Where to See Salmon Spawning in Vancouver

Each fall, millions of salmon return to Vancouver’s rivers and streams to spawn. Watching giant schools of fish swim upstream against the current is a spectacular sight. Thanks to urban streamkeepers, you can see salmon spawning without leaving the city.

Why are Salmon Important in British Columbia?

Spawning salmon are a keystone species for BC’s temperate rainforest. Each year adult salmon return to the gravel stream beds where they were born where they spawn and then die. The next spring the young salmon hatch, and once they are large enough, head out to sea to begin their adult lives.

This cycle of birth and death sustains an entire ecosystem. Orcas, seals, and sea lions feed on the adult fish as they return to river mouths. Once the salmon reach the streams and rivers, bears, wolves, eagles, otters, and other predators eat them. They drag their carcasses into the forest to feed, where the fish become important fertilizer for our lush rainforests.

British Columbia’s culture and history are also intertwined with the cycle of the salmon spawn. Before colonization, many Indigenous people had seasonal fishing villages to catch and preserve salmon, one of their most important food sources. Once Europeans arrived, many of their settlements (such as Richmond’s Steveston neighbourhood) were built around the salmon fishery and salmon canneries.

Salmon Spawning Map

Use the Pacific Salmon Foundation’s Salmon Spawning Map to find places to watch salmon around British Columbia. It includes dozens of locations across the province along with info on which species of salmon are running and the best time of year to see them. Below are a few highlights close to Vancouver.

Capilano River Hatchery, North Vancouver

Located in Capilano River Regional Park in North Vancouver, the Capilano River Hatchery makes it easy to see spawning salmon because they have aquarium-style underwater viewing windows. The hatchery is open daily in the fall and includes lots of exhibits to help you learn about the salmon life cycle. You can also walk the trails in the nearby park to see salmon in the Capilano River.

Hoy Creek Fish Hatchery, Coquitlam

Run by volunteers from the Hoy-Scott Watershed Society, the Hoy Creek Fish Hatchery in Coquitlam hosts runs of spawning chum and coho salmon each October and November. This urban salmon population was threatened until volunteers worked to restore fish habitat and expand the hatchery. Walk the trails of Hoy Creek Linear Park near the hatchery to see the salmon spawning in the gravel streambeds.

Tynehead Regional Park, Surrey

While the Serpentine River may be small, it provides important habitat for coho, chum, chinook, and steelhead who come to spawn in the fall. Volunteers from the Serpentine Enhancement Society operate the Tynehead Hatchery in Tynehead Regional Park. To see the spawning salmon, follow the Salmon Habitat Loop beside the river and watch for salmon splashing in the stream. Head to the park on November 16 for the Super Spawn-tastic Salmon event which includes an interpretive hike.

Mamquam Spawning Channel, Squamish

The town of Squamish north of Vancouver sits at the mouth of several rivers, so it’s a great place to watch salmon spawn. In the Squamish language, Mamquam means “smelly river” since it collects so many rotting salmon carcasses each fall. Walk the Mamquam Spawning Channel Trails on the north side of the river beside the golf course to see coho and chum salmon swimming in the shallow side channels. You can get a close-up view of the fish kicking nests out of the gravel in preparation for spawning.