Root River salmon run slows as weir counts reach 2,292 coho and 1,373 chinook

Fewer salmon are moving up Wisconsin's Root River in Racine, according to the Wisconsin DNR's Oct. 22 report. Flows have dropped to about 80 cubic feet per second, clarity is normal for the river, and water temperatures have been in the mid-50s for several days.

DNR crews held their seventh fall processing day at the Root River Steelhead Facility on Thursday, Oct. 22, with the weir water at 54 degrees. The agency says fewer salmon came into the facility over the last few days than in recent weeks.

Season totals as of Oct. 22 are 2,292 coho salmon (2,218 passed upstream), 1,373 chinook salmon (1,299 passed), 9 brown trout (all passed) and 2 rainbow trout (1 passed). No pink salmon have shown up, and no fish have been spawned yet. The next processing day is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 26.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Wisconsin DNR — Root River Report (fishing and facility reports for Oct. 22, 2026).