island is just 0.25 nm.

Sharpe Cove is the east-west beach on the south side of Rosario Head.  I think the only potential launch is from the dock, though I did not check out the foot paths down the slope to the beach.  The dock has a very steep portion.  Personally, I'm not sure I could drag my kayak up the steep slope of the dock on the Wheelez.  The distance from the end of the dock around Rosario Head to NW Island is 0.5 nm.

Rosario Beach and Sharpe Cove are both accessed from the same main gravel path out of the Rosario parking toward Rosario Head.

Bowman Bay Beach is a north-south beach south and east of Rosario Head.  It has a perfect concrete boat ramp down to a clean sand flat.  The distance out the bay, around Rosario Head to NW Island is 0.9 nm.  This is the launch I chose.  I parked 50 feet from the ramp.  The parking lot is large and has a lot of activity and is in the open.  There were large tour buses and a large group of sea kayak tours - about a dozen sea kayaks are actually stored at the parking lot.

The road to Bowman Bay is on the left just after leaving SR 20.  There is a sign.  The gate to Rosario Beach parking is just outside the parking lot.  The gate to Bowman Bay is at the top of the road.  This means if you are going to arrive before the gate is opened (6:30AM I think), you can't reasonably haul your kayak down to Bowman Bay, but you can reasonably haul your kayak down to Rosario Beach or Sharpe Cove. 

These launches are close together so if you are unfamiliar with the area I suggest you check out all three before committing to one of them.  I chose the Bowman Bay boat launch.  An extra 0.5 nm pedal means only an extra 10 minutes on the water, and that time was easily saved in loading up.

I caught no fish of any kind while fishing.  Got a tug or two, probably rockfish.  A number of kelp beds.  Lots of bottom relief.  The area and the bottom structure looks VERY, VERY fishy to me, but then, I'm a mammal.  Saw harbor seals and dolphins.   I was out during the height of the tidal exchange and the flood current in the middle of the channel was forecast to peak at over 2.5 kt.  I never noticed more than about 0.5 kt of current.

Cool that you got out there.  I like it there alot.

That rosario/bowman area is in a "pocket" and isn't really affected that much by the hellacious current to the south.  For that reason, it's a very easy place to fish.  But also for that reason, it can be very very slow fishing.   There are a couple spots that usually produce.  If you want to fish out there again, PM me and I'll give you the locs.   

Rosario is the better launch because it gets you closer to the fishing.  It's actually the shortest water commute to the structure zone I've found in the SJs. I usually launch/land on the dock side, unless its low tide (the bridge angle is too severe)  Otherwise, it's usually fine.

That whole area is very good for crabbing.  It's also very scenic.

First time I went there I launched at Rosario Beach, and was going to recover at the dock in Sharpe Cove, but was too chicken to try to lift myself up that far from the yak to the dock, so I went in on the beach instead.  The dock though is really not that bad, and when I fished there with Rory that's where we took out.  With him helping to stabilize my yak I made it up onto the dock just fine.

Anyway, that first time out there in addition to carrying my yak past the drift wood on Rosario Beach I also wound up dragging the yak up the rutted trail from the beach on Sharpe Cove when I was done.  It was certainly doable, but then I have an OK Prowler that is much lighter than a Hobie Outback or Revo.

Rory was able to get his Outback up the steep ramp on that dock with the Wheel-Tz balloon tire cart just fine.  But then he's a strapping lad that can also haul a 71# halibut up into his yak.  That said, I had no issues with pulling my Prowler on a Wheel-Ez Tuff Tire cart up that ramp.

That whole area is very good for crabbing.  It's also very scenic.

I'll need a little intel from you on that, if you don't mind.

Rory - you ever launch off out of Coronet Bay and fish inside of Deception Pass? The currents can still be significant in there, but less than right at the Pass, and  there are several points and islands that can provide protection - and ambush points for fish. I am interested because I have family in Oak Harbor and Burlington, and spend some time up there every summer. I am for sure taking the yak with me, for sightseeing, but I want to know if it's worth taking my tackle, too.

Rory - you ever launch off out of Coronet Bay and fish inside of Deception Pass? The currents can still be significant in there, but less than right at the Pass, and  there are several points and islands that can provide protection - and ambush points for fish. I am interested because I have family in Oak Harbor and Burlington, and spend some time up there every summer. I am for sure taking the yak with me, for sightseeing, but I want to know if it's worth taking my tackle, too.

Let me know when you're up here.  Be fun to meet up with another member.  Any of those areas aren't too far from me.

Rory - you ever launch off out of Coronet Bay and fish inside of Deception Pass? The currents can still be significant in there, but less than right at the Pass, and  there are several points and islands that can provide protection - and ambush points for fish. I am interested because I have family in Oak Harbor and Burlington, and spend some time up there every summer. I am for sure taking the yak with me, for sightseeing, but I want to know if it's worth taking my tackle, too.

Let me know when you're up here.  Be fun to meet up with another member.  Any of those areas aren't too far from me.

Will do. I've noticed you are a Wooley boy. I've run with a few of those before. And my brother used to live on some acreage on S River Road and had a S-W address. He lived across from a real redneck Tarheel family - dogs howling and gunshots all hours of the day & night. It was a great place. Sure a lot different than here in Portlandia, not that it isn't great here - but it is different. 

I might be in Woolley now, but I grew up back east.  Only lived here for 2 years now, so still figuring out the area.  I do really like it here though.  I've got almost 5 acres a mile or two east of town.

Looking forward to fishing with you up here sometime!

That whole area is very good for crabbing.  It's also very scenic.

I'll need a little intel from you on that, if you don't mind.

I'm gonna have to bring a couple of pots next time. I really want to camp up there too. But, I don't think camping is allowed.

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That whole area is very good for crabbing.  It's also very scenic.

I'll need a little intel from you on that, if you don't mind.

I'm gonna have to bring a couple of pots next time. I really want to camp up there too. But, I don't think camping is allowed.

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Definitely no camping at Rosario Head in the state park.  But there's a spot right outside the state park that you might be able to camp at.  Not sure but I think the 7th Day Adventists run that place.  I haven't looked into whether you camp or if it's just cabins.  It's right by the Marine Laboratory.  I've seen people pull in there with camper trailers.

There's camping across the bridge at deception pass state park. Good park.

Rory - you ever launch off out of Coronet Bay and fish inside of Deception Pass? The currents can still be significant in there, but less than right at the Pass, and  there are several points and islands that can provide protection - and ambush points for fish. I am interested because I have family in Oak Harbor and Burlington, and spend some time up there every summer. I am for sure taking the yak with me, for sightseeing, but I want to know if it's worth taking my tackle, too.

I have, for pinks. It's tricky.

Thanks for the camping input. Gonna have to try after ORC.

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Deception Pass State Park is one of the most beautiful parks in Washington, and it used to be the most popular campground, too. It may be still - the point is that it usually takes some planning to get in there. There is good camping at Washington Park in Anacortes (city park) and also a small campground at City Beach in Oak Harbor, plus the usual private RV parks in the area.

It is a beautiful little area and all the points of interest are close in.  I investigated the area from the cliff shoreline north of NW Island south to the notch in Reservation Head, plus fishing all around NW Island and Rosario Head, and in 4 hours traveled only 5 nm.  Next year I'll hit the area earlier in the season. 

How are the currents around Deception Island?  They spooked me so I didn't go out there.