Lake Union

Kayaking and Paddleboarding on Lake Union from Eastlake

You can rent a kayak or paddleboard on Lake Union at two spots in Eastlake, at Northwest Outdoor Center on the west shore, at Moss Bay on the south end and at Agua Verde on Portage Bay, and most of them rent from spring to early fall. If you have your own board, Eastlake has free public launches at Fairview Park, South Passage Point Park and four city shoreline street ends.

By Eastlake RE Partners Updated 7 min read

Flow Eastlake apartments seen from above on Fairview Avenue East, across from Lake Union in Seattle

Eastlake runs along the east shore of Lake Union, so getting on the water from here mostly means walking to it. For the rest of the neighborhood, see our guide to living in Eastlake.

Where to rent a kayak or paddleboard near Eastlake

Two rental spots are in Eastlake itself, and three paddle shops sit elsewhere on the lake and on Portage Bay. Most close for part of the year, so check the website before you go.

In Eastlake

  • The Paddle, 10 E Allison St, rents paddleboards and single or tandem kayaks from a dock on the water, with a paddle and life jacket included. It is seasonal, and its website announced a September closing.
  • Buoy Water Club keeps paddleboards and single and tandem kayaks in self-service lockers at 2370 Fairview Ave E. You unlock them with the Buoy app and a QR code on the locker.

Elsewhere on the lake

  • Northwest Outdoor Center (NWOC), 2100 Westlake Ave N, launches rentals from its own docks on the west side of the lake, with a paddle, life jacket and short orientation included. It keeps renting after summer (it was renting when we checked in November), but each day depends on wind and weather, so check its “Are We Renting?” page first.
  • Moss Bay, 1001 Fairview Ave N at the south end of the lake, rents kayaks and paddleboards first come, first served. It is closed for hourly rentals from November 2026 through March 2027 and reopens in April. Private boats cannot launch from its docks.
  • Agua Verde Paddle Club, 1307 Boat St on Portage Bay in the University District, rents kayaks and paddleboards. It is closed for the 2026 season and plans to reopen in March 2027.

Where to launch your own kayak or paddleboard in Eastlake

Eastlake has free public launches for hand-carried kayaks and paddleboards: three Seattle Parks sites and four shoreline street ends that the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) lists with kayak access.

Seattle Parks launches

  • Fairview Park, 2900 Fairview Ave E, has a low float reached by a walkway whose angle changes with the lake level. Tie-up is limited to two hours.
  • Fairview Walkway launch, at the south end of the walkway near 1251 Fairview Ave N, is a dock with a parking lot nearby.
  • South Passage Point Park, on Portage Bay at the north end of Eastlake, has floating docks shared with a neighboring small craft center. Give its rowers and boats priority.

Terry Pettus Park, 2001 Fairview Ave E, is also a Parks launch, but its lower portion is closed as unsafe. Seattle Parks expects to build its renovation in 2027.

Shoreline street ends

SDOT’s Shoreline Street Ends program keeps the spots where streets meet the water open to the public. Its map tags these Eastlake sites as worth a visit, with kayak access:

  • E Louisa St, off Fairview Ave E: a bench, a picnic table and a pétanque court, with a gradual slope to the shore.
  • E Allison St, west end: a picnic table and concrete steps down to the water.
  • E Hamlin St, west end: a site the community looks after, with tiered seating and timber steps to the shore.
  • E Martin St, known locally as Good Turn Park: a public shore in a stand of evergreens, recently updated with new sidewalks, native plants and benches.

Street ends are small public spaces next to private property, so carry your board straight to the water and leave room for others.

Not Gas Works Park

Seattle Parks prohibits launching boats or entering the water at Gas Works Park, because the lake sediment there contains hazardous substances.

Routes and things to see

From Eastlake you can loop around Lake Union, head west through the Fremont Cut, or go northeast into Portage Bay and on through the Montlake Cut. All of these waters are part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, where the city’s harbor code limits boats to 7 knots.

