do chinook salmon travel in groups

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Salmon Migration: Interactive Map Illustrates Fantastic Journey in Peril

• Jacqueline Koch
• Feb 22, 2021

Endangered Columbia River Basin Salmon Connect Communities Across Northwest, New Proposal Offers Opportunity to Recover Them

SEATTLE — The release of a media-rich, interactive storymap,  Salmon Migration: A journey that connects us all , highlights the iconic wildlife event that brings together diverse Northwest communities, from the Pacific Coast to central Idaho. Columbia River Basin salmon and steelhead are essential for Northwest tribes, local economies, and the region’s way of life — yet they’re running out of time. The Salmon Migration storymap is a timely addition to a national conversation ignited by U.S. Representative Mike Simpson’s (R-Idaho) recent proposal for the Columbia Basin Fund,  a jobs and infrastructure framework that offers a strong starting point to save the Northwest’s valuable fisheries and river-dependent communities by restoring a free-flowing lower Snake River.

“The endangered salmon of the Columbia and Snake Rivers sustain a fragile ecosystem, diverse communities and the Northwest’s economic prosperity. The Columbia Basin Fund is a bold step in the right direction, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to launch the greatest river restoration and salmon recovery effort in history,” said Sarah Bates, acting regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation’s Northern Rockies, Prairies, and Pacific Region.

Traveling across the region, the Salmon Migration storymap weaves together personal stories and insights from communities and generations connected by the Columbia River, from teenage conservationists in Boise, ID, to seasoned commercial fishermen on the Pacific coast. The storymap takes viewers on a journey of discovery and prompts an important question for us all: Can we transform the interconnected challenges of energy, agriculture and salmon into a stronger, more resilient Northwest?      

“If we follow the migration of these magnificent fish, we can fully understand why the Northwest needs a comprehensive solution that restores salmon. Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson answered our calls with a blueprint for the largest river and salmon restoration effort in history that also creates jobs and strengthens the energy and agriculture sectors,” said Chris Hager, executive director of Association of Northwest Steelheaders. "We applaud his dedication and look to our regional delegates to engage with Simpson’s proposal to bring urgent innovative solutions to this issue.”

The Salmon Migration storymap is a guide to understanding the many ways Northwest salmon runs have shaped our lives, communities and the region. The Columbia River Basin framework and recent media reports highlight the interconnected challenges—and opportunities—of a region-wide salmon recovery effort:

• Read Rep. Simpson’s Columbia Basin Fund framework
• What would the Columbia Basin Fund do? Watch the video
• A Seattle Times feature by Lynda Mapes outlines a new vision for the Northwest: GOP congressman pitches $34 billion plan to breach Lower Snake River dams in new vision for Northwest
• A New York Times article highlights the urgent need to address warming water temperatures in the Columbia River Basin: How long before these salmon are gone? Maybe 20 years.
• The Seattle Times outlines our best opportunity to make good on treaty obligations and promises to Northwest tribes: Salmon People: A tribe’s decades-long fight to take down the Lower Snake River dams and restore a way of life

View the interactive Salmon Migration story map here to learn more about the salmon that are the lifeforce of the Columbia and Snake River systems.

Read the National Wildlife Federation’s statement on the release of the Rep. Simpson’s Columbia Basin Fund  here . 

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Animal encyclopedia

Understanding chinook salmon: a comprehensive guide.

Updated on: September 14, 2023

John Brooks

September 14, 2023 / Reading time: 5 minutes

Sophie Hodgson

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Table of Contents

Chinook salmon, also known as king salmon, are fascinating creatures that play a crucial role in the environment. In this comprehensive guide, we will take an in-depth look at these remarkable fish, from their unique characteristics to their role in the ecosystem. We will also explore the life cycle of Chinook salmon, the threats they face, and the conservation efforts aimed at preserving their populations.

Introduction to Chinook Salmon

As the largest species of Pacific salmon, Chinook salmon are highly prized among anglers and seafood lovers. These majestic fish are known for their silvery bodies, which are often adorned with spots and a pinkish hue. The average adult Chinook salmon can grow anywhere from 24 to 36 inches in length and weigh between 10 and 50 pounds.

Chinook salmon are native to the Pacific Northwest, particularly the coastal regions of North America. They are anadromous, meaning they are born in freshwater, migrate to the ocean for most of their lives, and return to their natal streams to spawn. This unique life cycle is essential to the survival of the species and contributes to the overall health and productivity of the ecosystem.

The Unique Characteristics of Chinook Salmon

One of the distinguishing features of Chinook salmon is their powerful and streamlined bodies , which enable them to undertake long and arduous migrations. They are also known for their sharp teeth and strong jaws , allowing them to feed on a diverse diet that includes smaller fish, crustaceans, and insects.

The Habitat of Chinook Salmon

Chinook salmon primarily reside in the cold, clear, and highly oxygenated waters of rivers and streams during their freshwater stages. They require well-oxygenated water with suitable gravelly substrate for spawning. These fish are highly adaptable and can be found in a range of habitats, from small tributaries to large rivers.

The Life Cycle of Chinook Salmon

The life cycle of Chinook salmon is nothing short of remarkable, consisting of several distinct stages. Understanding these stages is crucial for appreciating the complexity of their journey and the challenges they face throughout their lives.

Spawning and Early Life

Chinook salmon begin their lives as eggs laid in gravel nests called redds. Female salmon use their tails to dig these redds in suitable areas of gravel, where they deposit their eggs. After hatching, the young salmon, called fry, spend their early months in freshwater streams, feeding on insects and gaining strength.

As the fry grow, they undergo several physical changes and develop into parr, characterized by their distinct vertical stripes. During this stage, they continue to feed on insects and small aquatic organisms, using their keen senses to locate food and avoid predators.

Migration and Maturation

At a certain point in their development, the parr undergo physiological changes that prepare them for their migration to the ocean. Known as smolting, this process involves the salmon adapting to saltwater environments. The smolts change in coloration, acquire scales, and develop the ability to excrete excess salt through specialized salt glands.

Once they are fully smolted, the Chinook salmon begin their migration to the ocean. This incredible journey can span hundreds or even thousands of miles, as the fish navigate through rivers, estuaries , and the open sea. Along the way, they face numerous predators, such as birds and larger fish, which further highlight their resilience and adaptability.

