State biologists conducting a routine survey along lower Battle Creek were literally stopped in their tracks by the sight of one of the largest chinook salmon ever recorded in California.
The 51-inch fish, which died of natural causes, could have weighed more than 88 pounds when alive, said Doug Killam, a fisheries biologist with the state Department of Fish and Game.
That would surpass the state angling record for a chinook salmon, he said.
Killam supervises a crew conducting a routine fall-run salmon survey along the creek. Most weigh between 20 and 30 pounds, he said.
The monitoring surveys provide vital information about the number of salmon returning to specific areas, baseline information for establishing sport and recreational fishing seasons, evaluating hatchery programs and habitat restoration and improvement projects.
Killam estimated the giant salmon was between 5 and 6 years old.
"Hopefully, this fish was entirely successful in passing on its superior genetic potential. This is one of the few bright spots this year for one of California's great sport fish, the chinook salmon," Killam said.
– Jane Braxton Little
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