Why do salmon turn red? But this increases their risk of dying before getting the chance to spawn and for Pacific salmon, this is is a risk too great. Fishes in general, including salmon, do not taste good after spawning, mainly because they do not have much fat. In the Great Lakes and other inland systems, steelheads have a similar life. Various runs can appear at the same time. Unlike salmon, trout don't die after spawning and can participate in spawning multiple times in the course of their life [source: USDA Forest Service]. After they die, other animals eat them (but people don't) or they decompose, adding nutrients Why do salmon change color and die after they spawn? Skip to main content Most of them stop eating when they return to freshwater and have no energy left for a return trip to the ocean after spawning. Salmon are generally medium-lived fish, with Pacifics living up to five years old and Atlantics sometimes reaching six to seven years old. An alternative for these salmon species would be to spend more time in the ocean, accumulating food and energy so they are then able to migrate back after spawning. Not all fish will die after spawning, though wild salmons die, mainly from exhaustion and not feeding. Great Lakes Salmon Fishing Freshwater salmon were introduced into the Great Lake system as early as the late 1800’s. The main types are Chinook, Coho, Pinks, Kokanee (Sockeye), and two strains of Atlantic salmon. If the dead salmon are not consumed after dying, they decompose and add nutrients to the stream. Since you like to eat within short time, the meat may not be degraded (rot) by bacteria. During a spawning season, a single female rainbow trout can spawn 200 to 8,000 eggs. Some common species of salmon that have been known to die often after spawning include the Chinook and Coho salmon. However humans do not. All Pacific salmon die after spawning, while Atlantic salmon may survive and even spawn two or more times. Because they don’t leave the stream at the same age, return after the same time, or die after spawning, steelhead populations vary greatly in age.