It’s Salmon SEEson, your annual opportunity to spot chinook, coho and other salmon species in Issaquah Creek and other local waterways.
Great salmon-viewing opportunities abound within Issaquah and throughout the Lake Washington/Cedar/ Sammamish Watershed, as salmon return from several years of living in the open ocean back to the stream where they were born years ago.
In Issaquah, spot salmon at:
Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, 125 W. Sunset Way
See salmon return to Issaquah Creek daily from the bridge or through viewing windows through November. Trained Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery (FISH) docents lead guided tours at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on weekends through Nov. 15, 2015. To learn more, go to issaquahfish.org.
Lake Sammamish State Park, 2000 N.W. Sammamish Road
Visit Lake Sammamish State Park and walk the boardwalk to see salmon migrating up Issaquah Creek from Lake Sammamish. Fish return as early as mid-September, with numbers peaking in early October. Use your Discover Pass and park free. To learn more, go to parks.wa.gov or lakesammamishfriends.org.
Ebright and Lewis creeks, near Lake Sammamish
Don’t miss your chance to see little red kokanee salmon, a smaller relative of sockeye. Between early November and late January, kokanee can sometimes be viewed at Lake Sammamish, the only place to see them within 90 miles of Seattle.
Call 206-477-4746 before you go to make sure fish are visible. Self-guided locations are Lake Sammamish State Park, Lewis Creek at 185th Place Southeast in Issaquah, and Ebright Creek at the East Lake Sammamish Trail in Sammamish.