I have a couple questons. When do the salmon that run through Ellis actually spawn out and die. I am just looking for the basic time frame when they start dropping eggs and dying. Also do the salmon spwn throughout the river system? Meaning, do they run up the middle fork, and Lemhi, and other tributaries of the Salmon River? Thanks in advance for any help.
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Spawn timing is determined by water temp, for spring/summer chinook it usually starts in early/mid Sept in the wild, some may be ready in late Aug. It may start ealier in some hatcheries if they add colder well water to the holding ponds.
Simple description of spawning areas is spring chinook spawn in the upper reachs of smaller tributary rivers, summers spawn in the middle reaches. The springers and summers dont spawn in the main stem of the Salmon.
This is just a simplified explanation:
For example, if the Pahsim had summers and springers the spring chinook would typically spawn closer to the headwaters and the summers would spawn in the lower middle reach.
In reality they typically choose different streams. For example of the chinnok heading to the upper salmon, the summers turn left at Ellis and travel up the Pahsim for a few miles and spawn. The chinook heading to challis/sawtooth hatchery are spring chinook, the wild salmon are heading for the tribs entering the Salmon , i.e headwater tributaries..
I think they are working to restore summers into the Lemhi.
All spawned out salmon die in a short period of time after spawning anywhere from a day to a week after.
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Thanks for the great info.
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