Field guide / 02
The Chinook.
There’s a reason they call it the king.
Oncorhynchus tshawytscha · King salmon
CHINOOK / THE KING SALMON
Look a little closer
Big fish. Telling details.
- Black pigment along the gum line
- Dark spots on both lobes of the tail
- The largest of the Pacific salmon
Identification and biology: NOAA Fisheries ↗
At the Locks
Late summer is king season.
Our seasonal guide places the busiest Chinook passage around late August. Look for a deep-bodied fish holding steadily in the current.
Chinook grow in the ocean before returning to freshwater to spawn. Their journey ends by nourishing the river that will shelter the next generation.
Choose a day to visit ↗From the official count table
18,522
Chinook recorded through October 2, 2024.
A dated USACE snapshot, not today’s count.
Explore the recorded run ↗