Species: Oncorhynchus nerka

Sockeye Salmon

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Species of concern in the Puget Sound watershed

Fishes of Puget Sound and adjacent waters

Subtidal surveys in Puget Sound

Fishes of the Salish Sea

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Photo of Oncorhynchus nerka aka Sockeye Salmon

Sockeye salmon have numerous small scale, one dorsal fin plus one adipose fin, and no spines in the fins. The upper surface and tail fin of adults lack distinct dark spots. The first gill arch has 28-40 long slender gill rakers. The ocean stage is blue-green on top, silvery below. Spawning adults have a green head and bright red body, with the colors most intense in males. Maximum length is about 33 inches (84 cm). Young have 8-14 elliptical to oval parr marks on each side.

Articles:

Sockeye salmon estuary use in Puget Sound

The following article describes how both adult and juvenile sockeye salmon use estuaries in Puget Sound and includes text from two previously published overviews on the subject by University of Washington biologist Thomas P. Quinn.

A close-up of a fish with several behind it in water behind glass.

Abundance of pink salmon may be harming orcas

Pink salmon now comprise nearly 80 percent of all adult salmon in the North Pacific. This record abundance is coming at a cost to other salmon species such as threatened Chinook, which compete with pinks for spawning territory. A new study shows that the ecological toll may extend all the way to endangered southern resident killer whales.

Underwater view of many fish swimming in one direction.

The role of estuaries in the ecology of adult Pacific salmon and trout in Puget Sound

The extensive loss or modification of estuaries throughout Puget Sound creates a significant challenge for adult salmon as they migrate to their natal streams to spawn. A 2024 report by University of Washington scientist Thomas Quinn looks at how different species of salmonids use estuaries to move from marine to freshwater environments. The report was commissioned by the University of Washington Puget Sound Institute with funding from the Environmental Protection Agency's National Estuary Program.

Report cover with text and image of salmon swimming underwater.

The role of estuaries in the ecology of juvenile Pacific salmon and trout in Puget Sound

This overview describes the different ways that juvenile Pacific salmon and trout use estuaries, and why those differences are important for ecosystem recovery efforts. The report was commissioned by the University of Washington Puget Sound Institute with funding from the Environmental Protection Agency's National Estuary Program.

Aerial view of Puget Sound showing multiple rivers and inlets. The text reads ‘The role of estuaries in the ecology of juvenile Pacific salmon and trout in Puget Sound’ by Thomas P. Quinn from the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington.

Sockeye among 'biggest unknowns' for Elwha salmon recovery

June 06, 2022

The return of sockeye to the Elwha River is intriguing scientists. Could nearby freshwater kokanee help re-establish resident populations? We continue with part four of our series 'Returning home: The Elwha's genetic legacy.'

Three salmon with green heads and red bodies seen underwater

Returning home: The Elwha's genetic legacy

May 05, 2022

Following dam removal, migratory salmon have been free to swim into the upper Elwha River for the first time in 100 years. Their actual behaviors and reproductive success may well be driven by changes in their genetic makeup. Our seven-part series 'Returning home' examines how the fish are doing and whether the Elwha's genetic legacy remains intact.

View of the Elwha River above the site of the former Glines Canyon Dam in 2021. Photo: Sylvia Kantor

Lost freshwater salmon population may still inhabit Lake Washington

October 21, 2021

Scientists think they may have discovered a lost population of native kokanee salmon in Lake Washington. Salmon watchers are monitoring local creeks this fall to confirm the finding.

Aerial view of kokanee salmon swimming in a stream

Taking the temperature of salmon

August 12, 2021

Warming waters threaten the recovery of salmon in Puget Sound. New findings about stream temperature could help salmon survive the threats of climate change.

Amy Marsha and Aimee Fullerton standing in the Raging River

State of the salmon in watersheds 2016

July 20, 2016

A biennial report produced by the Governor's Salmon Recovery Office provides stories and data about salmon, habitat, and salmon recovery in Washington, including Puget Sound.

Salmon smolts. Photo courtesy of Governor's Salmon Recovery Office

Salmon live in a topsy-turvy world upstream of the Ballard Locks

Chinook, coho and sockeye salmon, along with steelhead trout, live in the Lake Washington watershed and navigate a treacherous route through the Ballard Locks on their way to Puget Sound.

Returning sockeye salmon packed gill-to-gill in the viewing windows at the Ballard Locks fish ladder. Photo: Ingrid Taylar (CC BY-NC 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/taylar/7511895940

List of Salish Sea fish grows to 253 species

Researchers updating a 1980 fish catalog have found evidence of 37 additional fish species in the Salish Sea. This information, accompanied by hundreds of detailed illustrations, is seeding a new reference book expected to gain wide use among scientists, anglers and conservationists. [Editor's note: As of 2019, the list of Salish Sea fishes has grown to 260 species.]

An illustration of the fourhorn poacher (Hypsagonus quadricornis). Copyright: Joseph R. Tomelleri

2014 state of salmon in watersheds executive summary

This report documents how Washingtonians have responded to the challenges of protecting and restoring salmon and steelhead to healthy status. It also serves as a tool to summarize achievements, track salmon recovery progress through common indicators, and identify data gaps that need to be filled.

2014 state of salmon in watersheds report cover

2012 state of salmon in watersheds executive summary

Salmon recovery demands both dedication among people with different interests, and sustained resources. This biennial report tells the story of the progress made to date and the challenges ahead.

Foraging differences between male and female harbor seals present challenges for fisheries management

April 01, 2015

A 2015 article published in the Marine Ecology Progress Series identifies intraspecific differences in diet between harbor seals in the Salish Sea, suggesting implications for marine reserve management.

