Spring chinook, also known as “springers,” are built for the long haul. Unlike their genetically identical counterparts, the fall chinook, which enter the river beginning in September and are already sexually mature, spring chinook start their freshwater migration in early March while still immature. They spend months maturing in deep, cold upriver pools, with some stocks traveling almost 1,000 miles to reach their natal spawning waters in eastern Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
Due to their…
