Spot Tail Seattle Fishing Charters, also known as A Spot Tail Salmon Guide, has guided salmon fishing and chartering on Puget Sound for 35 years, led by Captain Keith Robbins, who has fished these waters for nearly 50 years. Located less than 7 miles north of downtown Seattle, it’s one of the closest fishing charters to the city center, giving visitors an easy way to combine a Seattle trip with a day on the water.
The charter’s specialty is light tackle mooching for salmon, a hands-on local technique where each angler holds their own rod, feels the bite, and sets the hook themselves rather than sharing gear or watching a guide reel in the fish. Trips target Chinook, Coho, Humpback (Pink), and Chum salmon, along with year-round Sea-Run Cutthroat Trout, Steelhead, and Dolly Varden. Beyond salmon fishing, Spot Tail also offers saltwater fly fishing near the shoreline in shallow water using both top-water and sinking flies, a method suited to intermediate or above casters rather than beginners.
Morning guided salmon trips run as a private boat charter for $1,250, while afternoon half-day trips run $1,100 for a 4-hour outing. Saltwater fly fishing for searun cutthroat, limited to up to three anglers, runs $1,000 for a 6-hour trip. For those who’d rather skip fishing, Spot Tail also offers Seattle sightseeing tours on a private boat for up to six guests at $250 per hour plus fuel costs, along with sea burial charters for families scattering a loved one’s ashes on the Sound.
Captain Keith brings decades of Seattle knowledge to every trip, from the best spots to fish or fly cast to the city’s neighborhoods and history, and reviews consistently highlight his patience, hands-on teaching style, and ability to put groups on a variety of fish, including salmon and even the occasional shark.
For anglers looking for a hands-on, own-your-own-rod Seattle fishing charter close to downtown, Spot Tail Seattle Fishing Charters offers salmon mooching, saltwater fly fishing, sightseeing, and sea burial trips with a highly experienced 35-year local captain.
