Best Boating Spots in Howe Sound: A Local’s Guide

Ask any boater on the North Shore what makes living here special and Howe Sound will come up within the first few sentences. It’s one of the finest cruising grounds in Canada - a fjord-carved stretch of islands, inlets, and mountain backdrops that starts practically at the end of the road and runs all the way to Squamish. Most of us have been running these waters for years.

That said, familiarity can make it easy to stick to the same well-worn routes. Snug Cove for lunch, a swing through the fishing grounds south of Bowen, home by afternoon. Nothing wrong with that - but the Sound has more to offer. Some of the best anchorages in Howe Sound see a fraction of the boat traffic you’d expect, and the upper Sound, Gambier’s western bays, and the shoulder seasons all reward those who venture a little further.

This guide covers the key stops, the classics and the underappreciated ones, with honest advice on where to moor, what to watch for, and what time of year each spot is at its best. We’ve been launching boats into these waters from our home base at Lionsgate Marine Centre in North Vancouver since 2011, and this is the kind of local knowledge we share with customers every day.

Getting Out There: Launch Points from the North Shore

Most North Shore boaters will know their preferred ramp, but it’s worth knowing all your options — especially when summer weekend queues at the popular spots can add an hour to your morning.

• Horseshoe Bay: The most convenient option for boats trailered down from North Vancouver. Close to the mouth of the Sound, easy access to Bowen and beyond. Gets congested on summer weekends — arriving early makes a real difference.

• Sunset Marina (Sunset Beach): A private marina with a launch ramp about 3km north of Horseshoe Bay. Less busy than Horseshoe Bay and a useful alternative when the main ramp is queued up.

• Lions Bay Marina: Another private option, roughly 3km north of Sunset Beach. A convenient departure point if you’re heading straight across to Gambier’s Halkett Bay.

• Porteau Cove Provincial Park: The only public ramp accessible from Highway 99 between Horseshoe Bay and Squamish. Good base for exploring the mid-Sound islands or heading north to Squamish.

Local tip: Whatever your launch point, get on the water early in summer. The outflow winds that funnel northwest down the Sound typically build through the morning and can be strong by early afternoon - especially north of Gambier. The old North Shore rule of thumb: be where you’re going, or heading home, before 2pm.

Bowen Island: The Classic First Stop

Bowen needs no introduction. At roughly 15km from Horseshoe Bay, it’s the Sound’s most accessible island and it earns its popularity. The two main spots serve very different purposes.

Snug Cove

The main hub of the island. Union Steamship Marina is the place to tie up - book ahead in July and August because slips fill fast, particularly on weekends. If you’re just stopping for lunch, anchoring in the outer cove is an option, though holding is variable and you’ll want to set your anchor well.

The village has good cafes and a handful of interesting shops, and Crippen Regional Park is right there with easy walking trails. It’s a genuinely pleasant stop and easy to stretch into a half-day.

Boating tips: The BC Ferries lane through Snug Cove is active — give the ferry plenty of room and don’t linger in the approaches. Watch for the shoal extending from the north spit when entering the anchorage, particularly at lower tides. Keep your chart handy even in familiar waters.

Mannion Bay (Bowen Bay)

The quieter west-side alternative and a genuinely different experience from Snug Cove. Good holding in the bay, beach access by dinghy, and far fewer boats. Worth knowing about when Snug Cove feels too busy.

Boating tips: Mannion Bay is exposed to southwesterlies — it’s a calm summer’s day anchorage, not the place to be if there’s a front building or any south in the wind. Check the forecast carefully before committing to an overnight here.

The Fishing: South Bowen and the Hump

For anglers, south Bowen from Cowans Point out to the area known locally as “the Hump” is one of the most productive coho and Chinook zones in Howe Sound. It’s a natural fishing stop on the way out from the North Shore and can be exceptional in summer and early fall. If you’re running to Bowen, it’s worth dropping lines here before you go in.

Best for: Day trips, family outings, lunch ashore, combining with a fishing run.

Gambier Island: Worth the Extra Run

Gambier doesn’t get nearly the traffic it deserves. Less than 10km from Bowen but a world apart in terms of crowds, it’s the island you head to when you want the Sound to feel like it’s yours. Sparsely populated, heavily forested, and with some of the best anchorages in the entire Sound on its western side.

