Virtual Viewing
Salmon Cam

About the Salmon Cam

This live educational camera provides images of salmon developing through part of their life cycle. These coho (silver) salmon eggs were collected in the fall as part of one of the Division of Sport Fish’s Aquatic Education programs, Salmon in the Classroom. These camera images allow you to watch salmon develop throughout the winter. Salmon development occurs very slowly in the cold water so we suggest visiting weekly or every two weeks to see changes. Many sport fishermen model their flies or lures after the first few stages of the salmon life cycle to catch resident fish species that prey on juvenile salmon in streams and lakes. In the spring, ADF&G will release the young fish that hatch from these eggs during their fry stage.

Please note that activities in the Salmon in the Classroom program, including collecting eggs and releasing young salmon back into a lake, require a special permit through ADF&G. Moving eggs or fish from one location to another is illegal without a permit, and has the potential to seriously harm Alaska’s fisheries. For more information, see Invasive Species and Fish, Amphibian, & Aquatic Plant Permits.

Development Calendar for this Tank

These dates are estimates that apply only to this tank and assume a constant water temperature of 4°C. Variations in temperature greatly affect the rate of development in the very early stages of the salmon life cycle, so salmon in the wild are developing at much different rates from the salmon in this tank. Learn more about how to estimate the rate of salmon development and how teachers use incubating salmon to teach lessons in natural history and math.

Event Date
Eggs put in tank Oct 8
Eyed-eggs Nov 10
Hatching Between Dec 7 – Dec 22
Emergence Jan 21 – Feb 5
Release date May 2

The Salmon Life Cycle

Phase 2 - Eyed Egg — This is the embryo stage at which pigmentation of the eyes becomes visible through the egg shell. It’s estimated that only 1 in 10 eggs survives to hatch.
Phase 2 -
Eyed Egg