Pacific salmon
Oncorhynchus spp.
- Notice
- Changing color and steady upstream movement
- When
- Mostly fall; runs vary
- Habitat
- Rivers and connected streams
- Best cue
- Watch quietly from above
Pacific salmon hatch in freshwater, grow in the ocean, and return toward freshwater spawning habitat. Several species use Puget Sound and King County watersheds, so body color, size, and timing vary.
Fall is the clearest shared viewing season. Rain, water conditions, species, and watershed all affect when a run moves upstream.