Acoustic Tagging Study of Central Valley Salmon - Where are they now?

September 10, 2025 | NCGASA Staff

Acoustic Tagging Study of Central Valley Salmon – Where are they now?

Watch these Chinook SALMON’s migration inland into the Sacramento Index: oceanview.pfeg.noaa.gov/CalFishTrack/pageOceanSalmon_2025

Central Valley Enhanced

Acoustic Tagging Project

Adult Salmon Migration and Thermal Thresholds Study

2024-2025 Season (PROVISIONAL DATA)

Project Background

This is the first acoustic telemetry project in California’s Central Valley specifically focused on understanding the relationship between water temperatures and migration of adult Chinook salmon. This study, conducted by University of California – Santa Cruz, in affiliation with NMFS – Southwest Fisheries Science Center, and with funding from the CA Water Resources Control Board, is intended to inform potential water temperature targets to ensure successful migration of adult Chinook salmon through the Central Valley watershed. Currently, the literature on thermal limits of migration for adult Chinook salmon are from more northern populations, and it is possible Central Valley populations are better adapted to warmer water temperatures and may have different thermal limits during migration.

Project Status

Click on image above to read the Study Summary PDF file or CLICK HERE.

NorCal Guides YouTube Channel Videos from the ocean trip

• Go along on the trip out to the Northern Marin Coast to tag and release these salmon, CLICK HERE andCLICK HERE

• For the SHORTS videos: CLICK HERE

Our NorCal Guides and Charter Boat Captains from Golden Gate Fishermen’s Association or GGFA volunteered their time to help and participate on this study to aid scientists and NOAA collect adult salmon in order to be tagged.

What you can do to help: Join either nonprofit organization so we can can contribute more data to help save our NorCal SALMON. Click on the links above.

Become an NCGASA member
Nor-Cal Guides & Sportsmen's Association