This breathtaking sight symbolizes the essence of the Northwest. The unique qualities of the Skagit River provide precious habitat for all seven of the Pacific salmon species including steelhead and cutthroat trout. Each species has evolved with a different set of strategies for spawning and rearing that help reduce competition and ensure survival.
Several species occur in the North Cascades National Park Service Complex.
After the male fertilizes the eggs, the female covers the eggs with gravel so they won't wash away with the flow of the river. The fragile eggs need cool, clean, oxygenated water to survive and start the life cycle over again. While one race of Chinook on the Olympic Peninsula had fish that weighed up to 125 pounds, they more often weigh 12 to 40 pounds. Less abundant than the sockeye, pink, and chum species, the Coho spends its first year in the birth tributary and the next 18 months in the ocean before returning to spawn. The Skagit River chum run serves as the major food source for bald eagles during the winter.