 The bay supports more than 100 species of marine and estuarine fish, including green sturgeon, coho and Chinook salmon, steelhead and coastal cutthroat trout, which spawn and rear in its watershed, covering an area of .Coho salmon primarily rear and spawn in Elk River, Freshwater Creek, and Jacoby Creek.A recent study found that 40% of coho in the system rear in the estuary.