Seasons and runs, about 1 to 25 Oct 2027
Adams River sockeye run
In October, millions of red sockeye salmon return to spawn in the Adams River in British Columbia, with a peak every four years.
The Adams River, a short tributary of the Fraser system in the interior of British Columbia, has one of the largest sockeye salmon runs in North America. After about four years at sea the salmon swim some 485 km up the Fraser and Thompson rivers, turning bright red with green heads, and spawn in the gravels in October before dying. The run follows a four-year cycle, with a very large dominant year, most recently 2022 and 2026. The banks are protected in Tsútswecw Provincial Park, and the Salute to the Sockeye festival is held in dominant years.
Fish tied to Adams River sockeye run
Still to be written: Chinook salmon, Pink salmon.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Sockeye salmon: Timothy Knepp of the Fish and Wildlife Service., Public domain, source