Lake Washington salmon counts

Lake Washington salmon have been counted each year since 1972 as they enter freshwater at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks -- also known as the Ballard Locks -- on Seattle's Lake Washington Ship Canal. Currently, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Muckleshoot Indian Tribe staff conduct the counts cooperatively to determine if there are sufficient sockeye to open fishing seasons.

Sockeye counts begin on June 12 each year and go through July in order to provide consistent data from year to year. The sockeye are counted daily during set time periods as they pass through both the locks and the fishway, and the counts are converted into a daily total number of fish passing upstream. In early July, state and tribal managers begin to make weekly projections of the expected total run size based on the current counts. When the co-managers expect the total run size includes sufficient surplus fish above the escapement goal of 350,000 sockeye, sport and tribal fishing seasons will be opened.

Preliminary daily Chinook counts will be available from late July through September and daily coho counts will be available from Sept. 1 until early October.  The preliminary counts are subject to revision.

Daily coho counts

Date Daily Count Running Total
6/12-8/31/23 0 0
9/1 929 929
9/2 937 1,866
9/3 1,410 3,276
9/4 2,283 5,559
9/5 1,985 7,544
9/6 2,469 10,013
9/7 4,645 14,658
9/8 2,863 17,521
9/9 2,287 19,808
9/10 1,596 21,404
9/11 1,837 23,241
9/12 2,408 25,649
9/13 1,890 27,539
9/14 1,517 29,056
9/15 2,001 31,058
9/16 1,378 32,436
9/17 1,982 34,418
9/18 1,716 36,134
9/19 1,847

37,982

9/20 2,101 40,083
9/21 1,423 41,506
9/22 1,018 42,524
9/23 1,281 43,806
9/24 661 44,467
9/25 737 45,204
9/26 1,027 46,231
9/27 539 46,769
9/28 622 47,391
9/29 896 48,287
9/30 349 48,636
10/1 349 48,985
10/2 203 49,188

 

Daily Chinook counts

 

Date Daily Count Running Total
6/18 - 6/30/23 0 0

7/1

7 7

7/2

1 8
7/3 0 8
7/4 0 8
7/5 2 10
7/6 0 10
7/7 0 10
7/8 13 23
7/9 0 23
7/10 0 23
7/11 15 38
7/12 12 50
7/13 12 62
7/14 0 62
7/15 10 72
7/16 2 74
7/17 0 74
7/18 0 74
7/19 8 82
7/20 7 89
7/21 8 97
7/22 0 97
7/23 4 101
7/24 15 116
7/25 30 146
7/26 3 149
7/27 3 152
7/28 0 152
7/29 135 287
7/30 7 294
7/31 26 320
8/1 42 362
8/2 45 407
8/3 132 539
8/4 134 673
8/5 72 745
8/6 234 979
8/7 346 1,325
8/8 537 1,862
8/9 802 2,664
8/10 364 3,028
8/11 241 3,269
8/12 421 3,690
8/13 488 4,178
8/14 356 4,535
8/15 423 4,957
8/16 453 5,410
8/17 539 5,949
8/18 1,047 6,996
8/19 684 7,680
8/20 750 8,430
8/21 1,350 9,780
8/22 560 10,340
8/23 868 11,208
8/24 560 11,768
8/25 1,200 12,968
8/26 1,211 14,179
8/27 1,263 15,442
8/28 1,118 16,560
8/29 463 17,023
8/30 1,516 18,539
8/31 1,331 19,870
9/1 482 20,354
9/2 148 20,502
9/3 474 20,976
9/4 564 21,540
9/5 202 21,742
9/6 287 22,027
9/7 416 22,443
9/8 423 22,867
9/9 79 22,946
9/10 79 23,025
9/11 39 23,064
9/12 52 23,116
9/13 33 23,149
9/14 25 23,174
9/15 60 23,233
9/16 6 23,240
9/17 8 23,248
9/18 7 23,254
9/19 7 23,261
9/20 20 23,281
9/21 0 23,281
9/22 7 23,288
9/23 14 23,301
9/24 0 23,301
9/25 15 23,301
9/26 0 23,316
9/27 0 23,316
9/28 7 23,322

9/29

0 23,322
9/30 0 23,322
10/1 0 23,322
10/2 0 23,322

 

