Dec. 12, 2024

Creek Notes: Spawners Make a Splash

Greetings! Eric Ettlinger here from Marin Water's fisheries team.

Late November and early December salmon counts in the Lagunitas Creek watershed have been extraordinarily high. The biggest surprise so far (and we mean that literally ­– these fish are huge!) has been the record number of Chinook salmon we’ve seen throughout the watershed.

As of December 6, the Marin Water fisheries crew has counted 340 Chinook salmon and 105 Chinook redds (gravel nests). These counts eclipse the previous records of 134 live Chinook and 49 redds set in 2022. Chinook salmon are also being seen elsewhere in Marin County, from Mill Valley to Novato, and even in a tiny creek in San Rafael. Chinook are having quite a year, and are likely to keep spawning through the rest of this month.

December, however, is coho salmon time. Coho now outnumber Chinook in Lagunitas Creek, and our count-to-date is the highest we’ve seen in over two decades. Most of the 262 coho salmon we’ve observed so far have been schooling in deep pools and are likely waiting for more rain before continuing their journeys upstream. Hopefully they won’t have to wait long. Rain is forecast to return this weekend, so coho salmon are likely to be leaping, fighting and spawning starting this Sunday.

The best places to catch the action are the Leo T. Cronin Fish Viewing Area, Devil’s Gulch and the Cross Marin Trail in Camp Taylor. If you do plan to visit, it's best to arrive early to find parking and don’t forget to bring binoculars!

-Eric Ettlinger
Marin Water Aquatic Ecologist

In another exciting update, Marin Water recently reached a significant milestone for the Lagunitas Creek Habitat Enhancement Project. Our project team has just completed the first phase, one of three planned over multiple years. Take a look at this flyover video highlighting the favorable habitat for salmon spawning and rearing.