Data from ongoing age 2 male maturation assessments of yearling Chinook and Sockeye salmon at hatchery facilities located in the interior Columbia basin
Data files
Feb 08, 2021 version files 8.80 MB
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Hood_River_Rearing.pdf
131.20 KB
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Minijack_Database.csv
8.60 MB
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README_Minijack_Database.txt
2.01 KB
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README_Release_Group_Description.txt
4.63 KB
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Release_Group_Description.csv
61.08 KB
Feb 16, 2026 version files 10.60 MB
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Deschutes_Study_BroodYears_2016_2020.csv
1.82 MB
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Hood_River_Rearing.pdf
131.20 KB
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Minijack_Database.csv
8.60 MB
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README.md
7.95 KB
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Release_Group_Description.csv
45.83 KB
Abstract
Pacific salmon have diverse life histories including phenotypic plasticity in the age at which males initiate maturation (range 1-6 years). Both genotype and rearing practices (feed type and rate, rearing temperatures) influence age of maturation. We have been monitoring age 2 (minijack) precocious male maturation rates at various Columbia River basin hatchery facilities from 1997 to the present. Thus, it is a compilation of over two decades of monitoring minijack rates at hatcheries primarily focused on yearling reared spring, summer and fall-run Chinook salmon but also includes yearling Snake River Sockeye salmon as well. The dataset includes the size (both length and weight) of individual fish at the time of maturation assessment, just prior to hatchery release in the spring as yearling smolts. It was compiled from several studies that examine effects of feed treatments within a hatchery population (lipid content of feed and feed ration) and effects of rearing site (example: Hood River stock fish reared at three different hatcheries) on fish growth and maturation. Overall, we have found that the prevalence of minijack maturation is variable among hatchery populations (ranging from 0-72% of males) and is significantly influenced by species, stock, life-history type and hatchery rearing practices.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.0rxwdbrzn
Description of the data and file structure
We assessed age 2 male maturation of Pacific salmon (primarily Chinook) at several interior Columbia River hatcheries, starting in 1997. This data set contains size, gender, and maturation (age 2) status determined from plasma 11-Ketotestosterone levels measured just prior to smolt release from hatcheries.
Files and variables
File: Hood_River_Rearing.pdf
Description: This file graphically summarizes rearing locations of the Hood River stock fish at Round Butte, Parkdale, and Carson hatcheries, as well as subsequent acclimation at Blackberry, Moving Falls, and Pelton Ladder acclimation sites. See Release_Group_Description.csv for full back ground information.
File: Minijack_Database.csv
Description: Individual fish data from the minijack surveys of hatchery salmon prior to smolt release; brood years 1997-2017.
Variables
- BY: Brood year; yyyy
- RY: Release year; yyyy
- Release_Group: Factor variable; release group. Name of specific cohort of hatchery salmon. Generally defined here by major rearing facility or release site and brood year (yy). See Release_Group_Description.csv for full background information.
- SpRRT: Species, run, rear-type. Species: Chinook = 1, Sockeye = 4. Run: Spring = 1, Summer = 2, Fall = 3. Rear-type: Hatchery = H.
- Stock: Origin of broodstock used for release groups
- Sample_Date: Date of sampling event; mm/dd/yyyy
- Sample_Month: Month of sampling event
- Sample_Site: Location of fish rearing at the time of sample
- RCWY: Raceway, pond or other rearing vessel
- Treat: Factor variable; Rearing treatment. See Release_Group_Description.csv for more background information.
- Genetic_Cross: Broodstock cross
- UGI: Factor variable; unique group identifier. Same as "Release_Group", but with the addition of specific rearing treatment within the release group
- UFI: Unique fish identifier. UGI + individual fish number (and month in instances where population was previously sampled)
- Fish_No: Individual fish number within each UGI
- FL_mm: Continuous variable; individual fork length in millimeters
- WT_g: Continuous variable; individual body weight in grams
- K: Continuous variable; Fulton's condition factor
- Gender: Factor variable; Gender. F = Female, M = immature male, MD = minijack (age 2 male maturation), MP = microjack (age 1 male maturation), U = unidentified gender, UM = unidentified male (no blood sample available for maturation designation). 11-Ketotestosterone blood plasma levels of the males were used to determine age 2 maturation status (see Related Works for methodology). Microjacks were determined by the presence of white/grey enlarged testes.
