First Coho Spawning Report of the Season

Coho being released to upstream of the hatchery

Issaquah hatchery staff and FISH volunteers harvested about 258,000 eggs during the first coho spawning of the 2020 season on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Eggs and milt were collected from 119 spawning pairs. The egg take represents about one quarter of the hatchery goal of 1 million eggs for the season. With a healthy return of fish so far this year, the hatchery was also able to release 419 coho upstream of the hatchery to continue farther up Issaquah Creek and spawn naturally. In addition, three late-arrival chinook were released upstream, and one rainbow trout that followed the salmon into the hatchery holding pond was returned to the wild as well. Coho spawning will continue for the next two to three weeks.

Stay tuned for more updates!