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It's Salmon Spawning season here in BC and we would like to answer a few very common questions that people have during salmon spawning season.

What is the salmon run?

The salmon run is the time when a salmon returns to the place of it's birth to lay it's eggs. Each year salmon run up the rivers in which they were born to spawn, this time of year is especially eventful for fishermen and Grizzly Bears. All Pacific salmon will die after spawning while about 5-10% of  Atlantic salmon will live to spawn again after returning to the ocean.

When do salmon spawn?

This depends on the species of salmon. Different salmon species have their spawning season at different times. While most species spawn during the fall they don't all spawn at the same time. For example: Coho salmon spawn between October and November while Atlantic salmon spawn during November and December. Some species of salmon spawn during the summer months and some species spawn in different seasons throughout the year.

• Pink Salmon - Fall - Odd numbered years
• Sockeye Salmon - Fall
• Chum Salmon - Fall
• Coho Salmon - Fall
• Steelhead Salmon - Spring, Summer, and Winter
• Chinook Salmon - Fall, Spring, and Summer

How do salmon spawn?

A salmon returns to the river in which it was born to lay its eggs. The eggs are deposited in to a redd. A redd is a gravel nest that the female salmon makes by laying on her side and using her tail to dig a hole. A female salmon may lay as many as 5,000 eggs in different redds.

After the embryos hatch they become fry. After growing up in freshwater a juvenile salmon begins to change to prepare itself for saltwater living. They lose their spotted coloring that allows them to hide in the stream and change to a silvery color that will allow them to blend into the ocean.

Out of every 1,000 eggs laid only one salmon will live to return home for the spawn.

Where do Salmon spawn?

Different species prefer to spawn in different locations. Here is a look at where Pacific salmon species preferred spawning areas are:

• Chum - Lower reaches of small streams
• Coho - Middle reaches of small streams and small tributaries of big rivers
• Chinook - Mainstem and larger tributaries of big rivers
• Pink - Lower reaches of big rivers

What difficulties do salmon face while spawning?

Salmon face many struggles while spawning. From Grizzly Bears, to sport fishermen and the every day struggles of swimming up river amongst many others competing to get their eggs deposited.

Why do salmon die after spawning?

Salmon die due to exhaustion and malnutrition after they have spawned. The environment in the rivers is not suitable for a grown salmon as they are meant to live in the ocean and cannot feed as they swim up stream.

Fishing during the salmon run

Fishing during the salmon spawn is legal but the salmon are not hungry so fishing with bait does not work. It is illegal to trap or pen fish on their spawning ground, or in rivers or streams leading to spawning grounds. Once salmon get further up stream they are near death and not suitable for eating.