NYFalls.com Talk

Spawning Habits

Salmon spawn (or reproduce) in the fall, with peak activity occurring from mid-October to mid-November. Although some spawning does occur near river mouths, most spawning takes place in upstream portions of rivers or streams. Adult salmon build nests called "redds" in the stream bottom. The redds are dug by the female in areas of moving water, such as near riffles or the tail end of pools. The female moves gravel and small rocks with vigorous sweeps of her tail until a depression has been created. The eggs are then deposited and quickly fertilized.

Salmon protect their eggs by burying them in gravel. After spawning, the female moves upstream a short distance and digs into the gravel, freeing it so it will drift downstream and cover the eggs. Buried under layers of gravel, the salmon embryos develop slowly and hatch in late winter or early spring. After hatching, young salmon move downstream into lakes or oceans either immediately (in the case of pink salmon), or after one or more years of growth in the stream (as with Atlantic salmon).

An interesting difference between Atlantic and Pacific salmon is their fate after spawning. All Pacific salmon die after spawning, while Atlantic salmon may survive and even spawn two or more times. Salmon are generally medium-lived fish, with Pacifics living up to five years old and Atlantics sometimes reaching six to seven years old.

hoohaa wrote:OK, I wasn't sure where to put this, so this seemed like the good forum.

Isn't it sometime soon that the Salmon go swimming up stream? I always thought it would be fun to head to like Pulaski to get photos of this happening. But, being I have no clue when they do it or if there are any good spots near Pulaski, I figured this would be a good spot to ask.

Anyone know?