Return of the chinook marks start of salmon season in Issaquah, WA

Return of chinook marks start of salmon season

The return of salmon to Issaquah Creek will be marked this coming weekend with the annual Salmon Days Festival, drawing thousands of visitors to celebrate the fall runs and learn more about the challenges facing the species.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. - The return of salmon to Issaquah Creek will be marked this coming weekend with the annual Salmon Days Festival, drawing thousands of visitors to celebrate the fall runs and learn more about the challenges facing the species.

Visitors are already lining bridges and creekside trails to watch chinook and coho push upstream into the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery.

What they're saying:

Chase Gunnell, spokesperson for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said each run tells a different story. 

"Each salmon run is unique," Gunnell said. "They’ve evolved to adapt to a specific watershed."

He points out that this year has been especially strong for pink salmon in Puget Sound. Pinks or humpbacks are the region’s most abundant and fast-growing salmon, living only two years before returning to spawn.

"This year the forecast was for a little over 7 million so a very strong return," shared Gunnell. 

Unlike chinook and coho, pink salmon are not found in Issaquah Creek. Instead, they are returning in large numbers to rivers such as the Green and the Duwamish. Gunnell said biologists have kept a close watch on Stillaguamish River pinks in particular, after major flooding a few years ago damaged spawning grounds.

Gunnell said the final counts won’t be known until the season is over, when state agencies, treaty tribes, and anglers tally numbers from spawning creeks and harvest data.

While chinook and pinks have already made their way into regional rivers, coho tend to come later in the fall. Gunnell said coho runs will build through late September and continue returning through the new year.

Gunnell described coho as another "bright spot" in Puget Sound, noting that some rivers have seen encouraging signs of recovery. He pointed to the Snohomish River as one example, where recent years have brought stronger returns and even opportunities for expanded fisheries.

He added that a colder La Niña weather cycle has likely helped salmon populations, offering better stream conditions compared to drought years that reduced runs across the Pacific Northwest. He also applauds restoration efforts such as improved fish passages and habitat projects led by state and tribal partners.

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