Status of Native Anadromous Fish Species of the Klamath River Basin

Chinook salmon are currently the most economically important commercial fishery resource in the Klamath River, and are caught in ocean fisheries from Monterey Bay to the Columbia River. In the Klamath Basin, Chinook currently follow two life history patterns. “Spring Chinook” return from the ocean in the spring, and spend the summer making their way to higher portions of the watershed, where they spawn in August-September. Before the construction of dams on the Klamath River, spring Chinook were the dominant salmon race in the Upper Klamath Basin, but they have been reduced to one dwindling wild run in the Salmon River subbasin and a hatchery run in the Trinity River.

“Fall Chinook” return from the ocean in September and spawn October-November in the main stem rivers and large tributaries. Most Chinook juveniles migrate to the ocean in the late spring of their first year, avoiding the hazards of summer rearing.