Return to Freshwater and Reproduction

After spending several years in the ocean, adult Chinook salmon begin their return journey to their natal streams. They navigate upstream, overcoming challenging obstacles such as waterfalls and rapids, fueled by their instinctual drive to reproduce. The journey can be physically taxing, as the fish endure fasting and the energy-consuming process of swimming against strong currents.

Upon reaching their spawning grounds, the males and females engage in an elaborate courtship display . The females deposit their eggs in redds, while the males release their milt to fertilize them. After the reproductive process is complete, the adult salmon often succumb to exhaustion and die, leaving behind a new generation of fry to continue the cycle.

The Role of Chinook Salmon in the Ecosystem

As a keystone species, Chinook salmon have a profound impact on the ecosystem in which they reside. They are a vital source of food for a wide range of predators, including bears, eagles, and other fish species. The nutrients from their decomposed bodies also contribute to the health and fertility of surrounding landscapes.

Impact on Other Species

Chinook salmon play a crucial role in maintaining the delicate balance of marine and freshwater ecosystems. Their presence supports the abundance of other fish populations, including endangered species such as Southern Resident killer whales . The decline of Chinook salmon populations can have cascading effects throughout the food web, affecting numerous species and the overall stability of the ecosystem.

Threats to Chinook Salmon Populations

Despite their resilience, Chinook salmon face numerous threats that jeopardize their survival. Understanding these threats is crucial for implementing effective conservation measures and ensuring the persistence of these iconic fish.

Climate Change and Its Effects

Climate change poses a significant threat to Chinook salmon populations. Rising water temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, and altered stream flows can impact their ability to spawn and successfully complete their life cycle. Additionally, ocean acidification, caused by increased carbon dioxide levels, can affect the availability of prey and disrupt the delicate balance of marine ecosystems.

Overfishing and Its Consequences

Overfishing has also had a detrimental impact on Chinook salmon populations. The demand for their prized flesh and the accidental capture of juveniles during fishing activities have depleted their numbers in many areas. Responsible fishing practices and the establishment of protected areas are essential for allowing salmon populations to recover and thrive.

Conservation Efforts for Chinook Salmon

In recent years, conservation efforts have been implemented to protect and restore Chinook salmon populations. These initiatives involve a combination of legislation, regulations, and restoration programs aimed at safeguarding the future of these vital fish.

Regulations and Restrictions

Through strict fishing regulations, authorities aim to control the harvest of Chinook salmon and reduce the impact on their populations. These measures include limits on fishing seasons, catch size, and gear types. By implementing these regulations, authorities can ensure sustainable fishing practices that allow for the recovery and preservation of Chinook salmon populations.

Restoration and Recovery Programs

Restoration and recovery programs play a significant role in revitalizing Chinook salmon populations. These initiatives involve habitat restoration, such as removing barriers to migration, improving water quality, and enhancing spawning grounds. Additionally, captive breeding and salmon supplementation programs aim to bolster populations by releasing young salmon into the wild.

In conclusion, understanding Chinook salmon is essential for appreciating their importance in the ecosystem and the challenges they face. From their unique characteristics to their remarkable life cycle, these fish embody resilience and adaptation. By addressing the threats they encounter and implementing effective conservation measures, we can ensure the survival of Chinook salmon, preserving their role as a keystone species and safeguarding the health and vitality of our oceans and rivers.

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Chinook salmon

Wild Chinook salmon are found all along the west coast of North America, from Monterey Bay in California to the Chukchi Sea in Alaska. Like all salmon species, Chinook are anadromous—that is, they are born in fresh water, migrate to the ocean, then return as mature adults to lay their eggs in the streams where they were born.

The life of a Chinook salmon

Chinook salmon begin their lives as eggs laid by an adult female in a cold, clean, sheltered stream. The eggs hatch in spring. The tiny fish grow larger as they spend about five months in the stream, eating insects and crustaceans.

When they're big enough, they begin their migration to the ocean. They often spend awhile eating heavily in the half-salt and half-fresh water of an estuary to get even bigger. Once they reach the ocean, they spend up to 8 years there, eating fish. An adult Chinook salmon living in the ocean is the largest of all the Pacific salmon species. It often weighs more than 100 pounds and grows up to 5 feet long.

After several years, Chinook journey back to their home stream to "spawn," or lay their eggs. Their sense of smell leads them home. Biologists believe a spawning salmon can smell its home stream in water that has only 1-2 parts of the stream's chemical signature per million. It's like being able to sniff out a single drop of water in 250 gallons!

Once they arrive in the home stream, the female builds a "redd," or nest. She releases her eggs into the redd, and the male fertilizes it. She covers the eggs with loose gravel and they both swim further upstream to do the process all over again. All the while, their bodies are breaking down, and eventually they both die.

Each year, at approximately the same time of year, a number of adult Chinook salmon return to their natal streams to spawn. In our area, they spawn in the Columbia River and its larger tributaries in the fall, "running" in specific areas of the river. The Chinook that come to the lower end of the Columbia are called "Tules." The upriver Chinook are called "Upriver Brights." You can see Chinook from each group in the zoo's Eagle Canyon exhibit.

Living salmon are food for many kinds of wildlife, from bald eagles to killer whales to grizzly bears. After they die, their bodies provide vital food and nutrients to the plants and animals in the stream ecosystem.

Chinook salmon conservation

Salmon need cold, clean water to survive. They struggle with pollution, warming waters and habitat deterioration. Dams block their travel to and from the ocean. Metro is working to protect and restore habitat for salmon and other wildlife in the Portland metropolitan area. 

How you can help Chinook salmon

You can help Chinook and other salmon species by conserving water. This leaves more water in the local waterways, and helps preserve stream and river ecosystems. 

Chinook salmon at the Oregon Zoo

The zoo's Chinook salmon live in the Eagle Canyon exhibit. They are fed a mixture of krill, brine shrimp, chopped fish and insects.

