Lake Sammamish is home to a unique population of native kokanee salmon—affectionately known as the “little red fish.” Kokanee are the freshwater form of sockeye salmon, spending their entire lives in Lake Sammamish and its tributaries. Once abundant throughout the watershed, the population declined dramatically due to habitat loss, fish passage barriers, changing lake conditions, predation, and other pressures. In 2017, just 19 adult kokanee returned to spawn, bringing the population dangerously close to extinction.

Since 2007, the Lake Sammamish Kokanee Work Group has brought together the Snoqualmie Tribe, King County, local cities, state and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community members to recover the population. Recovery efforts include restoring spawning streams, removing fish passage barriers, improving water quality and habitat, monitoring kokanee throughout their life cycle, reducing threats in the lake, and using hatchery supplementation and innovative tools such as remote stream incubators to protect the population while natural production recovers.

Those efforts are showing encouraging results. More than 8,300 adult kokanee returned to spawn during the 2024–25 run, an extraordinary increase from the historic low just seven years earlier. While the population remains vulnerable and continued recovery work is needed, the return of the little red fish demonstrates what sustained, watershed-wide collaboration can accomplish.

Lake Sammaish Kokanee —

At Trout Unlimited, we believe the best way to inspire the next generation of conservation leaders is to connect students with the streams, lakes, and wildlife in their own communities. Our K–12 education programs combine classroom learning with hands-on outdoor experiences that help students discover how healthy watersheds support clean water, thriving fish and wildlife, and resilient communities.

STREAM Connections is Trout Unlimited’s place-based environmental education program for the Lake Sammamish watershed. Standing for Science, Technology, Recreation, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics, STREAM Connections blends classroom learning with outdoor exploration, creativity, and meaningful conservation experiences. Through salmon in the classroom, field investigations, habitat restoration, and stewardship projects, students discover how forests, wetlands, streams, and lakes are connected—and how their own actions help protect water quality and the communities that depend on these shared waters.

Trout Unlimited and partners are working to better understand and manage non-native aquatic weeds in Lake Sammamish. Dense plants like Eurasian watermilfoil and Brazilian elodea have spread through the lake’s nearshore habitat, where they can provide cover for non-native predator fish that prey on juvenile salmon.

Through targeted weed treatments, SCUBA-based fish surveys, and long-term monitoring, this project is evaluating how aquatic weed control affects fish abundance, plant regrowth, and nearshore habitat conditions. The results will help guide future lake management decisions and explore aquatic weed control as a tool to support Chinook, kokanee, and other native salmonids.

One emerging threat to salmon in urban watersheds is 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-Q), a highly toxic chemical associated with vehicle tires. 6PPD is added to tires to prevent cracking and degradation; as tires wear and 6PPD reacts with ozone, it forms 6PPD-Q. During rainstorms, tire particles and 6PPD-Q can wash from roads and parking lots into nearby streams.

Research has shown that even very low concentrations of 6PPD-Q can be lethal to coho salmon within hours, and scientists continue to investigate its effects on other salmon species and aquatic life. For the highly urbanized Lake Sammamish watershed, understanding where and when 6PPD-Q enters local streams is an important part of protecting salmon and improving water quality. Monitoring can help identify pollution hotspots and guide future stormwater improvements and other strategies that reduce contaminated runoff before it reaches salmon-bearing waters.

Trout Unlimited’s King County program is working to better understand where 6PPD-q is entering local streams and identify solutions that protect salmon. Our work includes:

• Monitoring stormwater and streams for 6PPD-q during rain events.
• Deploying passive samplers and automated storm samplers to capture pollution during storms.
• Conducting salmon bioassays to evaluate how stormwater affects fish health.
• Partnering with agencies, researchers, and volunteers to develop science-based solutions that improve water quality and protect salmon habitat.

Together, these efforts help identify pollution hotspots, evaluate effective treatment methods, and support long-term recovery of coho salmon in King County.

The King County staff team works in partnership with the Three Rivers Chapter to advance science-based conservation throughout the region. While staff provide technical expertise, project management, grant administration, and scientific monitoring, the chapter brings passionate volunteers, local knowledge, and community leadership. Together, we develop and implement restoration projects, conduct watershed monitoring, engage the public through education and outreach, and build partnerships that protect and restore healthy rivers and fisheries. By combining professional staff support with dedicated volunteers, we are able to accomplish far more than either could alone.

The Lake Sammamish Partnership, formally known as the Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership, is a collaborative network of organizations and community members working together to connect people with nature and inspire stewardship throughout the Lake Sammamish watershed. In 2013, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service designated the Partnership as one of the nation’s first Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnerships, recognizing the community’s grassroots efforts to help save the native Lake Sammamish kokanee salmon from extinction. That same spirit of collaboration continues to guide the Partnership today.

As the proud steward of the Partnership, Trout Unlimited convenes and supports a diverse coalition that includes local cities, King County, state and federal agencies, the Snoqualmie Tribe, conservation nonprofits, schools and universities, community organizations, businesses, volunteers, and thousands of residents who care deeply about the future of the watershed. Together, we work across organizational boundaries to improve habitat, restore streams and wetlands, protect water quality, expand environmental education, and create opportunities for people to experience and care for the outdoors.

While the Partnership’s work encompasses the entire watershed—from mountain streams and urban neighborhoods to wetlands, parks, and Lake Sammamish itself—its heart remains the Little Red Fish. The native kokanee salmon inspired the grassroots movement that led to the Partnership’s designation and continues to serve as a symbol of what’s possible when a community comes together around a shared purpose. By protecting the little red fish, we help create a healthier, more connected watershed for people and wildlife alike.

Whether you’re looking for volunteer opportunities, family-friendly events, educational programs, or ways to explore the watershed, the Lake Sammamish Partnership is your gateway to getting involved. Visit www.lakesammamishrefuge.org to discover upcoming events, explore partner organizations, and learn how you can make a difference. You can also follow LittleRedFish4Ever on Facebook and Instagram for stories, seasonal updates, and opportunities to connect with your shared watershed throughout the year.