Nooksack Salmon
Meet the salmon of the Nooksack.
The Nooksack River supports runs of all five Pacific salmon species. This part of the site introduces each species, explains what healthy salmon habitat looks like, and shows you where to see salmon for yourself.
Salmon & Habitat
Get to know each species.
Each species returns on its own schedule and has its own field marks. These cards link to a full page for each fish, with photos of every life stage and where to find them in Whatcom County.
Chinook
Also called king salmon
Chinook are the largest of the Pacific salmon. The Nooksack supports both a spring and a fall run, and Puget Sound Chinook are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Chum
Also called dog salmon
Chum are the second largest salmon species. They spawn from October through January in the Nooksack and in creeks like Terrell, Squalicum, and Whatcom.
Coho
Also called silver salmon
Coho are the most widely distributed salmon in Whatcom County. Their young spend a full year in freshwater before migrating to sea.
Pink
Also called humpy salmon
Pink are the smallest of the five species, the most abundant species in Washington. In Puget Sound, they return in odd-numbered years.
Sockeye
Also called red salmon
Sockeye turn bright red when they return to spawn. Small numbers of river-spawning sockeye return to the North, Middle, and South Forks of the Nooksack.
Steelhead
Ocean-going rainbow trout
Steelhead are anadromous rainbow trout, migrating between freshwater and the ocean. Unlike salmon, steelhead can survive spawning, and some return to spawn a second time.
Salmon & Habitat
What salmon need to survive.
Salmon need cold, clean, and clear water, and they need to be able to reach their natal spawning grounds. Native trees and shrubs along a creek provide shade, stabilize streambanks, and filter pollutants out of runoff.
Large woody debris gives salmon places to rest and hide. Leaves that fall into the water feed the aquatic insects that young salmon eat once they hatch. The Salmon & Habitat page walks through the full life cycle, from eggs in the gravel to returning adults.
Where to See Salmon
Watch salmon spawn right here in Whatcom County.
Every fall, NSEA picks a few streams around the county to visit with our outreach booth, games, and prizes in celebration of the return of spawning salmon. All Salmon Sighting events are open-house style, free, and great for all ages.
You can also see salmon on your own all year round if you know where to look. The Where to See Salmon page includes a map of public viewing sites and an introduction to spawning behaviors, so you know what you are watching.
Community Science
Help us count the salmon that come back.
Salmon Spotters is NSEA’s community science project. Spotters choose a stream site that currently or historically supports salmon, visit it for 15 minutes twice a week throughout the fall, and submit their observations through an online form.
A short training covers the salmon life cycle, how to identify each species, and best practices for observations. The data helps us understand which salmon are returning to Whatcom County creeks year to year.
Beyond this section
We all live in a watershed.
A watershed is the area of land that drains to a shared creek, river, or bay. Every creek where you can see salmon has its own story, and our Creek Chronicles document the watersheds where NSEA works, from Squalicum Creek to Terrell Creek.
This fall
Come look for salmon with us!
Salmon Sighting events run every fall, and Salmon Spotters welcomes new volunteers. Questions about either one go to Sarah Brown, our Stewardship Program Manager.