Harbor seal photographed by Andreas Trepte. Available through a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 2.5 license.

Measuring Socio-Cultural Values Associated with Salmon in the Quinault Indian Nation

March 01, 2014

A 2014 report describes a study of socio-cultural values associated with blueback salmon in the Quinault Indian Nation. The blueback salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) is a unique strain of sockeye that returns primarily to the Quinault river system.

Lead Entities for salmon recovery in Puget Sound

February 05, 2014

Lead Entities are local organizations in Puget Sound that develop salmon recovery strategies and priorities for the region on a watershed-based scale.

Classification

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Craniata

Class

Actinopterygii

Order

Salmoniformes

Family

Salmonidae

Genus

Oncorhynchus

NatureServe

Source:
ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100974

Classification

Other Global Common Names

Kokanee - saumon rouge

Informal Taxonomy

Animals, Vertebrates - Fishes - Bony Fishes - Salmon and Trouts

Formal Taxonomy

Animalia - Craniata - Actinopterygii - Salmoniformes - Salmonidae - Oncorhynchus - Hendry et al. (2000) presented evidence suggesting that reproductive isolation between introduced populations of common origin can evolve after fewer than 13 generations.

Ecology and Life History

Habitat Type Description

Freshwater

Migration

true - true - true - Anadromous forms migrate from ocean waters up coastal streams and rivers to spawn in natal waters; spend 1-4 years (usually 2 years) in ocean, 2 years in freshwater; ascend river, spend 1-8 months in lake, then move to natal spawning area. Many non-anadromous populations move from lakes into tributary streams to spawn, some remain in lakes. Enters spawning rivers from late spring to midsummer, depending on the population.

Non-migrant

true

Locally Migrant

true

Food Comments

Kokanee feed on zooplankton. Young sockeye eat primarily planktonic crustaceans. At sea, young sockeye feed on zooplankton, small fishes and insects; as they grow they eat more fish.

Reproduction Comments

Anadromous forms migrate from ocean waters up coastal streams and rivers to spawn in natal waters. They spend 1-4 years (usually 2 years) in the ocean before ascending streams (mainly in summer but some stocks as early as winter). Many stocks spawn in fall (peak often in October or November), but spawning extends into winter in some areas. Spawning sites often are in gravel riffles, sometimes along gravelly shores of lakes where seepage outflows, springs, or wind-induced waves occur. Eggs hatch in 6-9 weeks, depending on temperature, and larvae emerge 2-3 weeks later. Sockeye fry move upstream or downstream to nursery lakes, where the young spend 1-2 years (up to 3 or rarely 4 years in some areas of Alaska; usually 1 year in British Columbia) before going to sea, usually in spring; some populations use stream areas for rearing and may migrate to the sea soon after emergence. Many non-anadromous (kokanee) populations move from lakes into tributary streams to spawn, though some remain in lakes. They enter spawning streams from late spring to midsummer, depending on the population. Kokanee spawn in different areas from August to February, at temperatures of 40-55 F.

Ecology Comments

Life cycle of sockeye similar to kokanee except sockeye matures in the ocean rather than lakes. Kokanee often travels in large schools. (Sigler and Sigler 1987). Two studies each reported survival rate of 4-20% for marine portion of life cycle (see Pauley et al. 1989). Northern squawfish and rainbow trout may be important predators on young in some lakes. Schools of young in lakes disperse as dusk approaches, reform after dawn (Pauley et al. 1989). In Montana, the introduction of opossum shrimp (MYSIS RELICTA) was followed by an abrupt decline in the kokanee population, apparently due to zooplankton decline caused by shrimp predation (Spencer et al. 1991).

Length

Conservation Status

NatureServe Global Status Rank

Global Status Last Reviewed

2003-01-31

Global Status Last Changed

1996-09-12

Distribution

Conservation Status Map

Global Range

During oceanic feeding and maturation, this salmon ranges throughout the North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, and eastern Sea of Okhotsk north of 40 degrees north latitude; there is considerable intermingling of Asian and North American populations, and of North American populations from Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska streams; the range shifts southward for winter, northward during warmer months. Natural lake populations occur in Japan, former USSR, Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Yukon, and British Columbia. Anadromous forms occur in Asia from Hokkaido, Japan, to the Anadyr River (spawning mainly on the Kamchatka Peninsula); in North America, anadromous populations range from the Sacramento River, California, north to Point Hope, Alaska (common in north, rare south of Columbia River drainage). Major Alaskan spawning areas are in tributaries and lakes of the Kenai, Chignik, Naknet, Kuichak, Wood, and Kodiak Island river systems. South of Alaska in the Pacific Northwest, the major spawning river is the Fraser River system in British Columbia, with smaller runs in the Baker, Columbia, Cedar, Quinalt, and Ozette rivers in Washington. The Fraser River includes a number of important nursery lakes (Cultus, Adams, Harrison, Horsefly, Shuswap, and Quesnel) and many tributaries that support the major portion of the Pacific Northwest population. In eastern Washington, major nursery lakes for Columbia River are Lake Wenathchee and Osoyoos Lake. In western Washington, major nursery lakes are Quinalt Lake, Ozette Lake, Baker Lake, and Lake Washington. In a 1996 survey of populations in the contiguous U.S., one healthy native stock was identified (Wenatchee River, Washington). The kokanee (lake-stream form) has been introduced in many western states and elsewhere, but most transplants have been unsuccessful in establishing self-sustaining populations.

ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100974