Salmon runs are one of nature’s most incredible spectacles. Watching thousands of salmon swim upstream to spawn is an experience that reconnects us with the natural world. If you want to witness this amazing event, here are the best places to see salmon runs near you.
Understand the Salmon Lifecycle
Before heading out to see spawning salmon, it helps to understand their lifecycle. Salmon are anadromous fish meaning they are born in freshwater migrate to the ocean to feed and grow, and then return to their birthplace to spawn.
The salmon lifecycle looks like this:
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Eggs hatch into juvenile salmon, called fry. For 6 to 3 years, they feed and grow in the streams where they were born.
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The fry transform into smolt and migrate downstream to the ocean They spend 1 to 5 years feeding and maturing in the nutrient-rich ocean waters
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When it’s time to spawn, adult salmon cease feeding and make the incredible upstream migration back to their exact place of birth. This journey can be hundreds or even thousands of miles long.
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The salmon spawn, laying and fertilizing thousands of eggs Most adult salmon die shortly after spawning
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The eggs hatch the next spring, and the salmon lifecycle continues.
Look for Runs Near Major Rivers
When salmon spawn, they go back to the rivers and streams where they were born. So the best places to see salmon runs are near the ocean on big rivers.
Some good places to spot salmon runs in the continental US include:
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Columbia River, Oregon & Washington – All five North American salmon species return here from June-October. July-September are peak months.
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Sacramento River, California – Hundreds of thousands of Chinook salmon run from April-December, peaking in October and November.
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Snake River, Idaho – Six species of salmon run the Snake from August-November, with sockeye peaking in August.
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Green River, Washington – The Green River gets summer and fall Chinook runs from June-October, with many fish in September.
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Puyallup River, Washington – Close to Puget Sound, the Puyallup has pink, coho, and Chinook runs from August-November.
Check State Parks and Nature Preserves
Many state parks and nature preserves provide excellent salmon viewing spots. They have viewing platforms, underwater windows, or riverside trails that get you close to the action.
Top spots include:
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Willamette Falls Fish Ladder, Oregon – Giant fish ladder with salmon viewing room.
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Ballard Locks Salmon Ladder, Seattle – Underwater windows to see salmon migrating from saltwater to freshwater.
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Cabela’s Aquarium, Oregon – Huge free aquarium with salmon runs and native fish.
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Comet Falls Fish Hatchery, Washington – Spawning tanks and streams to see salmon up close.
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Beaver Creek Wild & Scenic River, Alaska – Platforms overlooking clear streams filled with thousands of salmon.
Visit Fish Hatcheries
Fish hatcheries are a great place to easily see salmon runs. Hatcheries raise salmon that are then released into rivers. Many have visitor centers with clear tanks and windows right into the fish ladder or holding ponds.
Top hatcheries for salmon viewing include:
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Minter Creek Hatchery, Washington – Glass-walled viewing gallery overlooking indoor fish ladder.
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Dworshak National Fish Hatchery, Idaho – Outdoor ponds and raceways full of Chinook salmon.
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Santa Cruz Wharf Seafood Market, California – Largest ocean pen program in US to view salmon near Monterey Bay.
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Trail Lakes Salmon Hatchery, Alaska – Huge runs of sockeye salmon from July-September.
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Salmon Creek Hatchery, Alaska – Observation deck and underwater viewing windows of salmon runs.
Seek Out Nearby Salmon Festivals
Many towns and communities host annual salmon festivals when the runs start coming in. These are lively events with food, music, exhibits, and often great opportunities to see salmon up close.
Popular salmon festivals include:
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Salmon Days Festival, Issaquah, Washington in October
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Sacramento Salmon Festival, California in September
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Kenai Peninsula Salmonfest, Alaska in August
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Salmon Jam Music Festival, Ninilchik, Alaska in August
Be Respectful Around Spawning Salmon
When viewing spawning salmon, be respectful and give them space. Remember they are focused on reproducing, not entertainment.
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Observe from designated platforms and trails. Don’t trample redds (salmon nests).
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Keep noise levels down. Loud noises can disrupt spawning.
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Never touch or handle salmon unless directed by officials.
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Keep dogs, bikes, drones away from streams and spawning areas.
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Avoid flash photography. It can distress fish.
With a little timing and effort, you can witness one of nature’s most impressive spectacles right in your own backyard. Use this guide to find an incredible salmon run near you!
Best Places To See Salmon
When Alaska’s plants start to grow new leaves in May, Pacific salmon start to come back. They stay in some rivers well into the fall, even after the leaves have fallen. Gazing down into a channel jammed with fish may be one of the Last Frontier’s most iconic experiences. At the climax of a run, salmon might be arrayed bank-to-bank, like an armada of blushing torpedoes. Further upstream, seeing a single fish reach the end of its long journey can also be moving and amazing, but in a deep and sad way. Pairs of decaying spawners swirl and wiggle in crystal water, as females deposit eggs and the males fertilize. As they near death, they have completed one of nature’s great cycles, using all of their strength to reproduce in the water where they were born. From river mouth to feeder stream, the spawning spectacle is always engrossing.
See the action of salmon swimming upriver from the salmon viewing deck at the Eagle River Nature Center.
There are literally scores of good prospects, especially in coastal Southcentral and Southeast Alaska. Choose a link that matches your travel plans or destination to see what options are available. Then, choose where to go based on when the runs are.
Guaranteed Viewing – Salmon Hatcheries
If you go to one of the salmon hatcheries, you can be amazed at how thousands of fish are schooling in huge tanks.
The Salmon’s Life Mission | Destination WILD
FAQ
Where is the best place to see salmon run?
Where can I watch salmon run?
Where can I see salmon run in California?
Where to see salmon near Bellingham?
What is the Butte Creek Spring-Run salmon myth?
Butte Creek Spring-Run Salmon Myth: The headlines have proclaimed that “record spring salmon run on Sacramento River tributary turns into disaster as most fish die before spawning” and “thousands of salmon washing up dead on California creek banks due to climate crisis.” (See hyperbole below.)
Is a record spring salmon run a disaster?
Myth: The headlines have proclaimed that “record spring salmon run on Sacramento River tributary turns into disaster as most fish die before spawning” and “thousands of salmon washing up dead on California creek banks due to climate crisis.” (See hyperbole below.) Facts:
How strong are the salmon runs in the Sacramento Valley this year?
As we head into the fall, the three major runs of salmon in the Sacramento Valley have so far been strong this year, even though the conditions were very dry and hot until the recent October storms.
Where are chinook salmon found in the Central Valley?
Spring-run Chinook Salmon were historically the most abundant race in the Central Valley. Now only remnant runs remain in Butte, Mill, Deer, Antelope, and Beegum Creeks, tributaries to the Sacramento River.