Halkett Bay Marine Provincial Park

On Gambier’s southeast corner, Halkett Bay is the most sheltered and accessible of the island’s main stops. The government wharf provides somewhere to tie a dinghy, and the park has formal campsites tucked back in old-growth hemlock and fir. A beautiful overnight if you’re spending a night at anchor.

Boating tips: Watch for shallows at the head of the bay — hug the government dock side rather than running straight in toward the back. The holding is good mud and the anchorage is well-protected. If you’re overnighting, set your anchor properly — the bay can get a bit of chop if the wind comes up overnight.

West Bay and Centre Bay

These are the hidden gems of Howe Sound. Two deeply indented bays on Gambier’s southwest coast that most boaters running the Sound never reach. Well-sheltered, excellent holding, dramatic mountain backdrop, and often completely quiet on a weeknight. If you’re looking for the kind of anchorage where you can sit in the cockpit with a drink and hear nothing but the occasional loon, this is it.

Boating tips: Both bays are exposed to southerly swells if a front is building, so these are settled-weather anchorages rather than all-conditions refuges. In good summer weather they’re hard to beat. There are no dock facilities — you’ll need your dinghy to get ashore. Gambier’s West Bay also has a shallow reef on the center/eastern side of the bay as you enter that can be very difficult to see at high tide, especially at higher speeds.  

Brigade Bay and New Brighton

On the island’s north shore, Brigade Bay and the community dock at New Brighton offer a dinghy landing and access to some of the island’s old logging trails. Less sheltered than the western bays, but worth knowing if you’re circumnavigating the island or want to explore ashore.

Keep an eye out for wildlife throughout. Seals are common around Gambier, eagles are everywhere, and a black bear on the shoreline is not unheard of.

Best for: Overnights, experienced boaters who want genuine solitude, anyone who wants to say they’ve found the quiet side of Howe Sound.

Keats Island and Plumper Cove Marine Park

Plumper Cove is a BC marine park classic and probably the best-known overnight stop in Howe Sound. Mooring buoys, a wharf, marine-accessible campsites, a pebble beach good for swimming, and a short hike to Observatory Point with views back up the Sound toward Gambier and the mountains. It does what a marine park should do.

Boating tips: The buoys go fast on summer weekends — arrive Friday afternoon if you want to secure one. If the buoys are taken there’s room to anchor south of the park in deeper water, though it’s less sheltered. Worth noting: Plumper Cove is exposed to easterlies, which are uncommon in summer but worth paying attention to in the shoulder season.

By tender, Gibsons Landing is just across the channel. A short run that’s well worth it for a meal ashore. Good provisioning stop too if you’re continuing up the Sunshine Coast.

Best for: Family overnights, introducing new boaters to marine park camping, combining with a stop at Gibsons.

Porteau Cove: More Than Just a Launch Ramp

Most North Shore boaters know Porteau as a trailering destination. It’s the only public launch ramp between Horseshoe Bay and Squamish, which makes it worth knowing for logistics even if you didn’t launch there. But it’s a worthwhile stop in its own right.

Porteau is one of the most accessible shore diving destinations in BC. Several vessels were deliberately scuttled here for divers, starting in 1981, and the wrecks have been well colonised by marine life over the decades. Mooring buoys are available for boats staying to dive, which is a better option than anchoring in this exposed location.

Boating tips: Porteau is exposed to northwest outflow winds and not a comfortable anchorage when they’re running. The buoys are your friend here — use them rather than anchoring if you’re planning to stay. It makes a good mid-Sound waypoint if you’re running to Squamish and want to stretch your legs or let the crew have a swim.

Best for: Divers, campers arriving by boat, day trips, and anyone who needs a mid-run stop on the way to Squamish.

Squamish: The Top of the Sound

The run to Squamish is the full fjord experience. As you push north past Porteau, the mountains close in on both sides and the scenery becomes increasingly dramatic. Glacier-carved walls rising sheer from the water, snowfields visible well into summer. It’s a stretch of water that reminds you why you own a boat.

The Government Dock in Squamish and the Squamish Yacht Club both offer overnight moorage. Ashore, the Sea-to-Sky Gondola gives you an aerial view back down the Sound from 885 metres that’s genuinely spectacular - well worth the trip up if you haven’t done it. The Chief and Stawamus Chief Provincial Park are there for climbers, and the town has decent cafes and provisioning if you need to stock up.