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Chinook Salmon

Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha

Distribution

Temperate to sub-polar latitudes of the north Pacific Ocean

eCOSYSTEM/HABITAT

Rivers and coastal seas

FEEDING HABITS

Active predator

Order Salmoniformes (salmons and relatives), Family Salmonidae (trouts and salmons)

Adult Chinook salmon live in coastal seas and feed on pelagic invertebrates and other fishes. During the oceanic portion of their life cycle, these fish are primarily concerned with growing and storing energy that they will require for successful reproduction. This period can last anywhere between one and eight years. Once they reach reproductive size, they begin a long migration to their preferred spawning ground, fair inland, in freshwater rivers. In some rivers, the preferred spawning areas can be as far as 1900 miles (3000 km) upriver and at elevations of 5000 feet (1500 m) above sea level. Interestingly, though they mix into large populations at sea, each individual Chinook salmon returns to spawn in the river where it hatched. Thousands of individuals migrate to and reach the spawning grounds at the same time. Once they arrive, females dig nests in light gravel and lay their eggs on the river bottom. Males fertilize the eggs externally, and then the females bury the nests. Chinook salmon do not feed during the long trip to spawn, and the difficult task of swimming upriver, jumping up rapids and waterfalls, and digging nests is too much to survive. As soon as they spawn, individuals of this species die. After they hatch, baby Chinook salmon slowly make their way to the ocean, where they feed until they reach maturity and begin the cycle again.

Chinook salmon are important oceanic prey for species such as the steller sea lion  and the killer whale . They are also an extremely important source of nutrients and food for species that live near their spawning grounds (where they all die). Those species include bears, predatory and scavenging birds, wolves, and countless other species. In fact, even trees growing along north Pacific rivers likely rely on dead Chinook salmon and other salmons for vital nutrients required for growth. The Chinook salmon is also an important fishery species. In the ocean, large boats target this species in very large numbers. While they migrate toward their spawning grounds, Chinook salmon are targeted by smaller-scale operations of fishers – many from native peoples that have relied on Chinook salmon runs for thousands of years. Unfortunately, overfishing, climate change, and damming of large, coastal rivers all threaten Chinook salmon, and several populations are critically endangered (very highly vulnerable to extinction) or even extinct. Dams that prevent this species from reaching its preferred spawning grounds are probably the most detrimental human impact on Chinook salmon populations.

Though they are native only to the north Pacific Ocean, Chinook salmon have been established, purposefully or accidentally, in several other places in the world – including New Zealand, Chile, and other places. Many of the established populations are a result of escapement from aquaculture facilities. The Chinook salmon is one of the most heavily aquacultured marine species and is the object of a very large market of farmed salmon.

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How far do salmon travel?

Salmon first travel from their home stream to the ocean, which can be a distance of hundreds of miles. Once they reach the ocean, they might travel an additional 1,000 miles to reach their feeding grounds.

Learn more: Western Fisheries Research Center - Questions and Answers about Salmon

Related Content

• Publications

Are salmon endangered worldwide?

No, salmon are not endangered worldwide. For example, most populations in Alaska are healthy. Some populations in the Pacific Northwest are much healthier than others. These healthy populations usually occupy protected habitats such as the Hanford Reach on the Columbia River and streams of Olympic National Park. Learn more: Western Fisheries Research Center - Questions and Answers about Salmon

How long do salmon usually live?

Most salmon species live 2 to 7 years (4 to 5 average). Steelhead trout can live up to about 11 years. Learn more: Western Fisheries Research Center - Questions and Answers about Salmon

How do salmon know where their home is when they return from the ocean?

Salmon come back to the stream where they were 'born' because they 'know' it is a good place to spawn; they won't waste time looking for a stream with good habitat and other salmon. Scientists believe that salmon navigate by using the earth’s magnetic field like a compass. When they find the river they came from, they start using smell to find their way back to their home stream. They build their...

How many species of salmon are there and how large can they get?

There are seven species of Pacific salmon. Five of them occur in North American waters: chinook, coho, chum, sockeye, and pink. Masu and amago salmon occur only in Asia. There is one species of Atlantic salmon. Chinook/King salmon are the largest salmon and get up to 58 inches (1.5 meters) long and 126 pounds (57.2 kg). Pink salmon are the smallest at up to 30 inches (0.8 meters) long and 12...

When can salmon be seen migrating to their spawning area?

Most Pacific salmon can be seen migrating from spring though fall, depending on the species. Most adult Atlantic salmon migrate up the rivers of New England beginning in spring and continuing through the fall as well, with the migration peaking in June. Learn more: Western Fisheries Research Center - Questions and Answers about Salmon

Where are salmon most endangered?

Certain populations of sockeye salmon, coho salmon, chinook salmon, and Atlantic salmon are listed as endangered. Sockeye salmon from the Snake River system are probably the most endangered salmon. Coho salmon in the lower Columbia River may already be extinct. Salmon are not endangered worldwide. For example, most populations in Alaska are healthy. Some populations in the Pacific Northwest are...

Why are there so few salmon left?

There are many reasons for the decline in salmon populations. Logging an area around a stream reduces the shade and nutrients available to the stream and increases the amount of silt or dirt in the water, which can choke out developing eggs. Dams cause fish to die from the shock of going through the turbines and from predators that eat the disoriented fish as they emerge from the dam. Overfishing...

Why do salmon change color and die after they spawn?

Salmon change color to attract a spawning mate. Pacific salmon use all their energy for returning to their home stream, for making eggs, and digging the nest. Most of them stop eating when they return to freshwater and have no energy left for a return trip to the ocean after spawning. After they die, other animals eat them (but people don't) or they decompose, adding nutrients to the stream...

Why do salmon eggs come in different colors?

Salmon eggs (roe) range in color from pale yellowish-orange to dark reddish-orange. The color varies both by species and within species and is determined by water temperature, sediment composition, age, and other factors. The eggs vary in size from the tiny sockeye roe (average ¼ inch or 5.6 mm) to the large chum roe (average almost ½ inch or 8.3 mm). Also, if a salmon egg does not get fertilized...

Where can I find fish consumption advisories for my state?

Most states have set fish (and wildlife) consumption advisories and recommended consumption levels. The state agency responsible for these limits varies. Examples of consumption advisory information can be found at the Environmental Protection Agency's Fish and Shellfish Advisories and Safe Eating Guidelines website.

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Salmon and steelhead migrating through Bonnerville Dam.

