Cutthroat prefer the smallest, highest tributaries in a basin. Coho Salmon Juveniles rear throughout watersheds, often concentrating in pools in the summer, spreading out in the winter. Juveniles migrate to the ocean at 1 year, in the spring. Most Oregon coho rear just off our coast. Adults return to fresh water in the fall and spawn in late fall and winter.
Adults tend to spawn in concentrations on gravel bars in upper watersheds.
Most adults spawn when they are 3 years old. Juveniles rear in a lake, spending 1 to 2 years in fresh water before migrating to the ocean in the spring. Columbia Basin sockeye migrate to the Gulf of Alaska for ocean rearing. Adults typically spend 2 years in the ocean. Loss of Oregon sockeye resulted from blocked access to lakes.