During the 2024–2025 spawning season, endangered Central California Coast coho salmon (CCC coho) migrated to Mendocino Coast rivers in numbers few scientists thought they would see in their careers. Monitoring teams estimated that more than 30,000 adult coho returned, double the previous season’s record-breaking return of 15,000 coho. These numbers represent a significant leap from the past decade, where as few as 3,000 fish returned annually. Several factors contributed to this surge. Many scientists believe that reconnecting spawning streams to mainstem rivers and other large-scale habitat restoration projects significantly boosted their productivity and abundance. 

Other anadromous fish news:

• KSRO: Salmon-fishing industry swimming upstream
• The Wildlife News: Blog: The effectiveness of our most important wildlife conservation law – the example of Lahontan cutthroat trout
• Fishing the North Coast With Kenny Priest: Blog: Steelhead season ends dry, but one more storm looms