Developing fluvial fish species distribution models across the conterminous United States—A framework for management and conservation

By land, air, and water — u.s. geological survey science supporting fish and wildlife migrations throughout north america, juvenile salmonid monitoring in the white salmon river, washington, post-condit dam removal, 2016, behavior and movements of adult spring chinook salmon ( oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) in the chehalis river basin, southwestern washington, 2015, passage and survival probabilities of juvenile chinook salmon at cougar dam, oregon, 2012, behavior and movement of adult summer steelhead following collection and release, lower cowlitz river, washington, 2012--2013, survival and migration route probabilities of juvenile chinook salmon in the sacramento-san joaquin river delta during the winter of 2009-10, summary of migration and survival data from radio-tagged juvenile coho salmon in the trinity river, northern california, 2008, behavior and movement of adult chum salmon in the lower cowlitz river, 2007: final report of research, community flood protection may also help endangered salmon to thrive.

Building a river setback levee to reduce the risk of flood for a community may also help endangered fish species to thrive, according to the results...

Endangered Salmon Population Monitored with eDNA for First Time

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• Chinook Salmon

Updated June 2021 based on data available through December 2017.

Declining Trend

Salish Sea Chinook salmon populations are down 60% since the Pacific Salmon Commission began tracking salmon abundance in 1984.

Between 2000 and 2018, the total number of Chinook returning to the Salish Sea has shown a relatively stable trend. However, during this time period, we also see a modest increase in catch and a modest decrease in fish returning to spawn, particularly over the last few reporting years.

About Chinook Salmon

What's happening, why is it important, why is it happening, what's being done about it, five things you can do to help.

Salmon are an iconic species of the Salish Sea. They play a critical role in supporting and maintaining ecological health, and in the social fabric of First Nations and tribal culture.

Strong commercial and recreational salmon fisheries also make salmon an important economic engine for the region.

Chinook ( Onchorhychus tshawytscha ) are the largest salmon, and are commonly known as "Kings" or "Tyee" (which means "chief" in Chinook jargon).

Ecology and Life History

The Salish Sea is home to nine different species of salmon and trout:

• Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ).
• Coho salmon (also called silver salmon; Oncorhynchus kisutch ).
• Chum salmon (also called dog salmon; Oncorhynchus keta ).
• Sockeye salmon (also called red salmon; Oncorhynchus nerka ).
• Pink salmon (also called humpback salmon; Oncorhynchus gorbuscha ).
• Steelhead trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ).
• Cutthroat trout ( Oncorhynchus clarkii ).
• Bull trout ( Salvelinus confluentus ).
• Dolly Varden trout ( Salvelinus malma ).

Chinook are a particularly important species in the Salish Sea ecosystem because of both their economic and ecological value.

Chinook salmon are born in fresh water, spend much of their life at sea, and then return to fresh water to spawn (this is called anadromous). They die after spawning once (this is called semelparous). Chinook vary from other salmonids in their age at seaward migration, length of residence in freshwater, estuaries and the ocean, distribution and migration in the ocean, and the age, season and length of migration for spawning.

Distinguished by small black spots on both lobes of their tail fin, and black gums in their lower jaw, they are the largest of the salmonids in size – averaging 15 pounds in commercial marine fisheries, 30 pounds in sport marine fisheries and reaching over 75 pounds on the spawning grounds of some populations. Chinook salmon have the longest migration routes from early emergence from their spawning redds (spawning nests) in higher elevation streams and rivers, down long river corridors and then out into the Pacific gyre for years only to return thousands of miles up their same natal rivers to their original spawning areas.

Sustainable Perspectives

First foods ceremonies are one way Coast Salish communities celebrate respect for the earth. In spring, families celebrate the first Chinook salmon caught with First Salmon ceremonies called Thehitem ("looking after the fish.") At the end of the ceremonies the bones of the salmon are returned to the river with a prayer giving thanks to the Creator, Chíchelh Siyá:m, and the salmon people. This is to show that the salmon were well-treated and welcome the following year.

Traditional Names for Chinook Salmon

• Blackmouth (USA)
• K'with'thet (Salish)
• K'wolexw (Salish)
• King salmon (USA, Canada)
• Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Latin)
• Sa aeup (Nuuchahnulth)
• Sa-cin (Nuuchahnulth)
• Schaanexw (Salish)
• Shamet skelex (Salish)
• Shmexwalsh (Salish)
• Sinaech (Salish)
• Sk'wel'eng's schaanexw (Salish)
• Slhop' schaanexw (Salish)
• Spak'ws schaanexw (Salish)
• Spring salmon (USA, Canada, Australia)
• St'thokwi (Salish)
• Su-ha (Nuuchahnulth)
• Tyee salmon (Canada, USA)

Just over 473,000 adult Chinook salmon were estimated by the Pacific Salmon Commission to have passed through the Salish Sea in 2018 (see charts below). This is a 60% reduction in Chinook salmon abundance since the Commission began tracking salmon data in 1984. The current estimate does not include the effect of predators or other sources of Chinook mortality before spawning, so it may overestimate the spawning population size.

Between 2000 and 2018, the total number of Chinook returning to the Salish Sea has shown a relatively stable trend. During this time period, the technical reports also show a small increase in catch and a small decrease in returning spawners, particularly over the last few reporting years.

There has been inter-annual variability in population size since tracking Chinook populations began. Currently for most stocks of Salish Sea Chinook salmon that are monitored by the Pacific Salmon Commission, about the same number of fish return each year to spawn. A few individual stocks have shown recent changes in spawning fish returns, with some stocks showing increases in returning spawner numbers while other stocks have decreasing numbers of returning fish. Research completed in 2018 has suggested that the average age and size of returning Chinook salmon is changing too, with fish maturing and spawning at younger ages. The largest-sized Chinook salmon are less common now compared to 40 years ago.

Taken together, all the monitoring data suggest that no improvement in the overall trend of Chinook salmon abundance has happened since 1999, when Puget Sound Chinook salmon were listed as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Puget Sound Chinook salmon have not improved according to the 2020 Puget Sound Vital Signs indicator chart for Chinook salmon .