- Disease: Binary variable; Yes (Y) or No (N)
- Deformity: Binary variable; Yes (Y) or No (N)
- Full_Stomach: Binary variable; Yes (Y) or No (N)
- Fin_Erosion: Binary variable; Yes (Y) or No (N)
Missing data code: Blank
File: Release_Group_Description.csv
Description: This file provides additional details about rearing and fish release for each "Release_Group" from the Minijack_Database.csv file.
Variables
- Release_Group: Name of specific cohort of hatchery salmon. Generally defined here by major rearing facility or release site and brood year.
- UGI (s): Same as "Release_Group", but with the addition of specific rearing treatment within the release group.
- Stock: Origin of broodstock used for release groups
- Species: This dataset includes Chinook and Sockeye Salmon
- Run_Type: This dataset includes spring, summer and fall run types.
- SpRRT: Species, run, rear-type. Species: Chinook = 1, Sockeye = 4. Run: Spring = 1 , Summer = 2 , Fall = 3. Rear-type: Hatchery = H.
- SubRegion: USGS hydrologic unit, subregion
- SubBasin: USGS hydrologic unit, subbasin
- PreSmolt_Rearing: Includes rearing site(s) after initial ponding of fry through either release or transport to an additional acclimation site. Abbreviations are consistent with site abbreviations in PTAGIS.
- Acclimation_Site: Final rearing site used to acclimate fish prior to release. Abbreviations are consistent with site abbreviations in PTAGIS.
- Release_Site: Release site for release group. Abbreviations are consistent with site abbreviations in PTAGIS.
- Release_River: River where release group was released.
- Release_RKM: River kilometer (rkm) of where release group was released. These are distances from the mouth of the Columbia River.
- Treat_Comm: summary of rearing treatment. WW = wild by wild cross, HH = hatchery by hatchery cross. INT = integrated broodstock, SEG = segregated broodstock.
- Rearing_Comm: Additional comments describing rearing locations and treatment descriptions.
- Published: Status of publication of data. Y/N.
- Citations: 1st author and date of data publication. See "Related Works" for full citations.
Missing data code: BlankFile: Deschutes_Study_BroodYears_2016_2020.csv
Description: This file provides individual fish data for seasonal size, energetics, smoltification and minijack data for a size study of Deschutes River Spring Chinook Salmon, brood years 2016-2020. This dataset overlaps with the Minijack_Databse.csv file.
Variables
- BY: Brood year; yyyy
- RY: Release year; yyyy
- Release_Group: Name of specific cohort of hatchery salmon. Generally defined here by major rearing facility or release site and brood year.
- SpRRT: Species, run, rear-type. Species: Chinook = 1. Run: Spring = 1. Rear-type: Hatchery = H.
- Stock: Origin of broodstock used for release groups
- Sample_Date: Date of sampling event: mm/dd/yyyy
- Sample_Month: Month of sampling event
- Sample_Site: Location of fish rearing at the time of sample; ROBU = Round Butte Hatchery , PELTON = Pelton Ladder Acclimation Site
- RCWY: Raceway, pond or other rearing vessel
- Treat: Factor variable; rearing treatment.
- UGI: Factor variable; unique group identifier. Same as "Release_Group", but with the addition of specific rearing treatment within the release group
- UFI: Unique fish identifier. UGI + individual fish number (and month in instances where population was previously sampled)
- Fish_No: Individual fish number within each UGI and Sample_Date
- FL_mm: Continuous variable; individual fork length in millimeters
- WT_g: Continuous variable; individual body weight in grams
- K: Continuous variable; Fulton's condition factor
- Disease: Binary variable; Yes (Y) or No (N)
- Deformity: Binary variable; Yes (Y) or No (N)
- Full_Stomach: Binary variable; Yes (Y) or No (N)
- Fin_Erosion: Binary variable; Yes (Y) or No (N)
- 11KT: Continuous variable; 11-Ketotestosterone in ng/ML
- SOLID_PROP: Continuous variable; proportion of solid composition of individual fish
- ATPase: Continuous variable; Na-K ATPase activity level in gills in 𝜇mol PO4 mg protein-1 h-1
- Gender_Visual: Factor variable; Gender. F = Female, M = immature male, MD = minijack (age 2 male maturation), MP = microjack (age 1 male maturation), U = unidentified gender, UM = unidentified male (no blood sample available for maturation designation).
