111-30 YES RIVER K 54 
N55°55.1 W131°47.9 Previous No. 50 
KETCHIKAN, BEHM CANAL, YES BAY, N. shore 2.5 miles from entrance 
MAJOR SPECIES Red, pink OTHER SPECIES Coho, chum, trout 
ESCAPEMENT TIMING Middle. Aug. -Sep. ESCAPEMENT MAGNITUDE »>100,000 
SPAWNING FACILITIES Yes River has only limited spawning facilities in the .4 miles below the outlet of Lake 
McDonald. Salmon pass through the Yes River and Lake McDonald to Hatchery Creek at the head of the lake where 
excellent spawning facilities are available (K 54-1). 
STREAM TEMPERATURES Warm range. Observed temperatures: 64°F., 8/23/47; 65°F., 8/3/52; 63°F., 8/25/53. 
Lake McDonald is 5 miles long with over 2 square miles of lake surface and is a major factor in the warm temper- 
ature range of the Yes River. 
VALLEY DESCRIPTION Yes River runs through low, hilly ground below the outlet of Lake McDonald. The river 
has cut a shallow canyon to Yes Bay. Timber, with abundant undergrowth. Yes River is the outlet stream of a lake 
system of glacial origin. 
DRAINAGE 76 square miles (Polar Planimeter). Headwater drainage sources are among high rock peaks N.E. of 
Lake McDonald. Snowfields are present until late summer and water temperatures in the stream entering Lake 
McDonald are colder than in Yes River. The water is slightly colored during normal water levels and becomes 
dark during flooding. 
STREAM MOUTH IDENTIFICATION There are remnants of al old cannery along the W. side of the mouth. 
Several cabins are on the W. point. 
ANCHORAGE A small boat float has been maintained on the W. point of the mouth. The Forest Service maintains 
a float in a small cove on the N. shore 1 mile W. of the river mouth. A trail from there leads to the upper river. 
Caution advised for navigation in Yes Bay (See Coast Pilot). 
TRAILS AND SURVEY ROUTES The middle and lower sections of the river are fairly difficult to travel. 
There is a trail that follows the river from the mouth to the Forest Service trail along the W. side of the river. 
AERIAL SURVEY NOTES Schooled salmon are visible only in the upper schooling areas during low water 
conditions. This part of the system is not surveyed by air. However, the stream at the head of Lake McDonald 
is clear and has excellent aerial visibility during most water levels. 
INTERTIDAL ZONE 
LENGTH .2miles AVERAGE WIDTH/DEPTH  100'/36" 
GRADIENT AND VELOCITIES 1-2° at 2-4' per second 
BOTTOM Rocks, boulders and bedrock. 
LOW TIDE LOCATION Opposite ruins of old cannery. 
HIGH TIDE LOCATION Rapids at constriction of the upper intertidal zone. 
SCHOOLING AREAS Heavy schooling has been observed in the mouth of the river. Upper intertidal zone does 
not offer facilities for schooling. 
SPAWNING AREAS _ No important spawning occurs in the intertidal zone. 
GENERAL NOTES During the early year operations of the Yes Bay cannery, most of the salmon taken for canning 
were captured at the mouth of the river. 
UPSTREAM 
LENGTH ACCESSIBLE See Hatchery Creek (K 54-1) AVERAGE WIDTH/DEPTH 80-100/ 24-48" 
GRADIENT AND VELOCITIES 1° (estimated) at 2-3' per second 
BOTTOM Rocks. boulders and bedrock, except for sand and some gravel in upper stream. 
MARKER DISTANCE 1.2 miles. 
MARKER IDENTIFICATION Outlet of Lake McDonald. 
BARRIERS None. 
TRIBUTARIES Major tributary enters . 1 miles below lake outlet from the E. There are several lakes in the upper 
tributary. The stream supplied the water for the Yes Bay cannery by a wooden aqueduct. 
SCHOOLING AREAS A large pool lies in front of the Forest Service cabin below the lake and is extensively used 
for schooling. The large pools below the cabin are deep and hold large numbers of salmon during the migration. 
SPAWNING AREAS _ Spawning occurs between the lake outlet and the cabin. Some spawning has been observed in 
the lower tributary steam. However, most salmon observed in the river are migrating to Hatchery Creek. 
GENERAL NOTES The river is a well-known sports fishing stream, having all trout species in abundance. It is 
best known for the excellent fly fishing for rainbow trout, both resident and sea-run below the lake outlet. 
