Spring Chinook salmon are among the largest of the Pacific salmon species. Chinook salmon are native to cold-water rivers in North America from California to Alaska, as well as Northern Japan, and rivers feeding the Siberian Sea. Spring Chinook are born in freshwater where they can live for up to a year. Like their fall Chinook counterparts, spring Chinook migrate to the ocean where they grow and mature. Adult spring Chinook return to their natal streams in the late winter and spring months, typically traveling long distances. Spring Chinook salmon mature sexually while in the summer months and typically spawn during the fall months. All spring Chinook die after spawning.