Chinook Salmon Spotted Spawning in McCloud River for First Time in a Century
In a major win for salmon recovery in California, adult winter-run Chinook salmon have been seen spawning in the McCloud River for the first time in nearly 100 years.
On July 15, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) confirmed sightings of a female Chinook guarding her nest (redd) near Ash Camp, with several smaller male “jacks” competing nearby—a clear sign of spawning activity.
These endangered salmon are believed to be the result of a groundbreaking program launched in 2022 by CDFW, the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, NOAA Fisheries, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The initiative incubates Chinook eggs in the cold, clean waters of the McCloud—habitat once blocked by Shasta Dam—and transports juveniles downstream to the Sacramento River.
Some of those fish have now returned upstream, likely spending over a year in Shasta Reservoir before making their way back to spawn in their ancestral waters.
Nearby, adult Chinook have also been seen passing Eagle Canyon Dam on the North Fork of Battle Creek—another first since the construction of fish passage facilities as part of the Battle Creek Restoration Project.
