Lake Washington sockeye salmon have been counted each year since 1972 as they enter freshwater at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks -- also known as the Ballard Locks -- on Seattle's Lake Washington Ship Canal. Currently, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Muckleshoot Indian Tribe staff conduct the counts cooperatively to determine if there are sufficient sockeye to open fishing seasons.
Baker sockeye, meanwhile, are native to Baker Lake and Baker River, a tributary to the Skagit River. Each year, sockeye returning to the lake are trapped below two dams before they are transported above the facilities where they are placed at artificial spawning beaches, used for production at the lake’s hatchery facility, or released into Baker Lake to spawn naturally.
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Hatchery escapement reports
See escapement reports for the last 365 days, as well as annual annual escapement reports for past years.
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Baker River sockeye season and counts
Adult Baker sockeye enter the trap from mid-June to mid-October, peaking in mid-July.
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Lake Washington salmon counts
See the daily counts for sockeye, Chinook, and coho salmon as they return to Lake Washington via the Ballard Locks.
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Fish Passage Center
Information on salmon and steelhead passage through the mainstem hydrosystem in the Columbia River Basin.