Contents

Coastal Chum Salmon

What's New? Introduction Chum Salmon Tales Respect! Honne Names the Salmon Whatever It Takes Recipe Challenge Life History Timeline for Life History, Growth, and Survival Chum Salmon Ages Embryonic Stages Juvenile Stages Adult Stages Chum Salmon Ecosytems Ocean Climate Effects Identifying Chum Salmon Viewing Chum Salmon Kennedy Creek Clarks Creek Piper's Creek Chum Salmon Colors Puget Sound Chum Salmon Introduction Stock Status Summer Chum Recovery Plan Summer Chum Recovery Planning Update Chum Management Management Chronology Fisheries Data Coastal Chum Salmon Introduction Stock Status Chum Management Fisheries Data Columbia River Chum Salmon Introduction Stock Status Recovery Efforts Fisheries Technical Reports Databases Glossary

Introduction Chum salmon occur in each of the large river systems of coastal Washington, from the Strait of Juan de Fuca south to the mouth of the Columbia River. The largest populations are found along the south coast; the chum stocks utilizing the rivers of Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay. The northern rivers, including the Quillayute, Hoh, and Queets systems, each support a small chum stock. The observations of chum salmon in these river systems, however, are too infrequent to estimate population abundance or status. Moving south, the Quinault River chum stock has both wild and hatchery components, and is much more successful, with annual run sizes generally between 5,000 and 25,000 fish. In the south coastal zone, chum salmon are found throughout the Grays Harbor drainage, and spawning occurs in each of the major river systems. The Satsop, Humptulips, and Wynoochee rivers host major chum salmon runs. Adults begin entering the rivers in October, and spawning begins in late October, peaks in mid/late November, and is usually completed by early December. Runsizes generally between 20,000 and 50,000 fish, with occasional returns of 100,000 or more (see table below). Click on graph for enlargement The Willapa Bay tributaries and estuary provide productive habitats for chum salmon. Each of the major tributary systems supports runs of chum salmon, with North, Palix, Nemah, Naselle, and Bear river producing major chum runs. Adults begin entering the bay in late September, and spawning begins in mid- to late October, peaks in early November, and is usually completed by late November. Typical runsizes are in the 25,000 to 100,000 fish range, with occasional returns between 150,000 and 225,000 chum (see table below). Click on graph for enlargement

Coastal Chum Stock Status