Puget Sound was once home to larger populations of Chinook and other salmon, with a greater diversity of traits than populations existing today. Only 22 of at least 37 historic Chinook salmon populations remain in this ecosystem. The remaining Chinook salmon populations are at as little as 10% of their historic numbers. The decline in salmon is closely associated with harvest rates, decline in the overall health of the Salish Sea and its contributing watersheds, habitat loss, and/or the lowered resilience of these ecosystems to climate change.

The importance of salmon to coastal First Nations and tribes is evident in every coastal archaeological dig in the Salish Sea ecosystem, dating back thousands of years. Salmon have long been a constant and reliable part of the Coast Salish diet and cultural heritage. Reports suggest that harvest rates by the tribes were not enough to depress salmon populations, but rather, that their fishing practices amplified salmon abundance.

Salmon provide food and support broader food-webs for a variety of wildlife, from bald eagles to killer whales to bears, and are a culturally invaluable food source for Puget Sound Tribes, First Nations, and our community as a whole. Chinook salmon in particular are the primary food source of the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKWs). Because salmon die after spawning, their carcasses also provide abundant food and nutrients to plants and animals, including tiny aquatic insects and other invertebrates that in turn provide food for other animals.

During their life cycle, salmon transfer energy and nutrients between the Pacific Ocean and freshwater and land habitats. Since Chinook are the largest salmonid, they contribute the largest amount of biomass (organic matter) per fish to the ecosystem. In fact, in areas that have experienced dramatic declines in salmon, there is a measurable deficit of nutrients to help support the ecosystem.

Economic Impact

Commercial and recreational salmon fisheries in the U.S. state and Canadian province bordering the Salish Sea were worth an average of $1.1 billion annually (GDP) from 2012 to 2015. From 2012 to 2015, this value ranged from $12.6 to $31.5 million (see chart below).

Annual employment in commercial fishing industry is highly seasonal. In British Columbia (B.C.), full-time equivalent (FTE) employment related to commercial salmon fishing was estimated at 2,710 jobs in 2015. FTE employment related to recreational salmon fishing in B.C. was estimated at 6,480 jobs in the same year. In Washington State, FTE employment related to salmon fishing was 2,700 commercial fishing jobs and 3,540 recreational fishing jobs in 2015. The amount of FTE jobs supported by salmon fishing in the Salish Sea region has declined over time with declining salmon populations.

Both commercial and recreational salmon fisheries in the Salish Sea region are highly valued economically. In B.C., all salmon fisheries generated an average of $641 million annually in GDP from 2012 to 2015. In Washington State, all salmon fisheries generated an average of $477 million GDP annually during the same years.

The steep historical decline in Chinook salmon is associated with four main factors:

• Habitat loss and degradation.
• Harvest rates.
• Hatchery influence.
• Dams that impede migrations.

Additional factors increasingly recognized as contributing to declining salmon populations include climate change, ocean conditions, and marine mammal interactions.

Habitat Loss and Degradation

Since Chinook salmon habitat spans such a large area - from freshwater to the open ocean - they are more likely to be impacted by changes in habitat that supports a key life cycle. Such changes have been particularly prominent in freshwater habitats as the condition of streams, rivers, lakes and wetlands have been lost or highly degraded through timber harvest, agricultural practices, urbanization, and stormwater pollution that has impacted both the quality and quantity of salmon habitats.

Harvest Rates

Between 1975 and 2018, almost 22 million Chinook were harvested for commercial, sport, or subsistence and ceremonial fisheries. It is difficult to estimate sustainable harvest limits. Harvest rates have remained relatively constant throughout the past decade and harvest rates are drastically lower now prior to the 1990s. This has caused hardship for U.S tribes and First Nations and caused decreased opportunities for both recreational and commercial fishing.

Hatchery Influence

One of the objectives of hatcheries is to preserve remaining depleted salmon populations by raising and then releasing extra Chinook salmon smolts into the wild. However, hatchery salmon can have negative impacts on wild salmon populations, including loss of natural population identity, diminished adaptability, and interference with natural salmon population recovery. Nevertheless, salmon are critical for the livelihoods and cultural identities of the many Coast Salish tribes, and over three quarters of salmon returning to the Puget Sound to spawn came from hatcheries. The increased production of Chinook salmon by hatcheries over the years has allowed the tribes and Southern Resident Killer Whales to continue using them as a food source and has prevented a more devastating population decline of the salmon overall.

Water Infrastructure Impeding Migrations

The control of streams and rivers using infrastructure like culverts, dams, or floodgates can impact all salmonid species, including Chinook populations. This is an issue throughout the Pacific Northwest, including the Salish Sea. Water infrastructure can result in migration passage barriers, water quality impairments, loss of habitat and hydrological changes. For example, in the lower Fraser River, use of floodgates can affect the complexity of upstream habitats and fish communities and the abundance of juvenile salmon populations. In the State of Washington, despite investing billions of dollars on various fish passage structures to direct fish migration around dams in Chinook-bearing rivers, Chinook salmon are still declining overall. Removing key dams in parts of Washington has been proposed as an option to restore Chinook salmon populations in some parts of Washington State.

Climate Change

Forecasted impacts from climate change on Chinook salmon include habitat changes, such as increased winter flooding, decreased summer and fall stream flows, and increased temperatures in streams and estuaries. Even small shifts in water temperature could alter the timing of migration, reduce growth, reduce availability of oxygen in the water, reduce availability of preferred food sources, and increase the susceptibility to toxins, parasites and disease.

Ocean Conditions

Salmon survival during their first few months at sea is linked to ocean conditions such as surface water temperature and salinity (saltiness), particularly in coastal and estuarine environments. Ocean conditions can also affect food supplies, numbers of predators, and migratory patterns for Chinook salmon. Each of these factors affects marine survival of Chinook and their ability to return to their streams to spawn.

Marine Mammal Interactions

Fewer Chinook salmon means that predators that eat salmon may be having a greater overall impact on the remaining populations of Chinook. California sea lions ( Zalophus californianus ), Pacific harbor seals ( Phoca vitulina ) and killer whales ( Orcinus orca ) are known to prey on Chinook in the Salish Sea. Since the mid-1970s, there has been an increase in the seasonal abundance of sea lions and in the year-round abundance of harbor seals. The number of Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKWs) has decreased and Chinook salmon are their preferred food source over other salmonid species. The loss of Chinook abundance is likely a factor in the decreased abundance of SRKWs.

