4. Spawning
6” - 18”
Deep
18” - 48” long x
12” - 36” wide
Water
6” - 18”
Deep
Eggs buried in gravel
Female builds a series of gravel nests called a redd
19. Hooked SnoutMales develop a hooked snout
Dorsal fin
Adipose fin
Caudal fin
Anal fin
Pelvic fin
Pectoral fin Gill cover
Gumline
Lateral line
20. Identifying Features
1. Does the fish have spots? Where?
2. What is the coloring?
a. Body and head?
b. Gumline color?
c. Gill cover, other distinctive markings?
3. What size is it?
4. What are the behavioral characteristics?
Questions to Ask When Identifying Salmon
21. Chinook Facts
Nisqually Chinook
•Spawn throughout the Nisqually River’s
accessible length and in larger tributaries,
especially the Mashel River and Ohop Creek.
• Spring run went extinct in 1950’s.
• Fall run of native Chinook was largely replaced by
planted and hatchery fish. No new introductions since
1990. Weir to exclude hatchery fish 2012.
• Recent run sizes have been 10,000 - 40,000
• Upstream migration July - October
• Spawn September - November
25. Chum Facts
Nisqually Chum
• Unique native run that is the latest returning chum on
the Pacific Rim.
• No hatchery production.
• Spawns in late December - March.
• Recent run sizes: 10,000 to 150,000 fish
• Spawns mainly in mainstem Nisqually River below
Centralia Diversion Dam and in Muck, Yelm, Murray
and McAllister Creeks.
• Upstream migration November – March.
29. Pink Facts
Nisqually Pink
• Unique native run that returns every odd year.
• No hatchery production.
• Spawns in October – November.
• Upstream migration August – November.
• Recent run sizes: 100 to 800,000 fish
• Spawns in the mainstem, and to a lesser degree in
the Mashel River and Ohop Creek. They rarely travel
far upstream to spawn.
34. Coho Facts
Nisqually Coho
• A late run of naturally spawning coho is found in
the Nisqually, and returns around the same time as
chum. No fishery exists for late run coho because
the
population is at risk.
• Most of the hatchery stock is an early spawning
population that migrates September –
December
• Most spawning takes place in the Mashel River
and Ohop, Tanwax, Horn, Yelm, Muck and
McAllister Creeks.
• Recent run sizes: 600 to 13,000 fish
• Spawning November - February
38. Steelhead Facts
Nisqually Steelhead
Nisqually Steelhead
• Native winter steelhead
• No hatchery production
• Spawns in April through June
• Recent run sizes: gone from 7000 to a few hundred
fish
• Spawns primarily in the mainstem Nisqually, Mashel
River and Muck Creek, though they may use almost
any tributary in the watershed
• Sport and tribal fisheries closed due to declining
numbers
• Upstream migration November - April
43. Cutthroat Facts
Sea-run Cutthroat
• Occur in both sea-going and resident forms.
Difficult to distinguish between the two.
• Can be found in most fish-bearing waters from
high-elevation glacial-fed streams to the estuary
• Upstream migration August - June
• Spawning December - June
• Sport fishing is allowed for coastal cutthroat
46. Sockeye Facts
Sockeye
• No unique run of Nisqually sockeye
• Stray pairs known to spawn in upper McAllister
Creek
• Usually spawn in streams near lakes, where young
fry migrate to rear for 1 - 2 years
52. • Head blunt, jaw does not extend past the eye
• Distinct small spots on dorsal fin
• Small scattered spots over entire body
• Square-shaped tail
• Often has reddish stripe along sides, gill cover reddish
• Up to 45 inches in length
Name the fish that has:
Quiz Question 1
54. Quiz Question 2
•Large oval spots on back and both lobes of the tailfin
•Rarely travel far up river to spawn - most likely seen
in coastal streams
•Males develop a large hump on their back (hence
the nick name "Humpback" or "Humpy")
•Dark band along lateral line
•Numerous, small scales
•Forked Tail
Name the fish that has:
56. • No distinct black spots
• Dark blue above with reddish-purple vertical markings
• Well developed teeth
• 30-42 inches in length
Name the fish that has:
Quiz Question 3
59. • Back and head dark blue-green
• Lower sides red-purple
• Spots on back and UPPER lobe of tail fin only
• Lower gum line is white
• 17 to 38 inches in length
Name the fish that has:
Quiz Question 4
63. • Head blunt, jaw extends past eye
• Small black spots extending well below lateral line
• Red “slash” marks on underside of jaw
• Yellow colored fins
• Silver body
• 8-12 inches in length
Name the fish that has:
Quiz Question 5
66. • Olive brown to dark brown
• Spots on upper and lower part of tail
• Lower gum line is black
• 2 feet to 5 feet in length
Name the fish that has:
Quiz Question 6
69. Salmon Watching Tips
Nisqually Salmon Watcher Tips
• Approach your viewing site slowly
• Be as quiet as possible
• If you need to walk in the stream, look out for
clean-looking gravel (redds)
• Remember your polarized glasses, data sheet and pencil
• Take observation data for 15 minutes only
• If you are unsure, take notes and/or a photo and contact
us
• Observe from the same location each time
• Dress for the weather
• If possible, view after a rain as soon as the water clears
• View before it gets too dark
74. Beaver dams provide
important juvenile salmon
rearing habitat and are
usually left alone if naturally
constructed
Passage often
improves when the
rains come
Photo by 2015 Salmon Watcher Roger
76. Female Spawning Behaviors
•Reach spawning ground after males
•Exploring for a good nest site
•Exploratory Digging
•Real nest building Digging
•Probing
•Covering Digging
81. Aggression
Females will fight other
females to defend their nest
site.
