Salmon

Summer Chum on the Rebound

The Hood Canal Salmon Recovery Region supports two populations of wild summer chum salmon: Hood Canal and Strait of Juan de Fuca. Together they form the Evolutionarily Significant Unit that is listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Today, these fish are on the right path to recovery and returning to spawn in their natal rivers at rebounded levels, increasing at a trend of about 8 percent a year since they were listed as threatened, according to a 2022 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife analysis. Robust adult returns are important to achieving recovery goals, but abundance is just one of the criteria measured when listing fish under the Act. Additional work is needed to ensure populations remain viable in the future.

View data on Salmon statewide. Visit the Salmon Data Hub for more of the data behind the indicator charts and graphs used throughout this site.