U.S. Treaties signed in the 1850s granted tribes "the right of taking fish from all usual and accustomed grounds and stations… in common with all citizens." The 1974 Supreme Court ruling, known as the Boldt Decision, re-affirmed the tribes' treaty reserved fishing rights. Today, the tribes and Washington State co-manage salmon recovery and habitat protection. In Puget Sound, the Partnership works with the tribes to achieve our shared goals to recover salmon.

The 1985 Pacific Salmon Treaty  helped bring a science-based approach to international salmon conservation and harvest sharing.

In 1999, Puget Sound Chinook were listed for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), along with several other evolutionarily significant units (ESU) of Pacific salmon. In 2000, the National Marine Fisheries Service issued the salmon ESA 4(d) Rule, establishing take prohibitions for the Puget Sound Chinook and 13 other geographically-based Evolutionary Significant Units (ESU’s) of Chinook.

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) is the group responsible for determining the extinction risk of wildlife populations in Canada. It maintains a list of wildlife populations according to their biological vulnerability status. COSEWIC makes recommendations to the Canadian government for updating the official Species At Risk Act (SARA) legal list that provides protection for vulnerable populations.

In 2018, COSEWIC assessed Chinook salmon in southern British Columbia, which includes Salish Sea populations. Only 16 Chinook salmon populations with low or no influence from hatcheries were investigated at the time. COSEWIC will examine hatchery-supported populations in a separate investigation.

The results of the COSEWIC assessment found that only one Southern BC Chinook salmon designatable unit (which is a unit comparable to ESAs from the United States) had no risk of extinction. Two Chinook salmon designatable units (DUs) did not have enough data to assess properly. The remaining 13 Chinook salmon DUs were identified by COSEWIC as Endangered (8 DUs), Threatened (4 DUs) and Special Concern (1 DU). The Canadian process for listing these Southern BC Chinook salmon DUs on SARA is underway and engagement regarding the SARA legal listing process may begin by late 2020.

U.S.-Canada Collaboration

The 1985 Pacific Salmon Treaty set the long-term goals for the benefit of the salmon and the two countries. The Pacific Salmon Commission is the body formed by the governments of Canada and the United States to implement the Pacific Salmon Treaty and in 1999, the United States and Canada reached a comprehensive new agreement, which established two bilateral Restoration and Enhancement funds.

At a management scale, the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project  is an example of a research project to improve our understanding about the weak survival rates of juvenile salmon. Managed by Long Live the Kings in Washington and the Pacific Salmon Foundation in British Columbia, the project brings together U.S. and Canadian experts from federal, state and provincial agencies, tribes and First Nations, and academic and nonprofit organizations. The project was started in 2012 to evaluate potential stressors on juvenile salmon survival and to help develop science-based solutions to guide improvements in salmon management. As of January 2019, over 90 studies were initiated by the project, with 25 published in peer-reviewed journals. A final synthesis report for the project is expected in 2020.

Actions in Canada

In 2005, the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) released its Wild Salmon Policy to conserve wild salmon and their habitat. The policy aims to safeguard the genetic diversity of wild salmon populations, maintain habitat and ecosystem integrity, and manage fisheries for sustainable benefits.

In 2011, DFO launched a "license retirement" program to reduce harvests of Chinook salmon, including areas within the Canadian portion of the Salish Sea.

In 2019, DFO placed strict restrictions on Fraser River Chinook harvesting to allow more salmon to reach their spawning grounds. Commercial fishing was completely closed until the late summer season. Fishing for ceremonial purposes by First Nations and recreational fishing were allowed in only small amounts.

A natural landslide was discovered along the Fraser River in June 2019 that blocked the path of spawning Chinook and other salmon. A collaboration of DFO, the provincial government of British Columbia, and First Nations governments was formed quickly to plan and take immediate action to assist migrating salmon through the summer and fall of 2019. Work in the area is continuing in the winter of 2019-2020 to clear away fallen rock and improve the site for future migrating Chinook and other salmon species of the Fraser River.

Actions in the U.S.

In 2008, in agreement with NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, the Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) was designated to serve as Washington State’s regional salmon recovery organization for Puget Sound salmon species, excluding Hood Canal summer chum salmon. The Partnership implements the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan to protect and restore habitat, raise public awareness, coordinate on habitat, hatchery, and harvest practices, and develop a monitoring and adaptive management strategy to help track and assess efforts to recover salmon in Puget Sound. The work is accomplished by working with the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council , which consists of local stakeholders and communities, tribes, businesses, and state and federal agencies. The PSP also co-manages the Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration Fund with the Washington State Resource and Conservation Office (RCO), which supports salmon habitat restoration and protection.

In 2009, additional funds were authorized to lessen the impacts of harvest reductions, support the coded wire tag program (for salmon identification), improve analytical models, and implement individual stock-based management fisheries. The National Marine Fisheries Service, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the many tribes in Washington State work together to manage salmon fisheries. In addition to co-managing salmon harvest rates and hatchery influence, these entities work together to restore salmon habitat and monitor wild stock recovery after restoration efforts.

