The salmon are returning and you can be part of their journey!

Join us as we post live videos taken from various salmon viewing locations around Thurston County! In these videos, you will learn about the different species of salmon, the salmon life cycle, and where particular salmon are in their migration back home.

Watch this excellent 13 minute video by Bob Turner on Pacific Salmon and their Circle of Life!

Chum Salmon Heading Upstream to Spawn, Nov. 2020

Chum Salmon Heading Upstream Near Mud Bay, Nov. 2020

Chum Salmon at the Mouth of Perry Creek, Nov. 2020

Native Chum Salmon Return, Nov. 2020

Chum Salmon – Perry Creek, Nov. 2020

McLane Creek Chum Salmon Spawning, Nov. 2020


Native chum salmon spawn each Fall in McLane Creek in Washington State’s Capitol Forest.
From mid-November to mid-December, you can view the salmon from several viewing platforms
along the McLane Creek Nature Trail.

Chinook salmon returning to Tumwater Falls Hatchery at Brewery Park in Tumwater, WA

What to See at the 5th Ave Bridge

Salmon at the 5th Avenue Bridge – Aug. 31, 2020


At the end of summer, adult Chinook salmon return from the Pacific Ocean to spawn.
As they make their way to Tumwater Falls Hatchery, the salmon must first enter
Capitol Lake at Olympia’s 5th Avenue Dam.

5th Avenue Salmon Stewards

Salmon at Ellis Creek