Spawning season provides an opportunity to witness one of the truly great miracles of the natural world. In previous years, we compiled this list of some great places to view salmon spawning. So far, this year has been a mixed bag in terms of returns, so please, let us know what you see out there in your local rivers and streams.
Get involved!
You can help us build a better picture of how the salmon returns are faring across the province. If you head out to see salmon spawning in your area, use your phone to take photos or make a short video and post on social media with the date and location in the text of your post and the hashtag #salmonspawnwatch. Include any observations you make while you are there. If there are no salmon returning, and you expect them to, that is an important observation too!
As always, please feel free to suggest viewing spots that have not yet been added to this list!
Victoria and surrounds
Goldstream Provincial Park, Victoria
Goldstream is a beautiful park any time of the year, but especially when the chum, coho, and Chinook salmon are running in October and early November. There are plenty of walking trails, picnic areas with fire pits and an engaging nature house.
Ayum Creek Regional Park, Sooke
Visit Ayum Creek in the fall to observe spawning coho and chum salmon.
Vancouver Island
Stamp River Provincial Park, Port Alberni
Salmon runs begin in late August in Stamp River Provincial Park, running all the way into December. Full of walking trails and beautiful views, you can watch sockeye; coho, and Chinook circle the pool below Stamp Falls before climbing fish ladders to get to their spawning beds.
Campbell River, Campbell River
Campbell River calls itself the “Salmon Capital of the World” and is a great spot, not just for fishing, but for seeing spawning salmon. There are a lot of spots to see them running in the fall, pinks in September, and Chinook and coho in October and November.
Big Qualicum River, Qualicum Beach
A 10-kilometre trail runs along the river from the Big Qualicum Hatchery providing plenty of viewing opportunities.
Englishman River Regional Park, Parksville
Salmon typically begin to return to the Englishman River in September.
Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast
Chapman Creek, Sechelt
A 1.5- to 2-hour nature trail, for biking or walking, takes you to Chapman Creek, a spawning channel for chum and coho.
Capilano River Hatchery, North Vancouver
North Vancouver’s Capilano River Hatchery draws more than 225,000 visitors a year. Right up the road from the entrance to the Capilano Suspension Bridge, an information centre educates visitors on the spawning cycle and offers various viewing areas to see the fish. There are also trails to hike which give a fantastic view of the salmon spawning. You can see Chinook travelling upstream in October and November and other salmon species throughout the year.
Lower Mainland
Chehalis River, Agassiz
Spawning salmon can be observed between mid-October and November
Great Blue Heron Reserve, Chilliwack
Witness the return of pink, chum and coho salmon from October through mid-December.
Inch Creek, Dewdney
Observe coho and chum salmon in November.
Harrison River, Weaver Creek Spawning Channel, Harrison Mills
Harrison River has all five species of salmon, with spawning times between late summer to mid-October. In the same area, you can also visit Weaver Creek Spawning Channel, a 3 km man-made spawning channel created in 1965. Chum, sockeye and pink all spawn there, with sockeye spawning in early to late October.
Thacker Regional Park, Hope
Visit Thacker Regional Park in October for a chance to see spawning coho, pink and chum salmon. The hike to a good viewing point is approximately 1 kilometre.
Williams Park, Langley
Mid-October to late November/December is a great time and place to watch coho, chum, and Chinook.
Hyde Creek, Port Coquitlam
Chum and coho can be seen in Hyde Creek between mid-October and November. Visit Hyde Creek Nature Reserve and walk along the creekside trail for many opportunities to see salmon. A great spot to watch from is a streamside platform located behind the Hyde Creek Recreation Centre. Hyde Creek Watershed Society runs a volunteer-run salmon hatchery here and hosts an annual salmon festival in the fall.
Mamquam Spawning Channel, Squamish
In the Mamquam River, you can see coho, chum and pink salmon spawning between August and November. Walk along the main trail head toward the river and you’ll find an interpretive sign and spawning channels. Keep walking to where the Mamquam meets the Squamish River for the best viewing.
Tynehead Park, Surrey
You can see steelhead, coho, chum and Chinook in the Serpentine River that runs through Tynehead Park. Take a walk on the Salmon Habitat loop or get a good view of spawning salmon from late August to November from one of the many bridges. The Serpentine Enhancement Society runs a volunteer-based hatchery here.
Interior
Tsútswecw Provincial Park (Roderick Haig-Brown), Salmon Arm
With one of the largest sockeye runs in North America, the Adams River between late September and late October is a great place to see spawning salmon. In Tsútswecw Provincial Park, trails lead to riverside viewing platforms with interpretive signage describing the salmon run and spawning process. 2026 will be the next dominant year, which means there will be larger runs for viewing. For information about the Salute to the Sockeye festival, and about guided tours, visit the Adams River Salmon Society website.
Some more sites suggested by our supporters include:
Stoney Creek, Burnaby
Stoney Creek, Abbotsford
Sooke Potholes Park, Sooke
Charters Creek Hatchery, Sooke
Coquihalla River, Hope
Morrison Creek, Comox Valley
Puntledge River, Comox Valley
Tsolum River, Comox Valley
Hoy Creek Hatchery, Coquitlam
Tenderfoot Creek, Squamish
Seton Creek Spawning Channels, Lillooet
Kanaka Creek fish fence Kanaka Way and 240th Street Maple Ridge
Despite heavy urbanization on Burke Mountain, Port Coquitlam is fortunate to have numerous Salmon bearing creeks including Maple Creek and Hyde Creek. A great place to see spawners is behind Hyde Creek Regreation Centre at 1379 Laurier Ave. There is a wonderful walking and biking trail that parallels the creek and makes for a nice stroll along the Poco Trail.
Anderson Creek near Pender Harbour has spawning areas for chum salmon. A good viewing point is John Daly Park on Garden Bay Road.
PS liked the item on Tynehead Park/Serpentine River – in late 1950s used to see the spawners there when I was delivering papers
on my bike
I tweeted out a video of chum spawners at Anderson Creek from October 2016 and retweeted it today – see @cdlevings
The Brunette River at Cariboo Dam is good spot. You can see splashing in the Brunette where the salmon are actively spawning. There is a beautiful fishway to watch the salmon make their way up past the dam and into Burnaby Lake. They usually start appearing around Thanksgiving. We’re working on sharing the story of this waterway, and the hard work done over thirty years to bring this river back to life and the salmon to return.
No more spawns like that.
Not even at the Nitinaht river, where once river escapement was 300k.Hoping they get the Nitinaht Hatchery producing again. Funding has been cut back so much. Runs mostly are only 2/3,ds that
The Horsefly River about an hour east of Williams Lake
Hoy Creek Hatchery, Coquitlam, BC. In Hoy Creek Linear Park.
See for maps and more info: http://hoyscottcreeks.org/
Tentative date for modified Salmon Come Home event is October 24th, 2021
Link updated to:
https://www.hoyscottcreeks.org/salmon-come-home
The Lower Stave river near Mission is an incredible spot to view large numbers of spawning chum and coho.
Also great for eagle viewing.
Ample parking and river access is in the Ruskin recreation area, just below the Ruskin dam on Hayward street.
More public awareness is needed to protect this incredible estuary from development.
I’m up in the Bulkley Valley so home waters are the Bulkley, Morice Rivers. Allot of spawning tribs to cover over a long distance. Closest spawning creek would be Toboggan Creek which supports a Coho hatchery and Steelhead natal waters come Mar/April.
Dave
lots of salmon in sooke river, and goldstream river right now!