The annual salmon run has returned to Toronto rivers and waterways for 2023, and wildlife watchers will be flocking to local riverbanks over the next few weeks to witness fish launching themselves upstream in this dramatic natural event.

Chinook, Atlantic, and Coho Salmon leap their way upstream every year from as soon as early September, stretching as far into the season as late November, in a voyage taking them from bodies of water like Lake Ontario over great distances into shallow spawning grounds deep inland where eggs are laid.

Salmon runs typically reach their peak during the window of late summer and early fall, where temperatures sit between highs of 18 C and lows of 3 C. Warmer weather this season means viewing conditions have yet to peak, giving nature watchers ample time to plan out a visit to witness the fish-leaping action.

Flying salmon at Toronto’s Humber River https://t.co/pyf3CicILx #Toronto #SalmonRun pic.twitter.com/ueEpXE8yXi

— blogTO (@blogTO) October 5, 2022

The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), which closely monitors the migration of fish in local waterways, announced the arrival of the salmon run back on Sept. 16.

Salmon across the GTA have begun their migration upstream! Over the next few weeks, head out to your local streams and rivers to catch a glimpse of them as they journey home! If you spot any, share your sightings with TRCA Monitoring here: https://t.co/MB8wST1xUy

#TRCASalmon pic.twitter.com/GrvDqvFpNu

— Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (@TRCA_HQ) September 16, 2023

As with previous years, the TRCA hosts a map of salmon sightings that informs the public of viewing hotspots.

Jumping salmon are best viewed at points in rivers with natural or human-made obstructions like weirs and dams, where fish must launch themselves out of the water to make their push further upstream.

Among the most popular places to watch the salmon run, Toronto residents can witness the action from Etienne Brulé Park and the Old Mill Bridge on the Humber River, the Highland Creek valley, and the Charles Sauriol Conservation Area near DVP and Eglinton.

The TRCA will be hosting a Sept. 24 educational event in Morningside Park from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., offering information on the annual salmon run.

Come talk salmon with us! 🐟 Register for the event at https://t.co/b0nTzZCnIc#TRCAAdventuresOfSalmon #AdventuresOfSalmon #SalmonMigration pic.twitter.com/vwZgRI77AH

— Paul Ainslie Ward 24 (@Ainslie_Ward24) September 19, 2023

While the salmon run may be a fun event for us humans, it's the struggle of a lifetime for salmon. Fish use their last reserves of strength to clear river obstacles and make it to spawning grounds. After laying their eggs, the salmon will die off, leaving a new generation to fend for themselves.

It's a reminder to enjoy the annual aquatic acrobatics, because those videos and snapshots will be the last time anyone sees these fish alive.