Where can you view the salmon running locally?

MILWAUKEE - Creekside Valley Farm in Mequon is a staple to go to in the fall, from picking out the perfect pumpkin, to getting lost in the corn maze, visiting the animals, and even watching pumpkins sing to you. 

But there is one thing people may not realize about this farm—you can view the running of the salmon all the way from Lake Michigan. 

How do they run? 

Dig deeper:

Fish don’t have feet, so how do they run? It’s a saying when fish take the long swim back upriver, creek, or stream, to spawn, and then die. 

They reproduce in safe, clean, and shallow water, which is a better environment for eggs.

Salmon die after spawning because they use all their energy reserves on this strenuous journey, leaving them too weak to survive.  Locally, the salmon are stocked by the Wisconsin DNR rather than naturally reproducing. 

The waters are too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter for the eggs and fish to survive. 

Typical spawning timing for Chinook is best from September to October and Coho Salmon from October to November. 

However, it can be weather-dependent—if there is a period with more rain, the fish typically start the spawning run up stream.

On this farm, you can view the salmon’s perseverance from a distance, but the journey is spectacular. 

These salmon traveled from Lake Michigan downtown to the mouth of the Milwaukee River, curving 23.2 miles inland to reach this destination. Due to recent rainfall, the creek is higher, which has caused the spawning migration to begin.

Other places to see salmon

Local places:

Salmon run up the Milwaukee and Menomonee Rivers into other tributaries. If you are lucky, you can view them around the waterways near Miller Park, Three Bridges Park, Estabrook Park Beer Garden and Hubbard Park Lodge.

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