Related Projects

The following links exit the site

• Puget Sound National Estuary Program (NEP) Atlas - An interactive map showing conservation and restoration projects throughout the Puget Sound Basin.
• Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program - Providing funding and technical assistance to organizations working to restore shoreline and nearshore habitats critical to salmon and other species in Puget Sound. The program was established to advance projects using the scientific foundation developed by the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project.
• Washington Shoreline Master Program Guidelines - The state rules that guide local governments in writing, adopting, and implementing local Shoreline Management Programs . They translate the broad policies of the state Shoreline Management Act into standards for regulating shoreline uses.
• State highways cross streams and rivers in thousands of places in Washington State, which can impede fish migration. The Washington State Department of Transport (WSDOT) has worked for nearly three decades to improve fish passage and reconnect streams to help keep our waterways healthy. WSDOT Fish Barrier Correction is a priority. Visit WSDOT's fish passage page to view the latest Fish Passage Annual Report and video. Also see how tribes, salmon recovery effort coalitions and local volunteers help to identify these problem culverts: Trekking the Backroads Counting Culverts for Salmon .
• Floodplains By Design (FbD) - an ambitious public-private partnership led by the Washington Department of Ecology, the Nature Conservancy, and the Puget Sound Partnership. FbD works to accelerate integrated efforts to reduce flood risks and restore habitat along Washington's major river corridors. Its goal is to improve the resiliency of floodplains in order to protect local communities and the health of the environment.
• British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund is a joint program of the Canadian federal government and the province of BC in place until March 2024, that will provide over $142 million CAD as funding for protection and restoration work for wild fish stocks (including salmon) and support BC’s fish and seafood industry. A list of funded projects , focused on innovation, infrastructure, and science partnerships is posted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and includes: investing in research on climate change threats to Pacific salmonids; promoting environmental farm planning near salmon streams in the BC interior, and investigating infrastructure options for the Cowichan Lake – Cowichan River boundary to ensure river flows sustain salmon populations.
• The Watershed Watch Salmon Society is working to support the recovery of BC’s wild salmon in the lower Fraser River watershed. The organization has identified salmon habitat in BC potentially affected by flood control structures and is supporting a number of community projects to restore salmon habitat.
• Landowners and developers in BC can apply to certify their land as Salmon-Safe . The Fraser Basin Council and the Pacific Salmon Foundation launched the eco-certification program in 2011. The Fraser Basin Council has led the program since 2018. The certification recognizes and verifies when an urban or rural site uses practices that protect salmon habitat and support better water quality. The certification program is also available in the United States, as the Salmon-Safe certification was founded in Oregon but is now established all along the Pacific coast.

Learn more about some of the work our partners are doing to protect Chinook salmon and their habitat.

• Pacific Salmon Commission
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Salmonid Enhancement Program
• Pacific Fishery Management Council
• NOAA Fisheries Salmon and Steelhead
• Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission
• Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife "SalmonScape" Mapping System
• Puget Sound Partnership Vital Signs - Chinook Salmon
• Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration Fund
• Long Live the Kings
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada – Species At Risk Act and Pacific Salmon
• Canada’s Species at Risk public registry – Chinook salmon
• Washington Recreation and Conservation Office - Lead entities for salmon recovery
• Keep streams shaded. Trees and native vegetation along shorelines keep the water cool for fish and help stabilize the banks from erosion. Help protect these types of areas in your community and watch for stream restoration projects and opportunities.
• Keep litter and trash out of streams. Trash can pile up on logs, sticks and other debris and block water flow. Summer is the best time for in-stream cleanup to reduce impacts to key salmon life-cycle stages that typically occur in spring and fall.
• Help protect natural shorelines, wetlands and floodplains in your community. These habitats are extremely valuable to both salmon and people.
• Look for sustainably-harvested salmon at your local supermarket or favorite restaurant. When fishing, be aware of relevant local and national regulations that may restrict what species or amounts you can take.
• Get to know your local watershed group and volunteer to get involved.

• Salish Sea Report Home
• Executive Summary
• About This Report
• Air Quality
• Freshwater Quality
• Marine Species at Risk
• Marine Water Quality
• Shellfish Beaches
• Southern Resident Killer Whales
• Stream Flow
• Swimming Beaches
• Toxics in the Food Web
• Acknowledgements

Klamath Chinook Salmon

Chinook salmon are one of seven salmon species native to the Pacific Ocean. Chinook salmon vary in size and age of maturation, with smaller size related to longer distance migration, earlier timing of river entry, and cessation of feeding prior to spawning. Young Chinook, known as fry and fingerlings, are 30-45 mm and 50-120 mm in fork length respectively. Chinook salmon mature at 30 pounds and 36 inches and are the largest of the Pacific salmon species; many adults exceed 40 pounds. As length corresponds to age, two year-old adults tend to be around 40 centimeters long, and six year-old adults often measure one meter in length.

Chinook salmon have a different appearance depending on location and lifecycle. In fresh water, juvenile Chinook are camouflaged by silver flanks with parr marks (darker vertical bars or spots) on the back, dorsal fin, and both lobes of the tail fin. Chinook also have black coloring along the gum line, making the mouth appear black.

Why does it need our help?

The spring run component of the Upper Klamath-Trinity Rivers ESU has seen dramatic declines from historic levels and is in danger of becoming extinct in the foreseeable future. Most known spring run populations have been extirpated and the few runs that do still exist have undergone severe declines, are small in size and many are overrun by hatchery fish, leaving the spring run at immediate risk of extinction. Several human caused and naturally occurring threats have led to the precarious status of spring run Chinook in the Klamath Basin, necessitating their protection under the Endangered Species Act.

In June 2021 the California Fish and Game Commission announced their unanimous decision to list the Klamath-Trinity River spring chinook salmon as an endangered species under the California Endangered Species Act. 

Want regular news on our efforts to protect Oregon's imperiled wildlife, and what you can do to help? Sign up for our monthly Wolves and Wildlife Newsletter!

Did you know?

• Spring chinook salmon in the Klamath Basin once numbered over 100,000 but there are now fewer than a few thousand today (see chart below).
• Another name for chinook salmon is King salmon.
• Hundreds of miles of chinook spawning habitat are blocked by antiquated Klamath River dams.
• In September of 2002, 70,000 chinook salmon were killed in the Klamath River following a disease outbreak caused by excessive water diversions for agriculture. It was the worst fish kill in West Coast history.

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Science & Environment

Study: chinook salmon are key to northwest orcas all year, a new study from federal researchers provides the most detailed look yet at what the pacific northwest’s endangered orcas eat.

For more than a decade, Brad Hanson and other researchers have tailed the Pacific Northwest’s endangered killer whales in a hard-sided inflatable boat, leaning over the edge with a standard pool skimmer to collect clues to their diet: bits of orca poop floating on the water, or fish scales sparkling just below the surface.

Their work established years ago that the whales depend heavily on depleted runs of Chinook, the largest and fattiest of Pacific salmon species, when they forage in the summer in the inland waters between Washington state and British Columbia.

But a new paper from Hanson and others at the NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center provides the first real look at what the whales eat the rest of the year, when they cruise the outer Pacific Coast — data that reaffirms the central importance of Chinook to the whales and the importance of recovering Chinook populations to save the beloved mammals.

