Fish and shellfish in King County
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Salmon and trout
Salmon and trout identification
Learn how to distinguish fish species in King County streams from their shape, color and markings.
Where to view salmon
Check the Salmon Seeson interactive map of King County to see salmon runs in streams during the fall and winter.
Salmon conservation and recovery
Learn what King County and partner agencies are doing to protect and restore threatened salmon in King County's watersheds including Cedar River/Lake Washington, Snoqualmie/Skykomish, Green/Duwamish and White River watersheds.
Lake Sammamish kokanee recovery
Learn how King County is helping restore the health and vitality of Lake Sammamish kokanee populations that spawn in the creeks that flow into the lake.
Fish Passage Restoration Program
Learn how King County is working to open up miles of good spawning habitat to anadromous fish by removing barriers to migration.
Stream health is improving throughout King County
Learn how stream health is improving over the past few decades. View videos and maps and read the scientific findings.
The Restore and Protect Project
Identifying and recommending actions to restore and protect local streams in the Puget Sound basin.
Chemicals of emerging concern
Project to identify chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) such as PFAS and 6PPD-quinone and quantify their concentrations in salmon streams with critical spawning and rearing habitat.
Shellfish
Invertebrates
Learn about unique mollusks found in the cleanest streams and rivers having cool, clear water.
News and announcements
March 19, 2026
External article, Seattle Times
How King County restored a flood plain
January 14, 2026
VIDEO: A unique salmon recovery partnership in King County has proven to be an effective model for collective impact
A unique partnership created 25 years ago in King County has so far reconnected 730 acres of floodplain, completed 719 salmon recovery projects, and planted nearly 1,500 acres of native vegetation in riparian areas. The partners recently signed a new agreement that will sustain the effort for at least the next decade.
October 26, 2025
External opinion, Seattle Times
Southern resident orca numbers show region cannot let up on restoration
May 15, 2025
VIDEO: From extinction’s edge to a promising future: How King County and partners put Lake Sammamish kokanee on a path toward recovery
A partnership coordinated by the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks reported that more than 8,300 adult kokanee salmon returned from Lake Sammamish to spawn during the 2023-24 season, a dramatic increase from seven years ago when fewer than 20 returned from the lake. It is the latest promising sign that the freshwater species is on a path toward recovery following a catastrophic decline.
April 21, 2025
VIDEO: One year later, King County’s largest-ever floodplain restoration project is improving salmon health
One year after completing the largest floodplain restoration project in King County's history, ecologists report young Chinook salmon are growing considerably well in the newly restored habitats along the Snoqualmie River, validating the county’s approach to improving habitat and offering a blueprint for future salmon recovery work.
April 9, 2025
King County’s major sewer upgrade in Bellevue is the first project of its kind to earn Salmon-Safe certification, simultaneously modernizing infrastructure and improving habitat
One of the nation’s leading eco-labels, Salmon-Safe, has awarded its first ever certification for a wastewater infrastructure project to King County’s Coal Creek Sewer Upgrade in Bellevue.
March 27, 2025
VIDEO: King County scientists identify a potential breakthrough for treating salmon-killing tire chemical
Research by King County's Water and Land Resources Division confirmed the effectiveness of soil mixture that treats 6PPDQ, a toxic chemical found in tire dust that causes coho salmon to die before they return to their spawning grounds.
Chinook salmon fry photo by Roger Tabor, USFWS
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