Target Species: Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
Other Common Names: king, tyee, quinnat, tule, blackmouth, spring salmon
Identification: Back and top of head are blue-green with silvery sides and white belly. The mouth is dark gray with black pigment along the gum line and the upper body has irregular black spots which are also found on both sides of the caudal fin.
Biological Info: Kings in any given spawning run vary greatly in size because they become sexually mature anywhere from their second to seventh year. They hatch in fresh water, then go to the ocean to spend a good part of their life and then return to freshwater to spawn and then die there. Females tend to mature more slowly than males so males tend to outnumber females in spawning runs.
Females deposit 3,000 to 14,000 eggs in gravel nests called redds. Salmon spawn anywhere from May to October depending on location. The hatchlings which are called alevins live in the gravel for several weeks absorbing the food in the yolk sacks.
The juvenile called fry then leave the gravel in the spring and remain in fresh water eating first plankton and later insects and crustaceans before going to the ocean in their second year the following spring. These ocean migrants, called smolts remain there until reaching sexual maturity.
Geographical Range: North America from Monterey Bay area in California to Alaska's Chukchi Sea area. In Asia from Hokkaido, Japan northward to Siberia's Anadyr river area. They have also been introduced successfully in France, New Zealand and Australia as well as the North American Great Lakes.
Favored Water Temp.: 50ºF-63ºF
Size: Average 20-25 lbs but can reach up to 58" and over 120 lbs.
IGFA Record: 97 lbs, 4 oz, Kenai River, Alaska, 1986.
Sporting characteristics: Since they are the largest salmon species they are prized for their size and strength. They are capable of acrobatic leaps while fighting. They also make excellent table fair.
Food & Feeding Habits: As adults primarily feed on fish such as herring and pilchard as well as squid and crustaceans.
Fishing methods: Since they are light sensitive, spring salmon are usually found in deeper water where they can be trolled with rigged herring. The best freshwater baits are artificial lures and salmon eggs. Fly fishing can be successful during specific weeks of the fishing season in some areas such as Alaska. Heavy freshwater gear is recommended.
Top Spots: The Kenai River in Alaska is one of the most popular spots in the world because of the many large kings (70-90 lbs) caught each season. The Rogue River in Oregon. Many stretches of the Columbia River which runs from British Columbia through Washington State to Oregon.
Conservation: Follow local regulations. Keep only what is desired for personal consumption.
Also see
Chinook Salmon
Red Salmon
Pink Salmon
Coho Salmon
Chum Salmon
Cherry Salmon
Atlantic Salmon
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