Seeing Salmon in Olympia WA - Yes It's Spawning Time Again

I've been noticing the "See Salmon Here" signs for several days as I travel near or across the 5th Ave bridge in downtown Olympia, so figured it was time to stop and...well, see the salmon! One of my favorite things each fall is being able to see the salmon as they migrate in from Budd Inlet, across Capitol Lake, and up the Deschutes River to spawn.

After peering into the water and the fish ladder for a while, wondering if I was seeing shadows or fish shapes, I chatted with the Stream Team volunteer who was there to answer questions. She told me she had seen one big salmon early that morning, but it had already apparently moved up the fish ladder and on into the lake.

Obviously this fellow is hoping for some more fish in time for dinner...

But rather than wait around longer, I think I will make a point sometime this week of going to Tumwater Falls Park to see the salmon doing their splish splash routine.

This trek the spawning salmon make is so amazing to me - that they are able to find their way back, that they can make it up the fish ladders, that they push through their exhaustion to get to where they are supposed to go to spawn.

These salmon are absolutely an inspiration and reminder that keeping going thru the tough times is not only possible, but crucial.