SALMON For the Love of

Loved and celebrated by locals, visitors, nature enthusiasts, and anglers alike, salmon are special in Butte County, specificallythe Chinook, which makes the area its home and is considered the king of wild Pacific salmon. Unlike most fish, salmon, including Butte County’s beloved Chinook, are anadromous—meaning that they hatch in freshwater streams, migrate to the ocean to feed and grow, then return to fresh water to spawn the next generation. The salmon returning to Butte County from the Pacific Ocean travel almost 200 miles to make that trip!

The largest migration of fall-run Chinook salmon occurs during September and October. The Feather River Fish Hatchery in Oroville is a great place to visit any time of year, but it shines during the fall run. On the eastern side of the hatchery, you can come face-to-face with the returning fish at underwater viewing windows and watch as they attempt to jump up the barrier dam. The western side includes the fish spawning rooms, hatchery, and rearing ponds where millions of Chinook salmon are cared for and eventually released. Guided tours are available Monday through Friday, but you can enjoy self-guided tours any day of the week.

Come spring, Butte County is one of the few places left in California where threatened spring-run Chinook salmon can spawn naturally. The Butte Creek Ecological

Preserve, operated by Chico State, protects a 93-acre portion of this important habitat. Springrun Chinook salmon can also navigate up Big Chico Creek into Bidwell Park. The spring run peaks May through June.

Get Up Close

Get an up-close view of Butte County’s migrating salmon during the fall run via kayaks throughout the county. On the Feather River, launch at the fish hatchery under the Table Mountain Boulevard bridge. Stay nearby or head downstream for a relaxing 2-mile paddle to Riverbend Park, where you’ll be sure to see salmon jumping out of the water. Check out the Forebay Aquatic Center for guided tours throughout the season.

For longer adventures, paddle the Feather River 7.3 miles downstream to the Thermalito Afterbay outlet, 8.7 miles to the Vance Avenue parking area in the Oroville Wildlife Area, or 17 beautiful miles from the Feather River Fish Hatchery to the Gridley boat ramp for the ultimate Feather River experience. For flat water adventures, check out the landlocked salmon population in Lake Oroville, Thermalito Forebay, and the Thermalito Afterbay

Celebrate Salmon

Butte County loves its salmon run so much that every year, Oroville celebrates the return of fall-run Chinook salmon during the Oroville Salmon Festival. Always taking place on the fourth Saturday in September, it’s a celebration of all things salmon, and visitors can view the salmon run at the fish hatchery, enjoy a street fair, taste various salmon dishes, and more.