Pacific salmon

Coho and Chum Broodstock Collection Complete

A beautiful Coho salmon specimen!

The Hoy/Scott Watershed Society is pleased to announce that our 2025 Chum and Coho broodstock collection at Hoy Creek Hatchery is now complete! This annual effort is a key part of sustaining healthy salmon populations in our local watershed, and we couldn’t have done it without the dedication and teamwork of our volunteers.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who came out to learn, help, and support the process—whether in the creek, in the hatchery, or behind the scenes. We also extend our appreciation to our DFO Community Advisor, Eric, for his continued guidance and expertise.

A Chum salmon held up by HSWS director, Matt Watts after other volunteers assisted in broodstock capture using a net in Hoy Creek.

2025 Broodstock Summary

Chum

  • 17 pairs spawned

  • Estimated green egg total: 42,578

  • All trays have now been shocked, marking an important milestone in the early development phase.

Coho

  • 8 pairs spawned

  • Estimated green egg total: 18,381

These numbers reflect a successful season and the hard work of everyone involved in broodstock collection and spawning.

Hatchery manager, Tyler Storgaard with Coho eggs in a heath tray, ready for incubation.

Hatchery Leadership & Daily Operations

Hoy Creek Hatchery continues to operate under the leadership of hatchery manager, Tyler Storgaard, and assistant hatchery manager, Anne Woosnam, who guide our volunteers through each step of this important work.

A big thank you goes out to our daily feeders, who—on top of their regular feeding duties—are now:

  • Minding filters

  • Monitoring water temperature

  • Recording Accumulated Thermal Units (ATUs)

These tasks are essential for tracking egg development and ensuring optimal conditions in the hatchery.

Salmon season may be winding down in the creek, but inside Hoy Creek Hatchery, salmon are hard at work—and so are we.

Thank you to everyone helping us protect and restore our local watershed. Stay tuned for updates as our eggs develop and hatch in the months ahead!

Chum salmon hanging in Hoy Creek Hatchery ready for egg and milt take.

Tyler and Amy performing an egg take at Hoy Creek Hatchery.

Buckets of salmon eggs ready for incubation!

Local Schools Release Salmon Fry and Visit Hoy Creek Hatchery

Panorama Heights Elementary | Salmon in the Classroom release at Hoy Creek, Coquitlam

We were thrilled to welcome students from three local elementary schools to Hoy Creek this March, wrapping up another successful season of Salmon in the Classroom!

A big thank you goes out to Smiling Creek, Blakeburn, and Panorama Heights Elementary Schools for participating in this important salmon education program. Each school received approximately 50 Chum salmon eggs from Hoy Creek in the winter, carefully raising them in classroom aquariums while learning about the salmon life cycle and the importance of healthy waterways.

In early March, the students proudly released their young Chum fry into Hoy Creek, knowing they were giving them a strong start on their journey to the Pacific Ocean.

Teachers net chum fry into cups for students to release into Hoy Creek.

After the release, classes toured our Hoy Creek Hatchery, where they got to see firsthand the work being done to support salmon populations in our watershed. Students were excited to observe the 20,000 Chum fry and 3,500 Coho currently being raised at the hatchery.

Tours were led by our dedicated volunteers Anne Woosnam, Maya Uno, and Robbin Whachell, who shared their knowledge and passion for salmon stewardship with each group. It’s always inspiring to see young minds light up as they connect with nature and understand the vital role they can play in protecting it.

We’re proud to support Salmon in the Classroom and thank our local schools, teachers, and students for being part of the solution for salmon and our environment!

Minds light up when they connect with nature!

Each release ended with a tour at the hatchery. Maya Uno (back middle), HSWS volunteer discusses challenges faced with pollution events in our streams.

Rare Chinook salmon sighting in Hoy Creek

Hoy/Scott Watershed Society director, Matthew Watts holds a beautiful Chinook salmon while crouched in Hoy Creek on November 11, 2023. The discovery happened after heavy rainfall.

While not common, it’s not unusual to see fish like this enter our streams in Coquitlam under such high water flows.

“We were on Hoy Creek at the trap site targeting Coho,” said Matthew. “I was joined by Tyler Storgaard and Elias Ozmanzai, a volunteer with the Coquitlam River Hatchery. It was about noon and we set our sein nets in the water. As we worked the sein through the pool we saw something big hit one of the nets. After untangling it we new it was a Chinook based of its sheer size and body profile. “

“Another good indication for a Chinook is its black gums. This specific fish was a male and likely weighed 6-10kg. Every year there are a few Chinook present in the creek but we don't always get to experience them up close. Quite a healthy fish, all I could remember was the girth of the tail where I held it. “

Stay Connected!

Canadian Registered Charity: 863285847RR0001