King Salmon Return to the Rivers!
Fall run salmon on the Feather River. Photo by DWR
By Devon Pearse, FOR Lead Scientist
Every year, rivers on the West Coast welcome back the return of adult Chinook salmon—also known as King Salmon. When they are just a few inches long, these amazing fish begin their journey from mountain streams, traveling hundreds of miles through the Delta and San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. If they survive the journey, they return as adults, migrating hundreds of miles inland back to where they were born to find the perfect place to spawn. There, they lay their eggs in the river gravel, continuing the cycle of life and helping ensure future generations of salmon.
Fall run salmon on the Feather River. Photo by DWR
You can still watch this incredible natural process in California, with peak spawning of Fall Run salmon happening NOW through November in many Central Valley rivers (Fall run, which venture home to spawn in the fall, are currently the most abundant form, but in the past, spring and winter run salmon had hundreds of thousands leaping up into Sierra Nevada rivers and streams).
One great opportunity to celebrate and view salmon in California is the Stanislaus Salmon Festival, to be held November 14th 2026 in Knight’s Ferry, CA. Friends of the River will be there with a fleet of rafts and volunteer guides to take curious visitors down a stretch of river to witness salmon up close. Raft rides are FREE! Learn more about the event here: https://www.friendsoftheriver.org/upcoming-events/
In the Sacramento area, the American River is a great place to see returning salmon, and even swim with them! Link to last year’s RA article. Here is a more complete list of salmon festivals: http://www.seecalifornia.com/festivals/california-salmon-festivals.html
Support river and salmon culture in California! Please post about your salmon viewing experiences and tag @friendsoftheriver #friendsoftheriver
Please consider donating to Friends of the River to support this and ALL the work we do.
