Cortes Island Streamkeeper Spawner Counts 2013-2024

By Cec and Christine Robinson

Recent monitoring of Cortes creeks officially began in 2013 by Cortes Island Streamkeepers, Christine & Cec Robinson. In 2014, streamkeeper numbers expanded as several more salmon enthusiasts began helping with spawner counts. Cortes Island Streamkeeper records were sent to DFO in Campbell River in 2014, and have continued yearly since.

There are earlier spawner counts and stocking records for 1984-1993 collected by Heather Mathers, an early streamkeeper. There are Klahoose stocking records for 1993-2008 offered by Flavian Harry. These 2 sets of records will be scanned electronically, and then circulated this winter.

Yearly dates of run starts and finish are as important as fish numbers, to give an idea of yearly timings, as Chris Dragseth pointed out.

Spawner counts of live & dead are approximate, but they reflect a high degree of accuracy due to several factors: over 90% of the spawning area of the creek is counted; we do bank walks; and there is generally high visibility because our creeks are relatively small and fish are easily seen.

We are working towards simplifying and greater consistency with our counting methodology. The numbers recorded below are actual counts made by streamkeepers, which will include some double-counting of live and dead (ie. counts that were spaced close together).

BASIL CREEK:

2013 – Nov 7, Nov 15 70 live chum, 65 dead = T 135
2014 – Nov 1 to Nov 19 81-96 live chum = T 96
2015 – Sept 26 to Oct 25 (1^st run) 78 live chum, 130 dead = T 208
- – Oct 30 to Nov 22 (2^nd run) 264 live chum, 340+ dead = T 604+ = TT 812
- – late Sept ( Basil Cr) 22 live pink = T 22 pk
2016 – Oct 8 to Oct 31 (1^st run?) 576 live chum, 290 dead = T 866
- – Nov 11 (2^nd run or continuation of 1^st run) 319 live chum, 769 dead = T1088 =TT 1954
2017 – Nov 3 to mid/late Nov 1 coho (nov 16), 1 live chum, 3 dead chum
2018 – Oct 14 to Nov 14 – 258 live, 70 dead = T 338
2019 – Oct 31 to Nov 24 – 80 live chum = T 80
2020 – Oct 20 to Nov 14 – 1020 live chum (dead not noted) = T 1020
2021 – Oct 8 to Nov 12 – 225 live chum (dead not noted) = T 225
2022 – Oct 28-29 <10 chum = T 10
2023 – Sept 28 – Oct 9/10 75 pinks = T 75 pinks
- – Nov 8 to Nov 19 15 – 20 (?) live chum = T 20
2024 – Oct 15 – Nov 16/17 + 2500 = T > 2500

HANSEN CREEK:

2010-2012 no specific dates, observations made by adjoining property owners, Fultons, that there were a few chum over these 3 years, with a small but decent chum run in 2010.
2013 – Nov 3 to Nov 15 43 live chum = T 43
2014 – Oct 25 to Nov 10 30-40 live chum = T 40
2015 – Nov 11 to Nov 20 3 live chum, 2 live coho
2016 – Oct 15 to Nov 7 237- 273 live chum, 40-64 dead = T 300
2017 – November 0 live, 0 dead
2018 – Oct 13 to Nov 18 108 live, (+19 dead) = T 127
1 steelhead, 2 coho
2019 – Oct 26 to Nov 5 (& to Nov 20) < 10 live chum = T 10
2020 – Oct 24 to Nov 8 16 live chum = T 16
2021 – Oct 21 to Nov 12 20 live chum = T 20
2022 – Nov 4 to 11 <10 chum = T <10chum
2023 – 0 live, 0 dead = T 0
2024 – Oct 18 to Nov 10 75-100 live = T 100

JAMES CREEK (CARRINGTON):

