Anchorage· Fidalgo (Anacortes)· Salish Sea — San Juans, Gulf Islands & Desolation Sound
Bowman Bay and Sharpe Cove (Fidalgo Island)
48° 24.9′ N · 122° 39.3′ W
A small bay in Deception Pass State Park on the Fidalgo side, just north of the pass. It is the usual place to wait for slack before going through from the west, with a short trail to Rosario Head. Sharpe Cove is the tiny cove in its north-west corner by Rosario Head.
Practical
Coordinate is the OSM bay. Anchor in about 2.25 fathoms (13.5 ft, 4 m), mud (Coast Pilot). Shelter is from the north and east; it is open to the west and south-west swell. Alerts: the Bowman Bay pier is closed indefinitely because it is unsafe (State Parks plans to remove it), and the launch is closed to trailered boats but open to kayaks and paddleboards. The lower Bowman Bay parking lot is closed November 2 to 13, 2026. State Parks buoy and dock fees are $23 a buoy and $1 per foot; confirm whether any buoys are in place before relying on them. Waiting here, watch the current at the mouth of the pass and the eddies along the shore.
Best for
Waiting for Deception Pass slack; shore walks
Season
Year-round; best May-Sep
Nearby
- Rosario Beach and Rosario Head (Fidalgo Island)0.4 NM away
- Deception Pass Bridge (Deception Pass)0.5 NM away
- Cornet Bay (Whidbey Island)1.3 NM away
- Mount Erie Viewpoint (Fidalgo Island)2.6 NM away
- Skagit Island Marine State Park (Skagit Bay)2.9 NM away
- Burrows Bay (Fidalgo Island)3.3 NM away
- Hope Island Marine State Park (Skagit Bay)3.5 NM away
- Kiket Bay (Skagit Bay)3.6 NM away
Place data includes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).