- Gender_11KT: Factor variable; Gender. F = Female, M = immature male, MD = minijack (age 2 male maturation), MP = microjack (age 1 male maturation), U = unidentified gender, UM = unidentified male (no blood sample available for maturation designation). 11-Ketotestosterone blood plasma levels of the males were used to determine age 2 maturation status (see Related Works for methodology). Microjacks were determined by the presence of white/grey enlarged testes.
- Maturation_Treshold: 11KT value that was determined to be the level above which males were maturating as minjacks
Missing data code: Blank
Maturation status of males was determined via enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) levels in blood plasma. See related works for details.
Please contact the authors for assistance in interpreting, using or republishing this data.
Minijack_Database-File with data on individual fish sampled as part of minijack assessments across multiple brood years and hatchery facilities.
Release_Group_Description-File with background information for each release group contained in the Minijack_Database, including rearing and release locations and rearing treatments.
Hood_River_Rearing-File depicting the rearing of Hood River spring Chinook salmon across several hatchery facilities and acclimation sites for brood years 2008-2017.
Changes after Feb 8, 2021: We are adding the related dataset for the Deschutes River Chinook salmon rearing study that has been accepted for publication in the North American Journal of Aquaculture (Spangenberg et al. 2026). This study overlaps with the dataset that was previously published, and includes minijack rates, seasonal size data, as well as data on smoltification (gill ATPase levels) and seasonal energy content (measured via percent whole body solid levels).
- Beckman, Brian R.; Larsen, Donald A. (2005), Upstream Migration of Minijack (Age-2) Chinook Salmon in the Columbia River: Behavior, Abundance, Distribution, and Origin, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, Journal-article, https://doi.org/10.1577/t05-036.1
- Spangenberg, Dina et al. (2014), The Effects of Variation in Rearing Conditions on Growth, Smolt Development, and Minijack Rate in Yearling Chinook Salmon: a Hatchery Scale Experiment, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, Journal-article, https://doi.org/10.1080/00028487.2014.931304
- Beckman, Brian R. et al. (2017), The Impact of Different Hatchery Rearing Environments on Smolt-to-Adult Survival of Spring Chinook Salmon, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, Journal-article, https://doi.org/10.1080/00028487.2017.1281168
- Harstad, Deborah L.; Larsen, Donald A.; Beckman, Brian R. (2014), Variation in Minijack Rate among Hatchery Populations of Columbia River Basin Chinook Salmon, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, Journal-article, https://doi.org/10.1080/00028487.2014.886621
- Harstad, Deborah L. et al. (2018), Winter-Rearing Temperature Affects Growth Profiles, Age of Maturation, and Smolt-to-Adult Returns for Yearling Summer Chinook Salmon in the Upper Columbia River Basin, North American Journal of Fisheries Management, Journal-article, https://doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10186
- Larsen, Donald A. et al. (2004), Assessment of High Rates of Precocious Male Maturation in a Spring Chinook Salmon Supplementation Hatchery Program, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, Journal-article, https://doi.org/10.1577/t03-031
- Larsen, Donald A. et al. (2006), Growth Modulation Alters the Incidence of Early Male Maturation and Physiological Development of Hatchery-Reared Spring Chinook Salmon: A Comparison with Wild Fish, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, Journal-article, https://doi.org/10.1577/t05-200.1
- Larsen, Donald A.; Beckman, Brian R.; Cooper, Kathleen A. (2010), Examining the Conflict between Smolting and Precocious Male Maturation in Spring (Stream-Type) Chinook Salmon, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, Journal-article, https://doi.org/10.1577/t08-209.1
- Larsen, Donald A. et al. (2013), Early Life History Variation in Hatchery- and Natural-Origin Spring Chinook Salmon in the Yakima River, Washington, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, Journal-article, https://doi.org/10.1080/00028487.2012.750626
- Spangenberg, Dina K. et al. (2015), Stock Differences in Growth, Smolting, and Early Male Maturation in Hatchery Spring Chinook Salmon: a Common-Garden Experiment, North American Journal of Fisheries Management, Journal-article, https://doi.org/10.1080/02755947.2015.1079574