This is the ultimate guide to catch this year’s salmon run in Toronto 

Fall in the city doesn’t just mean pumpkin spice and chunky knits; it also marks the salmon migration! 

From Early September to late October, waterways upstream from Lake Ontario come alive with the annual fall salmon run. It’s the time of year when the fish migrate to lay eggs in shallow waters before winter, and you don’t need to drive far to catch the beauty. 

There are four different kinds of salmon you might be lucky enough to see in rivers and tributaries during the fall here in Ontario. Keep your eyes out for jumping Atlantic Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, and Brown Trout — and get up close and personal at these salmon spots. 

Toronto

Etienne Brule Park is a very popular spot to see salmon in the west end, and it’s even been labelled as a premier location by the Toronto Region and Conservation Area (TRCA). Follow alongside the Humber River as salmon jump and fly over the dam — just a quick walk from Old Mill subway station. 

Get yourself down to the Old Mill Bridge for almost guaranteed salmon spotting and a picturesque background for some nature snapshots. Head out around sunset to capture some dramatic lighting of the run.

Pro tip: Skip the car and take the subway; this is a notoriously bad spot for parking during the salmon season. 

Upstream-headed salmon can also be spotted along Highland Creek, which runs through Scaborbough’s Morningside Park. The park is also home to the TRCA’s annual Salmon Festival, where you can spot some salmon and learn about their migration, and have some fun. This year, the festival is taking place on Oct. 5. 

Charles Sauriol Conservation Area, located right at the Forks of the Don River, is another TRCA-approved spot, alongside the Lower Don Parklands (right at the river weir). The many Humber River viewing spots at Raymore Park also mark it as a TRCA favourite. The three-metre weir here has a built-in fish ladder to help the salmon move upstream, providing for some magnificent jumping fish. 

Mississauga 

If you’re interested in viewing some salmon outside of the city, neighbouring Mississauga also boasts some popular spots. 

Head for the waters of the Credit River and visit Riverwood in central Mississauga, a 150-acre park, for the annual salmon run. Some of the best river views are along Culham Trail, which reaches out to Erindale Park — another salmon hot spot. 

Erindale is Mississauga’s largest park, and during the fall, it boasts lots of places to catch some fish. Many of the park’s ravines are accessible by trails, so you can get right up to the water’s edge for the salmon show. 

A little bit further

You won’t regret it if you keep your day trip going just a touch further out of the city, for jumping salmon are still aplenty. 

Check out the Bowmanville Creek Fish Ladder, a specialty-crafted fish ladder out in Bowmanville. Just a kilometre from the edge of the parking lot, it’s been designed to give a helping hand to the larger migratory salmon to make it up and over the dam — AKA a fish staircase. 

Duffins Creek out in Pickering is the place to spot brown trout and chinook salmon! Just had out to Whitevale Park to get a glimpse of the beauty. 

The Rouge Watershed out in Markham is another salmon spot, a touch east of Toronto. Visit the beautiful Rouge Natural Urban Park, specifically the Central Trail, for views of the Little Rouge Creek. 

There’s nothing fishy about Toronto! Go forth and spy the spawning salmon. 

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