North Cascades

Salmon of the Skagit River Watershed

Pink Salmon (also called humpies) Oncorhyncus gorbuscha Pink salmon spawn in the Skagit Watershed only every other year; during years that end with odd numbers (1995, 1997, 1999...). This species prefers sloughs and slow moving water for spawning. The young emerge from the gravel during April and May and quickly migrate downstream as fry. They return to freshwater in the fall of the following year as two year old adults. These are the most abundant and the smallest of the Pacific salmon with an average weight of five to six pounds and length of 30 inches. These fish change from bright silver in the ocean to pale gray on the back with yellowish white belly when spawning. The males develop a large humpback during spawning, hence their nickname "humpies."