On October 18, an image of the Sammamish River at the mouth of Little Bear Creek caught a crowd of fish holding in the current. Dr. Jeffrey S. Jensen, a UW Bothell professor, counted at least three sockeye and at least 10 smaller fish he believes are kokanee or residual sockeye. He also counted a couple of greenish coho moving along the left side of the frame. Two days earlier, he photographed a deep-bodied male he believes is a kokanee about 100 yards up Little Bear Creek.
That frame shows where November's salmon are this year. The fish of late fall stay low, close to the river, and near the places where Bothell's creeks run into the Sammamish. In November, the downstream end is the place to start.
The Fish That Barely Leave the River
Lake Washington kokanee are the small salmon of this season. They stay in fresh water all their lives instead of going to sea, and they come back much smaller than ocean-run sockeye. Jensen writes that they return from mid-October into early December. He also writes that they are "weirdly resistant" to swimming far up small streams, even when nothing blocks the way. They spawn mostly in the Sammamish River itself. In North Creek, where they travel farthest, they rarely go more than a mile from the river. Sockeye, by contrast, run many miles up both North Creek and Little Bear Creek.
UW Bothell lists the Sammamish River through Woodinville and Bothell, plus lower North Creek and the campus wetland, as spawning grounds for the Lake Washington middle-run kokanee. Jensen writes that this year is on cycle for a strong kokanee return. He also notes that Lake Washington anglers mostly called it a poor year for kokanee catches, but presumed kokanee have since started showing up in the places he expected them.
Coho are November's other fish. The North Creek listing for King County's Salmon SEEson gives the creek's sequence as Chinook in September, sockeye in October, and coho in November. Jensen describes coho as "terrific jumpers" that tend to arrive late in the fall, after high water has opened gaps in beaver dams. The coho were already on their way in late September. On September 28, a drone count found about 71 coho swimming up the Sammamish below Little Bear Creek.
Eight Dams in One Wetland
How far North Creek's salmon get upstream depends on beavers. On an August 30 survey through the UW Bothell North Creek wetlands, Jensen counted eight beaver dams. Fall rain would likely open the low ones. Salmon can usually get past the medium ones in wet weather. The largest one is a different matter. It has been in place for about five years, is buried under a stand of non-native jewelweed, and pushes the creek out across the floodplain in a broad, shallow sheet.
On his Salmon Watchers blog, Jensen wrote that at this time of year the dam "is effectively impassable to salmon." He added:
"Later in the year passage is easier, but even then salmon can be blocked until well into November."
Last year showed what a dry stretch does. In 2025, Jensen watched a pair of Chinook spawn in the UW Bothell wetlands, the first he had seen there since arriving in 2012. The dam kept the rest of the run from reaching its usual upstream gravel, and ponding left only one patch, about 10 by 20 feet, fit for spawning. Many of those Chinook waited for a rain that came too late.
As of his October 21 post, the kokanee had reached the campus. Jensen wrote that their progress "will be halted by a giant beaver dam until we get a good rain." A September 30 report likewise found no salmon above the dam or above I-405. So the creek above the campus fills only after a storm big enough to open a route around that dam.
Where to Stand, From the River Upstream
- The Sammamish River at the mouth of Little Bear Creek. On the Salmon Watchers blog, Jensen calls this upriver spot toward Woodinville "the best salmon site on the Sammamish." It is where the October 18 sockeye, kokanee, and coho were filmed.
- Rotary Community Park in Woodinville. An elevated walkway runs through the wetland and is reached by a gate next to the playground. The salmon viewing platforms along Little Bear Creek include one with a view over a section where fish sometimes hold. Near the upstream platform, a short trail on the right side looks straight down on a very active spawning area. Jensen asks visitors to go easy on that trail because both the path and the stream bank are fragile.
- North Creek's mouth and the SR 522 bridge. This is the first stretch kokanee reach when they turn up North Creek, and it is one of Jensen's preferred viewing sites.
- The UW Bothell boardwalk. The public section of the boardwalk leads to the stream and overlooks a spawning spot where Jensen has seen Chinook, sockeye, and kokanee spawn. The rest of the wetlands is mostly closed to the public.
- North Creek Trail Park and the reach above I-405. From 1011 183rd Street SE, the paved trail runs south toward the Country Inn & Suites at 19333 North Creek Parkway and north toward 240th Street SE. Check the water under each bridge. Jensen calls the stretch just above I-405 behind the hotel "a great site if salmon can get past the beaver dams."
One more stop is worth a visit when the kokanee count climbs. A small stream beside Hole 5 of Willows Golf Course has washed gravel into the Sammamish, and kokanee spawn on that gravel in strong years. The closest parking Jensen knows of is at Overtake Christian Church, followed by a walk on a trail. In the comments on Jensen's October 10 post, a reader reported activity there on October 13 that looked mostly like coho.
Reading the Rain Before You Go
Rain does two things on these creeks. A strong storm can open a path around the big campus dam, and that would bring the North Creek Trail Park reach back into play. Heavy rain also clouds the water. King County's 2026 Salmon SEEson map suggests waiting for a clear, calm day, looking around midday, and wearing polarized lenses.
The North Lake Washington Salmon Watchers blog is the quickest way to find out whether a storm has moved fish past the dam. Jensen posts dated sightings with photos and short videos from the same stretches described above.
If North Creek is still murky or blocked, Swamp Creek on Bothell's west side offers another option. Jensen lists the Burke-Gilman Trail crossing and Wallace Swamp Creek Park as good viewing spots. Coho and Chinook still return there, while the creek's old kokanee runs appear to be gone.
A Season That Runs Past the Watchers' Calendar
King County's Salmon SEEson is in its 20th year in 2026, and the county's map lists self-guided viewing sites across the region. The City of Bothell's Salmon SEEson page marks the anniversary as well. The North Creek Trail Park site is free and self-guided. The listing shows 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, and again on Saturday, November 14.
The volunteer Salmon Watchers program asks each participant to spend 15 to 30 minutes a week watching one stretch of stream and to report what they see. Its 2026 season began September 15 and usually ends November 15. In a strong kokanee year it can run into early December. That mid-November date matters for a fish that peaks late. Kokanee keep spawning into December, so the Little Bear mouth and lower North Creek can still hold fish after the watchers' usual end date. Sightings go in through the 2026 survey link, arcg.is/1qbjqy5.
For a full loop on a dry weekend morning, start at the SR 522 bridge and walk up to the UW Bothell boardwalk. Finish at North Creek Trail Park only if the latest post says fish have gotten above the dam. For more on how downtown, the trails, and Bothell Landing fit together across the year, see our Bothell neighborhood page and our earlier look at Bothell's August evenings.
Land along a creek comes with its own questions, and we enjoy talking with owners about the water at the edge of their property. If you'd like to talk about a home near North Creek or Little Bear, or just compare notes on where the kokanee turned up this week, Pacesetter Properties Team is glad to hear from you. Contact Us.
