Kelowna 
The salmon run is a wonder of nature.
The Adams River Salmon Society
The salmon run is when salmon returns to its birth location in rivers from oceans by swimming upstream to spawn and die. Northern Pacific ocean salmon species return to rivers in B.C. (and Washington and Alaska in the US) to spawn during the fall season.
Sockeye salmon – a species of salmon found in the Northern Pacific Ocean and rivers – turns bright red during its hundreds of miles of swim upstream to spawn.
Salmon do not feed once they enter fresh water. Sockeye salmon undergoes a dramatic transformation during their return journey – the silver fish’s body turns red while their heads change to green. The male of the species also develops large, hooked jaws, humped backs, and prominent teeth which they use to defend nesting sites.
While you can watch sockeye and other Pacific species salmon return to their spawning grounds in various rivers of B.C (especially Thompson and Fraser Rivers and their tributaries), the salmon run in Adams River, is considered the largest sockeye salmon run in North America.
Salmon runs peak in a 4-year cycle (the fish return to spawn in four years), and 2022 is considered a dominant year ( there are concerns about the number of salmon returning this year) for Adams River sockeye.
A salmon lays around 2,200 to 4,300 eggs in the river. Adams River Sockeye salmon fries move to Shuswap Lake and remain there until next spring (~ one year) and swim to the ocean via Thompson and Fraser Rivers. After three years, only a few will survive facing many obstacles and dangers as they journey through the Fraser and Thompson Rivers and finally Adam’s River.
During the dominant year, more than 1 million sockeye salmon return to Adams River.
To celebrate the dominant year salmon run, the Adams River Salmon Society hosts a celebration, Salute to Sockeye, from September 30th to October 23rd.
The three-week-long event celebrates the sockeye salmon’s life and journey.
In addition to watching the salmon run from the viewing platform and hiking trails, during the festival, you can explore the local indigenous culture, discover local artists, and artisans and eat great food.
The festival will also feature an educational interpretive program about the lifecycle of the salmon for students.
The Sockeye Salute celebration takes place in Tsútswecw Provincial Park which is located northeast of Kamloops (73 km) and northwest of Salmon Arm (48 km).
Trip Planning: Salute to Sockeye – Salmon Run Celebration
The Adams River Salmon Society
What: Visit Tsútswecw Provincial Park to see sockeye salmon return to spawn and also to enjoy associated festivities. You might also get to see other wildlife who live on salmon including eagles and hawks.
When: Festival: September 30th to October 23rd, 2022
Salmon Run:
Chinook Salmon: September through Mid-October (every year)
Sockeye Salmon: Late September through early November (every year with a dominant run every four years (2022, 2026, 2030). The year following the dominant year has sub-dominant runs of sockeye.
Pink Salmon: Late September through Late October every odd-numbered year ( 2021, 2023, 2025)
Coho Salmon: Late October through December (every year)
Where:
Credit: BC Parks
Tsútswecw Provincial Park, 2300 Squilax-Anglemont Rd, Chase
Tsútswecw Provincial Park is located:
~ 48 km from Salmon Arm
~ 73.0 km from Kamloops
~ 155 km from Kelowna
~ 425 km from Vancouver (~ 4 hr 30 min drive)
~ 560 km from Calgary (~6 hours drive)
How Much: Festival Admission —
$10 per private vehicle
$3 per person for a commercial van (10 to 20 passenger capacity)
$120 per bus (21 to 40 passenger capacity)
$150 per bus (41+ passenger capacity)
I stopped reading at the Adams River is considered the largest sockeye run in North America. Babine River can see 2-3 million which pales in comparison to rivers of Bristol Bay. The writer needs to check some facts.
I think there are more in Babine Lake