Around Lake Union

Floating homes are moored along parts of Lake Union and Portage Bay. Eastlake’s Terry Pettus Park is named for a journalist who moved onto a houseboat in 1958 and became a leading voice in protecting that community. These are people’s homes, so keep a polite distance.

Gas Works Park sits across the lake on the north shore. At the south end, Lake Union Park is home to the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) and the Center for Wooden Boats, and its sandy beach and floats are also a public hand-carry launch.

West through the Fremont Cut

Off the northwest end of the lake, the Fremont Cut carries the Ship Canal toward Ballard and the Locks. Check your rental’s limits first: NWOC rental boats are not allowed through the Ballard Locks.

Portage Bay and the Montlake Cut

Portage Bay has more floating homes, and beyond it the Montlake Cut leads east to the Washington Park Arboretum’s water trail and the Union Bay Natural Area. Agua Verde says most of its paddlers spot great blue herons, and on sunny days you may see painted turtles sunning on logs.

Safety and rules on Lake Union

Every kayak and paddleboard needs a Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person, a whistle or other sound-producing device, and a white light when visibility is low. Children 12 and under must wear their life jacket.

  • Life jackets. Washington requires a properly fitted, Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person on every vessel, including kayaks and paddleboards, and children 12 and under must wear one while underway in a vessel under 19 feet. State Parks urges every paddler to wear one. In 2025, paddlers made up 12 of Washington’s 26 reportable recreational boating deaths, and State Parks says 75 percent of people killed in reportable boating accidents were not wearing a life jacket.
  • Whistle and light. State law requires paddlers to carry a sound-producing device such as a whistle, even on a paddleboard, and State Parks lists a white light for fog, heavy rain, dawn or dusk.
  • Seaplanes. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, five seaplane advisory buoys run north to south on Lake Union. When they flash yellow, a seaplane is about to take off or land, so move 200 feet east or west of the buoys.
  • Cold water. State Parks calls cold water shock, not hypothermia, the biggest risk for paddlers. A fall into cold water triggers an involuntary gasp, even water in the 70s can cause it, and a life jacket keeps your head up through that gasp.
  • Plan ahead. Tell someone your route, check the weather (conditions on the water can differ from those on land), and leave alcohol on shore.

When to go

Late spring through early fall is the easiest time to paddle Lake Union, because that is when most rental shops are open. Agua Verde plans to reopen in March 2027 and Moss Bay in April, and NWOC rents later into the year when weather allows.

Summer is the busiest stretch. Moss Bay says its hottest days draw the most people, and since it takes no reservations, you may wait for a boat. In any season, rentals depend on wind and weather, so call ahead on windy or rainy days.

Living next to the lake in Eastlake

Flow Eastlake, at 3150 Fairview Ave E, is across the street from Lake Union with direct beach access, and it has paddleboard and kayak storage for residents.

Quick answers

Where can I rent a paddleboard on Lake Union?

In Eastlake, The Paddle and Buoy Water Club both rent paddleboards, and so do Northwest Outdoor Center, Moss Bay and Agua Verde. Most close in the off-season.

Is there a beach on Lake Union where I can launch?

Yes. Lake Union Park at the south end has a sandy beach and floats that work as a public hand-carry launch. In Eastlake, the E Louisa St street end slopes gently to the shore.

Do I need a life jacket on a paddleboard in Washington?

Yes. Every paddleboard needs a Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person and a whistle or other sound device, and children 12 and under must wear the life jacket.

Can I launch a kayak at Gas Works Park?

No. Seattle Parks prohibits launching boats and entering the water there because of hazardous substances in the lake sediment.

Are Lake Union kayak rentals open in winter?

Mostly not. Moss Bay, Agua Verde and The Paddle close in the off-season, while NWOC was still renting in November 2026 when weather allowed.

Sources

All accessed 2026-11-07.

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