May 23, 2026 is World Fish Migration Day: a global celebration of the importance of migratory fish.
Every year, millions of fish—salmon, steelhead trout, shad, alewives, and sturgeon, among others—migrate to their native habitats to reproduce. Some fish swim thousands of miles through oceans and rivers to reach their destination.
Learn how NOAA works to protect and restore the rivers, streams, and coastal habitats these important species rely on to make their journeys.
Restoring Habitat for Migratory Fish
Decades of Effort Restore Steelhead and Salmon Passage on California's Alameda Creek
Last year, California Trout and Pacific Gas & Electric removed the final barrier to fish passage on California’s Alameda Creek. For the first time in 50 years, threatened Central California Coast steelhead and other migratory fish can reach spawning grounds and juvenile rearing habitat in the upper watershed.
Read more about reopening fish passage on Alameda Creek
Restoring Cold-Water Pathways for Idaho’s Salmon and Steelhead
NOAA-funded projects are reconnecting tributaries and restoring habitat in the Snake River Basin, helping threatened salmon and steelhead complete one of the longest migrations in the lower 48 states.
Learn about habitat restoration in the Snake River Basin
Yakima River Salmon Get a Lifeline with Removal of Causeway
NOAA funding helped the Yakama Nation and partners remove a causeway in Richland, Washington, that had wreaked havoc on Yakima River salmon and steelhead populations. Now, fish have a better chance of surviving migration in and out of the river.
Read more about the causeway removal project
Reconnecting Habitat Aids Migratory Fish on the Roanoke River
The Roanoke River provides essential spawning habitat for migratory fish like striped bass, blueback herring, hickory shad, American eels, and the endangered Atlantic sturgeon. NOAA and The Nature Conservancy are reconnecting floodplains and tributaries to the main river channel to reopen miles of habitat and reduce flooding.
Learn more about reconnecting habitat on the Roanoke River
Record 30,000 Endangered Central California Coast Coho Salmon Return to Mendocino Coast Rivers
Back-to-back record spawning seasons suggest that reconnecting tributaries and restoring salmon habitat is supporting Central California Coast Coho population growth. NOAA has funded more than 100 restoration projects on the Mendocino Coast.
Read about how habitat restoration is supporting CCC coho
Video: Helicopters Help Rebuild Salmon Habitat on the Olympic Peninsula
With NOAA funding, the Quinault Indian Nation and its partners are building engineered log jams on remote tributaries in the Queets-Clearwater watershed. This project restores historically abundant salmon habitat and supports Tribal-led recovery efforts.
Watch how partners use helicopters to restore remote salmon habitat
How Scientists Track Fish Migration
Technology to Help Researchers Understand How Fish Use the Chesapeake Bay
Scientists seeking to learn more about how fish use the Chesapeake Bay, such as where and when they migrate, can use a system of 12 acoustic telemetry receivers deployed at the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay. Some fish have small tags attached. The receivers track when these tagged fish swim near them. The technology is like that used in electronic toll collection systems for cars and trucks.
Learn more about acoustic telemetry in the Chesapeake Bay
Tracking Fish in the Chesapeake Bay Helps Researchers and Resource Managers
Acoustic telemetry receivers in the Chesapeake Bay let researchers know when fish that have been tagged swim near the receivers. The data is helping researchers increase knowledge about fish, their migrations, and how they use different habitat areas.
Learn how scientists and resource managers use Chesapeake Bay telemetry data
A Closer Look at Some Migratory Fish Species
Pacific Salmon and Steelhead
Pacific salmon and steelhead are born in freshwater streams and rivers, migrate to coastal estuaries, then enter the ocean where they mature. They usually return as adults to the same streams where they were born to spawn and begin the cycle again.
Atlantic Salmon
Atlantic salmon, also known as the “King of Fish,” are an iconic species of the Northeast. They hatch in freshwater rivers, migrate to the ocean where they mature, and then return to their natal freshwater rivers to spawn.
River Herring
River herring (alewife and blueback herring) are migratory fish that range along the East Coast from Florida to Maine. They spend most of their life cycle in the marine environment, returning every four to five years to their natal rivers to spawn. River herring are prey for important recreational and commercial species, such as cod, haddock, and striped bass.
Atlantic Striped Bass
Striped bass are a popular commercial and recreational catch. They are anadromous: they are born in freshwater, migrate to the ocean to grow and mature, and return to freshwater to spawn. Some spend the majority of their adult life in rivers or coastal estuaries. Others spend their adult life in the ocean, migrating north and south seasonally, then traveling upstream in rivers to spawn in the spring.
