Monstrous Chinook salmon discovered in Battle Creek shallows

What has happened to all of our Chinook salmon? The beast pictured above looks as though he may have swallowed them all.

But seriously, the recent discovery of this dead fish in Battle Creek in Tehama County was significant enough for the Department of Fish and Game to issue a news release Wednesday afternoon, describing it as "one of the biggest Chinook salmon ever recorded in California."

Biologist Doug Killam made the find while conducting a survey of spawned-out fall-run salmon on lower Battle Creek near the Northern California town of Red Bluff. (Salmon die after they spawn.)

"I have counted tens of thousands of salmon during my career, and this is the biggest I have ever seen," Killam said. "When alive, it could have weighed more than the largest Chinook officially recorded in California, an 88-pound fish caught in the Sacramento River."

Most of the salmon found in these surveys weigh 20 to 30 pounds.

Killam supervises a crew of employees who work year-round monitoring fish populations throughout the Upper Sacramento River Basin. Four distinct runs of salmon are surveyed: winter-, spring-, fall- and late-fall-run Chinook salmon and steelhead.

The winter- and spring-run Chinook salmon and steelhead are listed under the state and federal endangered species acts, making information on their population size vital in recovery efforts and for state and federal water management activities.

"Hopefully, this fish was entirely successful in passing on its superior genetic potential," Killam said. "This is one of the few bright spots this year for one of California's great sport fish, the Chinook salmon."

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: DFG biologist Doug Killam struggles to pose with an enormous Chinook salmon discovered during a survey of fall-run salmon on Battle Creek. Credit: California Department of Fish and Game

Comments

[h]

Wow! What a glorious beast. May his offspring prosper!

[Aaden]

Good thing you killed it!

[Aaden]

er my bad I didn't read it.

[Walter]

how old might it have been?

[geza tokes]

An Alaskan sockeye salmon fisherman would be proud!

[Sam]

Wow. What a face. If I saw that by torchlight three days ago let alone a thousand years ago I'd be mighty scared.

[Rena]

Is that even edible? That water look's gross...eww

[.]

"How old?" Based upon what I've read, Chinook spend 1 to 8 years completing their life cycle with most averaging 3-4. I would guess this one was on the older side.

[michelle]

Let it live! Oh, too late.

[KayBee]

the fish was found dead according to Pete's story ..they did not kill it... salmon die after they spawn

[John]

No, not edible. It swam upstream, spawned (laid eggs), died (natural death), and was found by the survey crew who took the pictures. I've never seen one that large outside of Alaska.

[intel]

Who ever found that fish should get a reward -_-

[Naomi]

They didn't kill it....they found it dead. Try reading the whole article!
Cool story, I had no idea salmon could be that huge!

[Josh M]

obviously the de-evoloution of an elephant seal