In response to declining returns of Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp., captive‐rearing programs have emerged as one approach to maintain natural‐origin stocks while mechanisms responsible for their decline are addressed. However, it remains unclear if observed differences in reproductive behavior between captive‐origin (captive) and natural‐origin (natural) Chinook Salmon O. tshawytscha in laboratory experiments accurately predict reproductive success of captive salmon in the natural environment. Over a 4‐year period, 859 natural Chinook Salmon juveniles were collected for full‐term rearing in captivity. From these, we returned 247 maturing adults to their natal stream over 2 years, assessed trends in habitat use, monitored their courtship and spawning behaviors, and sampled their redds to determine if fertilized eggs were present. Habitat use followed a logical trend toward spawning areas as the season progressed. Captive fish were smaller and spawned later than did natural fish, but their size did not prevent females from constructing redds or prevent males from courting and fertilizing eggs. Captive fish were observed participating in 16 spawning events over two seasons. Captive and natural males displayed the same courtship behaviors, but natural males were more aggressive. Captive females selected redd sites similar to those of natural females and displayed digging behavior consistent with published observations. Eggs were collected from 22 of the 26 redds sampled, and survival to organogenesis was 68.3% in 2001 and 34.6% in 2002. The decline in 2002 was at least partially due to an apparent failure of females from brood year 1997 to produce viable eggs. We estimated captive fish contributed 19,000 eyed eggs to the population. If the 859 juveniles reared in captivity had been left in the stream, fewer than one adult would be expected to have returned. Growth, timing of spawning, and egg survival issues remain in captive fish, which illustrates a need to focus future research on improved culture techniques.Received July 21, 2011; accepted October 26, 2012