#15333 Watching the Great Fish Migration in Seattle, Washington

Experience one of nature’s most remarkable—yet underappreciated—migrations at the fish ladder at Seattle’s Hiram M. Chittenden (Ballard) Locks. Adult sockeye, chinook (king), and coho salmon pass through the fish ladder in the summer on their journey from the ocean back to their spawning grounds in freshwater lakes and streams. Look down on the fish ladder from above and keep an eye out for salmon leaping from one level to the next. Then descend the ramp to the underwater viewing window for a close-up look at the fish. In the spring, watch for young salmon, known as smolt, cascading from the smolt slides that carry them safely past the dam in the opposite direction. After a few years in the ocean, they’ll return through the ladder as adults, continuing the cycle. Steelhead trout also pass through the fish ladder.