Boating tips: The upper Sound gets the worst of the outflow winds. If it’s blowing 20 knots at Porteau, expect worse by the time you reach Squamish. Log debris is a genuine hazard in the upper Sound, particularly after rain or high water on the Squamish River — keep your speed sensible and someone keeping watch forward. If you’re exploring near the river mouth, watch the shallows on the delta carefully; depths change and the chart should be your guide.

Best for: An ambitious full-day run, a weekend trip, or simply the most dramatic scenery Howe Sound has to offer.

Seasonal Tips: When to Go and What to Expect

Howe Sound is a year-round fishery and a near year-round cruising ground, but the character of the Sound changes significantly through the seasons. Here’s how North Shore locals think about the calendar.

Spring (March–May)

The Sound wakes up early and the crowds don’t arrive until June. Chinook fishing picks up through April, and on a good spring morning - snowcapped peaks, flat-calm water, no other boats - Howe Sound is as good as it gets. Weather can be unsettled but experienced boaters know to watch for the good windows. Early spring is a genuinely underused season.

Summer (June–August)

Peak season. Snug Cove and Plumper Cove fill up fast in July and August, and the fishing ground south of Bowen can get busy. Coho fishing is excellent through summer, especially around the Hump and south Bowen. The key summer challenge is the afternoon outflow. Northwest winds build through the morning and can be strong by early afternoon, particularly in the upper Sound. Early starts, and planning to be at anchor or heading home well before the winds build, is how North Shore boaters work with the Sound’s summer patterns.

Fall (September–October)

Arguably the best season on Howe Sound, and one that most casual boaters miss. The crowds disappear after Labour Day, the salmon fishing peaks with Chinook and coho runs building through September, and the Sound often settles into long, calm stretches as high pressure establishes. The mountain colours are spectacular. If you do one shoulder-season run this year, make it September.

Winter (November–February)

Not for the casual boater. Weather is unpredictable, facilities are largely closed, and the Sound demands respect. That said, experienced hands know the winter Chinook fishery in the lower Sound can be productive, and a calm winter day on Howe Sound with low light, snow on the mountains, and no other boats is something else. Go prepared, go with someone who knows the Sound, and don’t push your luck with the forecast.

Quick Reference: Howe Sound Destinations

What Boat Do You Need for Howe Sound?

Howe Sound is accessible in a wide range of boats, but the right setup depends on what you want to do and how far you want to go.

For day trips to Bowen or fishing runs from the North Shore, a 17–20ft aluminium hardtop like the Double Eagle range we stock, handles typical Sound conditions well and gives you shelter from the elements. A quality inflatable like the Arimar range is ideal as a tender once you’re anchored, and works well for calm-day hops between nearby spots.

For overnight runs to Gambier, Keats, or the full run to Squamish, a 20ft+ boat with proper shelter is the sensible choice. The outflows can make the return trip sporty, and you want to be protected when the weather’s doing something interesting. The C-Dory range is built precisely for this kind of West Coast cruising - seaworthy, manageable, and comfortable for a couple of nights at anchor.

On the engine side, a reliable 115–200hp outboard gives you the efficiency for the long runs and the reserve when conditions change. We carry both Yamaha and Suzuki outboards, and both brands have earned their reputation in Howe Sound conditions over many years. The main thing is reliability. This isn’t the place to be testing an outboard that hasn’t been properly serviced.

Essential kit for Howe Sound: A handheld VHF radio, CHS Chart 3534 (Howe Sound) on board or in your chartplotter, and a proper weather check before every departure. The outflow forecasts are available through Environment Canada and the Windy app — both are worth checking the night before and the morning of your trip.

Get Out There

Howe Sound is one of those places that rewards the boater who takes the time to look past the obvious. The classical stops like Snug Cove, Plumper Cove, the south Bowen fishing grounds,  are classics for a reason. But Gambier’s western bays on a quiet weeknight, a September run all the way to Squamish, or an early spring morning in the upper Sound with the peaks still white and not another boat in sight. Those are the experiences that stick with you.

We’ve been outfitting North Shore boaters for Howe Sound for over a decade, and we’re always happy to talk through the right boat and engine setup for how you want to use the Sound. Come and see us at Lionsgate Marine Centre in North Vancouver.

Ready to get on the water?

Browse our current inventory of C-Dory, Double Eagle and Rossiter boats, explore Yamaha and Suzuki outboards, or book a service appointment before the season. Call us at (604) 924-3266 or visit us at 45 Senator Road, North Vancouver.