2025 Fall Salmon Run Update – Klamath River Basin

Minimal New Activity – Season Winding Down

The past week showed very little new salmon activity across all monitoring stations, with counts essentially flat as the 2025 season nears conclusion.

Weekly Change (November 20 → November 24)

The Missing Salmon Question

The 2025 counts raise significant questions about salmon distribution throughout the Klamath Basin:

Where are the fish going? The monitoring stations on Shasta River, Scott River, Bogus Creek, Jenny Creek, and Shovel Creek are all tributaries of the lower Klamath River historically with counts in the ten’s of thousands.

The Upper Klamath Connection: The question of whether these fish represent descendants of salmon released in upper Klamath reaches during reintroduction efforts is intriguing. Adult salmon returning in 2025 would have been released as juveniles 3-4 years ago (2021-2022). Upper Klamath reintroduction programs were active during that period, some portion of the 2025 return could indeed represent those fish – though distinguishing their origin from naturally spawned fish in lower tributaries would require genetic analysis.

Historical Context: Prior to dam removal, Iron Gate Dam (removed in 2024) blocked salmon access to approximately 420 miles of historic spawning habitat upstream. The 2025 returning adults spent their juvenile phase largely during the dam removal process, so they wouldn’t have benefited from upper basin access. Future returns (2026 and beyond) will be the true test of whether salmon are recolonizing upper Klamath reaches, as those fish will have had access to newly opened habitat as juveniles.

What the data suggests: The relatively low tributary counts compared to historical basin-wide estimates suggest significant numbers of salmon may be:

1. Spawning in the mainstem Klamath River
2. Utilizing the newly accessible upper basin reaches
3. Spawning in uncounted areas downstream of weir locations

The absence of comprehensive mainstem and upper basin monitoring means the full 2025 Klamath return remains unknown.

Note: These counts represent net upstream passage at monitoring stations only. Significant spawning occurs downstream of counting facilities, particularly in Scott River and Bogus Creek. No monitoring data is available for mainstem Klamath River or upper basin spawning areas. Sonar data from Scott River and final escapement estimates will be included in comprehensive annual reports.