Great Migrations
When a river fills with salmon moving upstream
A salmon run can transform a river into a moving corridor of fish, predators, and concentrated wildlife activity.
SalmonNorth Pacific watershedsSpawning migration
Video: Nat Geo Animals. Embedded from the original YouTube source.
How big?Runs can concentrate very large numbers of fish into specific river systems.
Why does it happen?Adult salmon return from the ocean into freshwater systems to reproduce.
A strong salmon run does more than fill a river with fish. It can concentrate bears, birds, anglers, photographers, and tourists around the same seasonal event.
That creates multiple search paths into the same story: migration, wildlife viewing, timing, travel, ecology, and photography.
What to know
- Run timing differs by species and watershed.
- Salmon runs support entire food webs.
- Viewing rules and fishing regulations vary by location.
Good questions
What people usually want to know
Why do salmon swim upstream?
Adult salmon migrate from the ocean into freshwater spawning areas to reproduce.