Daily sockeye counts

Date Daily Count Running Total
6/12/23 0 0
6/13 7 7
6/14

7

14
6/15 0 14
6/16 0 14
6/17 3 17
6/18 0 17
6/19 18 35
6/20 59 94
6/21 91 185
6/22 52 237
6/23 92 329
6/24 0 329
6/25 459 788
6/26 456 1,244
6/27 133 1,377
6/28 1,074 2,451
6/29 1,241 3,692
6/30 453 4,145
7/1 521 4,666
7/2 633 5,299
7/3 1,536 6,835
7/4 332 7,167
7/5 537 7,704
7/6 479 8,183
7/7 367 8,550
7/8 684 9,234
7/9 691 9,925
7/10 805 10,730
7/11 1,560 12,290
7/12 1,646 13,936
7/13 273 14,209
7/14 365 14,574
7/15 442 15,016
7/16 574 15,590
7/17 672 16,262
7/18 601 16,863
7/19 1,261 18,124
7/20 467 18,591
7/21 263 18,854
7/22 135 18,989
7/23 657 19,646
7/24 694 20,340
7/25 484 20,824
7/26 271 21,095
7/27 216 21,311
7/28 204 21,515
7/29 215 21,730
7/30 21 21,751
7/31 51 21,802
8/1 238 22,040
8/2 115 22,155
8/3 65 22,220
8/4 74 22,294
8/5 124 22,418
8/6 173 22,591
8/7 118 22,709
8/8 131 22,840
8/9 119 22,959
8/10 102 23,061
8/11 57 23,118
8/12 85 23,203
8/13 85 23,288
8/14 83 23,371
8/15 39 23,410
8/16 46 23,456
8/17 46 23,502
8/18 63 23,565
8/19 59 23,624
8/20 39 23,663
8/21 18 23,681
8/22 20 23,701
8/23 99 23,800
8/24 26 23,826
8/25 7 23,833
8/26 0 23,833
8/27 0 23,833
8/28 13 23,846
8/29 7 23,853
8/30 7 23,860
8/31 0 23,860
9/1 20 23,880
9/2 20 23,900
9/3 0 23,900
9/4 7 23,907
9/5 0 23,907
9/6 0 23,907
9/7 0 23,907
9/8 0 23,907
9/9 0 23,907

Ballard Locks sockeye counts

On desktop/laptop, move the cursor over a data point to see the exact date and count. To zoom in or out on the chart, use the mouse scroll wheel. Click and drag the graph to pan the data left or right.

On touch devices, tap the data point to see the exact date and count. To zoom in or out on the chart, spread or pinch the chart area. Tap and drag the graph to pan the data left or right.

To view and compare counts from previous years, click/tap the year in the legend below the chart to toggle it on or off.

Annual sockeye counts

Year Total Count
2022 43,289
2021 36,618
2020 22,492
2019 16,825
2018 28,406
2017 129,568
2016 58,583
2015 32,154
2014 58,421
2013 177,349
2012 143,318
2011 42,641
2010 155,900
2009 21,719
2008 33,630
2007 60,166
2006 417,089
2005 74,820
2004 375,517
2003 199,300
2002 375,517
2001 264,823
2000 416,528
1999 51,941
1998 89,020
1997 127,797
1996 508,336
1995 34,280
1994 166,267
1993 131,457
1992 241,329
1991 86,594
1990 122,964
1989 195,454
1988 531,063
1987 192,058
1986 246,913
1985 282,821
1984 442,752
1983 391,101
1982 370,195
1981 198,798
1980 491,587
1979 233,278
1978 269,090
1977 417,783
1976 215,462
1975 169,302
1974 184,050
1973 384,550
1972 242,359

Collecting biological samples from adult sockeye

A comprehensive biological sampling program will continue gathering critical information for the management of Lake Washington sockeye salmon, including changes in populations, survival rates, genetic identification, changes in size, etc.

The goal is to collect approximately 200 adult sockeye each week as they move from seawater into the Lake Washington Basin. Biologists from the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe will lead the sampling effort, with the collaboration of WDFW staff who will assist in the collection and processing of samples from the adult sockeye. Seattle Public Utilities provides funding for processing and analysis of these biological samples.

Types of information collected

  • Scales
  • Lengths
  • Genetic Samples (DNA)
  • Mark Samples (Otoliths and tags)
  • Sex

Examples of three important biological data sets:

  • Age Composition - Sockeye salmon age compositions are a necessary step in measuring survival rates. Insufficient age data have been collected in recent years because of budget constraints and due to the difficulty of collecting a representative sample. Scales from the adult fish will be used to determine ages.
  • Wild/hatchery proportions - Artificially produced sockeye salmon will be an important component of the return in 2017 and coming years. The hatchery fish are 100% otolith (small bones inside the head) marked for differentiation from wild-origin sockeye. The accurate estimation of the numbers of returning hatchery fish is important to evaluate hatchery performance, and can be used to inform in-season fishery management decisions.
  • Genetic Diversity - Because genetic (DNA) analysis has only recently become available as an assessment tool, consistent genetic sampling programs have not been a part of the management process. Tissue samples collected from Lake Washington sockeye stocks will be used to make future comparisons between populations based on DNA profiles. This may allow the in-season monitoring of the returns of various wild and hatchery stocks, the crafting of protective measures in fisheries, and may allow the measurement of the influence of hatchery fish on wild sockeye.