Females will fight off males
they don’t want to spawn
with (or delay spawning).
Males will fight other males
to establish dominance.
This can involve actual
fighting, biting, etc. or
ritualized displays.
Manu Esteve 2000
83. Male Strategies and Tactics
Strategies:
•Mature Old
•Mature Young
•Mature Precocious
Tactics:
•Fight for dominance
•Sneak (satellite)
•Mimic Female
Adult Spawning Salmon:
salmon will lay from1,500 – 10,000 eggs
chinook the most
gravel will be from pea size (cutthroat) to grapefruit (chinooks)
Female will dig for a few days to a few weeks, facing upstream against the current
Water flowing over the redds will carry oxygen in and flush out wastes and bacteria
Female may live for 1 to 2 weeks after to protect her redd
Clean looking gravel that is slightly mounded is most likely a redd
Sweeping movements of female’s tail while digging cleans off algae and dirt
Eggs are usually buried 10 – 30 cm deep
Most likely you cannot see the buried eggs
If you see eggs they are probably not alive
Many fish and other animals feed on salmon eggs
Developing eggs require clean, cool, well-oxygenated water
Once the alevin uses up its yolk sac
It must emerge from the gravel to find food
The alevins need cool, clean, well-oxygenated water to survive in the gravel
Outmigration takes place in spring/summer
Different species migrate at different times
While feeding in freshwater, juveniles will develop parr marks
To help hide from preditors
As they head toward the marine invironment, the juveniles
Will turn silvery, called smolts, to blend into the marine environment
Depending on the species, ocean adults will spend
2 – 5 years feeding in the ocean
The adult salmon will swim back to the streams from
Which they were born to spawn and eventually die
Death provides important ocean-derived nutrients to young salmon, riparian vegetation and
Many other terrestrial and aquatic organisms
Scientists have documented that over 137
Terrestrial and aquatic species feed directly or
Indirectly off of decaying salmon carcasses,
including juvenile salmon, stream bugs and even riparian vegetation.
In the Nisqually only hatchery chinook may have a clipped adipose fin. Clipped fins may re-grow.
Lateral line: steelhead develop a red coloring along the lateral line
Chum
Only males develop hooked snouts. The hooked snouts may be more pronounced in some species as compared to males in other species.
Chinook
Chinook
chum
Need length.
Pinks rarely travel far
Upstream to spawn. They mainly spawn in the odd years; although
you may find a few strays in the even years.
Green head and backs
Pink underside
More likely to see earlier run in Nov.\
Late run returns ealrier but spawns later
Explain that the hatchery did not have eggs for this brood stock year.
We do not expect many hatchery-reared coho to return this year. Most likely, the coho you observe spawning in the wild are off-spring of naturally reproducing coho, although there may be some
Hatchery stray jack and jills returning a year early to spawn.
A summer run was planted until mid-90’s
Winter run in decline
Peak spawning Mid-March – early may
Do not die after spawning, so usually count redds
steelhead
Searun cutthroat intermingles with all salmon runs,
Often tries to eat eggs that are left unburied
Check the tailout of pools where the salmon hold
Searun cutthroat
Very rare in Nisqually
May see in Mashel or Ohop systems too
sockeye
chum
chinook
Steelhead
coho
Pink
Coho digging
Chum
pink
Cutthroat
Coho
Steelhead
Chinook
Cutthroat
Chum
Coho
Chinook
Notice the reddish color on the gill cover
Notice the reddish stripe along the lateral line
Small dark spots scattered over entire body and tail
steelhead
cutthroat
If you approach too quickly or loudly you may scare the salmon
The salmon may hide
It takes awhile for the salmon to return to their spawning activity
Please do not step in the stream; you may smother a redd