Salmon run in Scotch Creek near Salmon Arm, Sept. 3, 2022.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Ann Steenhuysen

It's salmon spawning season and thousands of fish are returning to where they were born to lay eggs and start the life cycle all over again.

iNFOnews.ca has created a list of popular salmon watching spots in the BC Interior, the largest being the sockeye salmon run on the Adams River, but that one is not open at this time due to wildfire activity and it is unclear when it will reopen. 

Tsútswecw Provincial Park

The Adams River has one of the largest sockeye salmon runs in North America, according to BC Parks.

Every fourth year has a dominant salmon run, meaning that millions of fish return to their spawning grounds. The Adams River Salmon Society coordinate the celebration known as the “Salute to the Sockeye” during the dominant years, according to BC Parks.

The last dominant year was in 2022.

During the last three weeks of October in years where there isn’t a dominant or sub-dominant return, a small number of salmon begin their spawning cycle. The best place to view spawning salmon is the viewing platform located approximately 300 metres west of the parking lot, according to BC Parks.

This park is currently under evacuation order and in the interest of public safety, all visitors should evacuate the park immediately and remain out of the area until further notice. Typically visitors to the Tsútswecw Provincial Park (formerly the Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park) can view salmon in early October. 

Hardy Falls Regional Park

A popular location to see spawning, land-locked, kokanee in Peachland, the salmon are best seen in Deep Creek during spawning season.

Park interpreters will be giving free information sessions on the lifecycle of the salmon at the park’s location every weekend from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. until Oct. 8. The salmon can be seen throughout September as they return to lay eggs.

Mission Creek Regional Park

Visitors can learn more about the Okanagan’s salmon, which return in droves to spawn in another popular regional park location.

Residents can register to learn more about kokanee life cycles by joining a park interpreter every weekend from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. until Oct. 8. Online registration is required through the park's website.

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For more information on kokanee and park programs visit the Regional District of Central Okanagan website here or contact the Environmental Education Centre at 250-469-6140.

Kokanee Creek Provincial Park

One of the top spots in the Interior to experience kokanee salmon returns, Meadow Creek spawning channels are also very active and produce between 10 to 15 million fry annually with a survival rate of 45 per cent, according to Nelson and Kootenay Lake Tourism.

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You can see the salmon from August until mid-October.

Did we miss your favourite spot? Let us know in the comments below.

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