California’s embattled salmon populations continue to struggle. According to figures released on February 26 by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) at an Anadromous Fishes Conservation and Management Program meeting, salmon population estimates are low throughout the Golden State.
Notably, the survey showed a population estimate of just under 166,000 fish from the Sacramento River fall-run of Chinook salmon—the state’s most significant salmon run. That estimate is down slightly from 2024 when the estimate was around 169,000 fish. Additionally, last year’s spawning escarpment—fish that return to freshwater to spawn—totaled only 99,000 adults, below the conservation goal of 122,000 to 180,000. These figures are all well below long-term averages.
Additionally, surveys show low spawning counts and population estimates for the Klamath Basin, where the 2024 fall Chinook run was just 38 percent of the long-term average.
“It’s just another bad year that is upon us, and that’s unfortunate for everybody,” Scott Artis, executive director of Golden State Salmon Association, told the LA Times. “Commercial and recreational fishing businesses have been struggling."
In fact, both recreational and commercial salmon fishing have been shut down in the Golden State for the past two years, seriously impacting local outfitters and fishermen. The low population estimates could signal another year of total closures for the fisheries—or at the very least, significant harvest restrictions.
What’s Causing the Low Salmon Counts?
Salmon in California are facing a gauntlet of man-made and natural threats, including but not limited to severe drought, water management prioritizing agriculture over river flows needed for salmon spawning, dams, and warming water temperatures.
In recent years, officials have been working to address the situation. Four dams were removed from the Klamath River in the largest dam removal project in U.S. history. Additionally, in 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a “Salmon Strategy” involving a slew of actions and initiatives in an attempt to recover the state’s anadromous fish.
Some advocates say that officials aren’t going far enough. In a recent press release, Artis slammed California’s water policies for failing to provide adequate flows for salmon. He also called for the implementation of short-haul hatchery trucking procedures.
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In the meantime, wildlife managers are hoping salmon populations will bounce back, at least temporarily, on their own in the coming years. Wet winter conditions in 2023 and 2024 made for ideal spawning conditions. Because salmon have a three-year life cycle, officials expect the population abundance to significantly increase starting in 2026.
