The fish ladder viewing area at the Ballard Locks will close temporarily this week for repairs to leaking concrete, with crews working to fix the issue just as salmon migration season begins to pick up momentum.
The fish ladder is one of the Locks’ most popular attractions, allowing visitors to watch salmon migrate between Puget Sound and Lake Washington through close-up viewing windows as the fish move upstream toward their spawning grounds. While the viewing area undergoes repairs, the rest of the Locks grounds, including the botanical garden, will remain open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The viewing area is expected to reopen by 7 a.m. on Wednesday, 17 June.
The timing coincides with the early stages of this year’s salmon run. The Locks recently reported the first adult sockeye salmon of the season passing through the ladder, with larger numbers of sockeye, Chinook, coho, and other species expected to move through the system over the coming summer months. Visitors hoping to track the migration’s progress can follow daily salmon counts published by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, which reports the number of sockeye, Chinook, and coho counted at the Locks as they return to Lake Washington throughout the season.
The fish ladder viewing area received a significant upgrade in 2024, when new interpretive displays, additional seating, improved lighting, and a speaking post for park rangers were added to enhance the visitor experience.
