The Whitehorse Fish Ladder has seen 685 Chinook salmon pass through as of Aug. 29: while the number is significantly surpassed last year’s numbers, experts say there’s still a long way to go for a healthy Chinook population along the Yukon River.

Last year, by Aug. 26, 268 Chinook had passed through the fish ladder: a season total of just under 500 Chinook would pass through by the end of the season. This year, Aug. 26 had already seen 675 Chinook pass through the site — which is higher than the 10-year average of 578 for the fish ladder.

According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Chinook salmon in the Yukon River have experienced declining populations. In 2022 and 2023, Chinook populations hit an all-time low, which led to the Alaskan and Canadian governments agreeing in 2024

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