412 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



herring and sardines, continuing until in August. There are two 

 runs of spaA\Tung fish in the Sacramento, the first or "spring run" 

 beginning in April and continuing tliroughout May and June, these 

 fish spawning mainh^ in the cold tributaries of the'^Sacramento, such 

 as the McCloud and Fall Rivers. The second or "fall run" occurs 

 in Auo:ust, September, and October, and these fish spawn in the 

 rifl^es in the main river between Tehama and Redding, also entering 

 the tributaries in that vicinity. The two runs merge into each otheit 

 It is also claimed that there is a third run wliich comes in December. 



In former years the San Joaquin and the American and Feather 

 Rivers of the Sacramento system had large runs of salmon, but ex- 

 cessive fishing and the operation of various mining and irrigation 

 projects have practically depleted them. 



The Eel and Mad Rivers of northern Cahfornia have only a late 

 or fall run, while tlie Klamath River has both a spring and a fall run, 

 and Smith River has a spring run alone. Rogue River in Oregon has 

 both a spring and a fall run, and the Umpcjua and several other coast 

 streams of Oregon have small early runs. 



The Columbia River has three runs, the first entering during 

 January, P'ebruary, and March, and spawning mainly in the Clack^ 

 amas and neighboring streams. The second, which is the best run, 

 enters during May, June, and part of July, spawning mainly in the 

 headwaters. The third run occurs during late July, August, Sep- 

 tember, and part of October, and spawns in the tributaries of the 

 lower Columbia. 



In Puget Sound chinook salmon are found throughout the year, 

 although it is only during the spawning season that they are very 

 abundant. In the Eraser River, a tributary of the Sound, the run 

 occurs from March to August. 



In the Skeena River, British Columbia, the run occurs from May 

 to July, the same being approximately true of the Naas also. 



In southeast Alaska they are found all months of the year. From 

 March to the middle of June they are abundant and feeding in the 

 numerous straits and sounds; in May and June the spawning fish 

 enter the Unuk, Stikine, Taku, Cliiikat, Alsek, and Copper Rivers 

 in large numbers, and in a few smaller sti-eams in lesser abundance. 

 In August, September, and October they are again to be found in 

 large numbers feeding in the bays and sounds, wliile during the 

 winter months a few have been taken on trawls set for halibut, show- 

 ing that they are hving in the lower depths at this time. 



In Cook Inlet the run occurs during May and June and is com- 

 posed wholly of red-meated fish; in the rivers of Bristol Bay the run 

 comes in June and July, principally in the first-named month, and 

 the same is true of the Togiak, Kuskokwim, and Yukon Rivers, the 

 late appearance of the fish in the upper courses of the Yukon being 

 due to the immense distance the fish have to cover. 



SOCKEYE, BLUEBACK, OR RED SALMON 



The red or sockeye salmon {0. iierka), when it first comes in from 

 the sea is a clear bright blue above in color, silvery below. Soon 

 after entering the river for the purpose of spawning the color of the 

 head changes to a rich oUve, the back and sides to crimson, and finally 

 to a dark blood red, and the belly to a dirty white. The maximum 

 weight is about 12 pounds, and length 3 feet, with the average weight 



