World Fish Migration Day set for May 23 at Lake Sylvia State Park
Published 1:30 am Monday, May 18, 2026
World Fish Migration Day is celebrated to raise global attention to restore river connections for migrating fish to achieve healthier fish stocks and more productive rivers. In Grays Harbor County, World Fish Migration Day will be held on May 23, 2026, at Lake Sylvia State Park in Montesano.
The day’s activities will be held at the Legacy Pavilion, and it’s free to attend. All ages are welcome and the Discover Pass will be covered for event attendees only.
Schedule of Activities
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Salmon Displays and Informational Handouts
10:30 to 11 a.m. and noon to 12:30 p.m. — “Mykiss-steelhead: their amazing 2,000 mile and four-year migration journey”
Coastal tribes, state, and federal teams are currently assessing adult spawning populations. Curt Holt, long-time habitat biologist, now retired, will give an interactive talk on the life history of local steelhead and their amazing story from migration, challenges (from egg to smolt to ocean to return adult phase). Curt’s talk will compare steelhead life stages with changes humans make as grow from youth-teen- young adult-adult-and retired life stages.
11 a.m. to noon — Stream Bug Samples with Grays Harbor Stream Team
Come meet Breana Downs, Grays Harbor Stream Team coordinator, who will have an interactive sample of stream bugs collected from Sylvia Creek for you to explore! The booth will also have educational handouts, stickers, upcoming event flyers, brochures, and volunteer sign-up sheets. Learn about Grays Harbor Stream Team, and ways that you can participate in watershed health and education.
12:30 to 1:30 p.m. — Create your own Gyotaku fish print (using replica fish). Gyotaku: gyo “fish” + taku “stone impression,” applying ink to a fish and then pressed onto paper, was used by Japanese fishermen to record their catches and has become an art form.
1:30 to 2 p.m. — Make a salmon life cycle bracelet as you learn about the amazing journeys that salmon take from egg to adult!
This is event is sponsored by World Fish Migration Day 2026, The Chehalis Basin Collaborative for Salmon Habitat, Friends of Schafer and Lake Sylvia State Parks, Grays Harbor Stream Team and Washington State Parks. For more information call 360-249-3621.