2014 – Nov 2 to Nov 17 26-33 live chum = T 33
2015 – Nov 1 to Nov 22 5 live chum, 2 dead = T 7
- 2 live coho = T 2 coho
2016 – Oct 16 to Nov 14 79 live chum, 138 dead = T 217
- 1 coho = T 1 coho
2017 – Oct 22 to Nov 5 9 live chum, 10 dead chum = T 20
2018 – Oct 28 to Nov 19 27 live, 19 dead = T 46
2019 – Oct 28 to Nov 7 1 live, 1 dead = T 2
2020 – Oct 24 to Nov 8 14 live chum, 12 dead/& bits = T 40
2021 – prior to Oct 30/31 to Nov 13 5 live chum = T 5
2022 – Oct 30 – Nov 6 10-15 chum = T 15
2023 – 0 chum observed = T 0
2024 – Oct 23 to Nov 17 136 live, 83 dead = T 219

MANSON’S LAGOON CREEK:

2013 – Nov 12 to Nov 18 5 live chum, 1 dead = T 6
2014 – Nov 4 to Nov 12 9 live chum = T 9
2015 – no clear dates 0 observed = T 0
2016 – Oct 21 to Oct 27 50-75 live chum, 5 dead = T 75
2017, 2018 0 live, 0 dead = T 0
2019 – Nov 12 1 live chum = T 0
2020 – Oct 25 2 live chum = T 2
2021 0 live chum, 0 dead = T 0
2022 0 live chum, 0 dead = T 0
2023 0 live chum, 0 dead = T 0
2024 – Nov 4 5 live chum, 2 morts + T 7

WHALETOWN CREEK:

2013 – Nov 6/7 12 live chum, 16 dead = T 28
2014 – Nov 1 to Nov 9 3 live chum, 1 dead = T 4
2015 – November 0 live chum, 0 dead chum = T 0
2016 – Oct 20 to Oct 29 4 live chum, 1 dead = T 5
2017 – October to November 1 live coho, 0 chum

*** difficult to truly record numbers due to restrictions from property owners, so numbers for 2014 and later are seen from public road.

2018- Oct 27 to Nov 7 5 live chum, 10-15 carcasses = T 20
2019 0? = T 0
2020 – Oct 21 (in lagoon) 3 ?, 0 in creek < T 5
2021 – beginning Oct to Oct 19 (reports of fish action in Whaletown Bay by Robertsons and from Robinsons) 10 live chum, 1 live coho in creek; 20-40 in bay ???
2022 – Nov 3-21 5-10 chum = T 10
2023 – Oct 26 – Nov 8 4 live, 1 dead = T 5
2024 – Oct 19- Nov 9/10 50 live, 9 dead + 63 below culvert = T 100

FRABJES DAY CREEK (CORTES BAY):

2013 – Nov 3 to Nov 10 29 live chum, 16 dead = T 45
2014 0 fish observed = T 0
2015 0 fish observed = T 0
2016 – Oct 21 to Oct 27/Nov 20 2 live chum, 1 dead = T 3
2018 – Oct 31 (at intertidal ) 40 intertidal/ 0 fish in creek = T 40
2019 – 0 observed (by residents)
2020 – 0 fish
2021 – 0 fish
2022 – 0 fish
2023 – 0 fish
2024 – Oct 26 10 live in creek/+intertidal activity = T 20

CHRIS’ LAGOON:

2016 – Oct 20 to Nov 6 100 live chum = T 100
2017 – October/November 0 live chum, 0 dead chum
2018 -2019 – 0 fish
2020 – 5 live chum fish = T 5
2021 – 0 fish
2022 – 0 fish
2023 – late Sept – Oct 3: 10 pinks, 10 morts CHUM or PINK?? = T 20
2024 – October 29 12 live, 1 mort = T 12

SQUIRREL COVE CREEK:

2023 – last week September – Oct 7/8 100 + pinks = T 100 pink
2024 – Nov 7 350 live + dead chum = T 350 chum

Top image credit: Chum salmon in Basil Creek – Roy L Hales photo

Cortes Currents