By analyzing the DNA of orca feces as well as salmon scales and other remains after the whales have devoured the fish, the researchers demonstrated that the while the whales sometimes eat other species, including halibut, lingcod and steelhead, they depend most on Chinook. And they consumed the big salmon from a wide range of sources — from those that spawn in California's Sacramento River all the way to the Taku River in northern British Columbia.

A young resident killer whale chases a chinook salmon in the Salish Sea near San Juan Island, Washington, in September 2017.

Oregon State University/Flickr

“Having the data in hand that they're taking fish from this huge swath of watershed across western North America was pretty amazing,” Hanson, the study's lead researcher, said Wednesday. “We have to have hard data on what these whales are actually doing.”

There are officially 74 whales in the three groups of endangered orcas, known as the J, K and L pods of the southern resident killer whales. Three calves have been born since September, but those are not yet reflected in the count because only about half of the babies survive their first year.

Facing a dearth of prey, contaminants that accumulate in their blubber, and vessel noise that hinders their hunting, the whales are at their lowest numbers since the 1970s, when hundreds were captured — and more than 50 were kept — for aquarium display. Scientists warn the population is on the brink of extinction.

The paper, published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One, suggests that efforts to make Chinook more abundant off the coast in the non-summer months could especially pay off, and that Columbia River Chinook hatchery stocks are among the most important for the whales. It also suggests that increasing the numbers of non-salmon species could help fill the gaps for the whales when Chinook aren't available in the open ocean.

NOAA has already used some of the data, which has been available internally as scientists awaited the study's publication, in proposing what areas to designate as critical habitat for the whales. Officials could use it in prioritizing certain habitat restoration efforts or in timing hatchery production of salmon to best benefit the whales, said co-author Lynne Barre of the National Marine Fisheries Service's Protected Resource Division.

The information could also be key in setting limits for fisheries; the Pacific Fisheries Management Council has recommended that NOAA curtail fishing if Chinook abundance is forecast to drop below a certain level.

The researchers encountered the whales 156 times from 2004 to 2017, with most of the fecal and prey samples from the outer coast being collected in 2013 and 2015 — when the whales were easier to find because they were satellite tagged. There were big runs of Chinook those years, which might have been reflected in their findings; since then, Chinook numbers have fallen up and down the coast due to drought in California and warmer ocean conditions.

In the summer, when the whales forage in the inland waters of the Salish Sea, their diet is almost entirely Chinook — mostly those that return to spawn in Canada’s Fraser River, the paper said. By September, as coho salmon return to spawn in the region's rivers, they make up about half of the orcas’ diet, with a mix of Chinook, chum and coho providing sustenance through the fall.

In the winter, when the whales spend more time on the outer coast, they turn to non-salmon species, apparently because Chinook are more spread out and harder to find.

Barre said it may be surprising that the orcas focus so much on Chinook when there are so many other fish in the sea, but research has also suggested that the whales might target them because the nutritional value of the big, fatty fish is worth the calories burned catching them.

“It would certainly make our lives easier if they were eating a lot more of the other things that are available,” she said.

OPB’s First Look newsletter

Related stories, another calf born to endangered northwest orcas.

Whale researchers say another calf has been born to the endangered Southern Resident orcas of the Salish Sea

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Fish as seen in saltwater.

Chinook are the largest Pacific salmon and can weigh over 100 lbs. But on average, Chinook hit the scales at about 30 lbs. They’re long and heavy, in the range of 40 to 60 inches at maturity.

Tipping the Scales

The largest Chinook on record was a 126-pound specimen caught in a fish trap near Petersburg, Alaska in 1949. Sportfishers also caught a 97-pounder in the Kenai River in 1986. They are more abundant in North America than in Asia, and they can be found as far north as Alaska and as far south as Nevada.

Their flesh pigmentation varies widely, from deep pinks and reds to creamy white.

Spotting a Chinook

One of the nicknames for Chinook salmon is “blackmouth”, earned from gumlines that look painted with black pigment. When not spawning, they appear blue-green with silvery sides, and they have black spotting on their backs and dorsal fins and on both lobes of their tail fin.

When they are spawning, their colour goes richer, from deep red to coppery-black.

Habits and Habitat

Chinook often prefer larger river systems for their freshwater stays, but they can also be found in small tributaries and headwaters. They are famous for their strong swimming endurance and for the fantastic leaps they make when migrating. Chinook vary in their migratory habits, with some displaying a strong urge to move oceanward within weeks of hatching. Others are content to remain in freshwater for up to two winters.

Other Facts About Chinook:

• With long lifespans compared to other Pacific salmon, some Chinook remain in the ocean for more than five years before returning to their natal spawning grounds. They can be found in rivers throughout the year, but there is a seasonal peak from May to September.
• Chinook, as adults, vary greatly in size, as they can become mature adults (i.e., able to spawn) anywhere from the time they are two to seven years of age.

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Chinook salmon

The Chinook salmon is the largest of the Pacific salmon species and can reach upwards of 50 pound, though 10 to 25 pounds is more common. It's also known as a king salmon and is Oregon's state fish.

Features: While in the ocean, Chinook salmon often have a purple hue to their backs with silvery sides and bellies, large oblong black spots on the back , and round black spots on both lobes of the tail (note that tail spotting may be obscured in ocean fish by “silver” in the tail) . Upon returning to freshwater to spawn, Chinook darken in color and develop red on their bellies and fins. A key identifier is the black gum line on the lower jaw with dark colors both inside and outside of the gum line . Spawning generally occurs from August to early November for spring Chinook and from October to early March for fall Chinook.

Habitat: Juvenile Chinook will stay in freshwater for the first few months to couple of years of their lives. Afterwards, they will migrate to the Pacific to feed and grow to a size where they can make the trip back inland to spawn in their natal streams. They require clean, well-oxygenated freshwater to spawn. All adults die within two weeks after spawning.

Technique: Chinook can be caught by anglers both on boats and on shore. Using spinners or baiting with shrimp or anchovies is a safe bet in rivers . When fishing the ocean going deep with spoons, imitation squid or a whole herring or anchovy behind an attractor such as a dodger is usually the most productive method.

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Hail to the King: How to Catch Chinook Salmon

Twenty commercial salmon fishermens' heads turned in unison away from the beach bonfire toward the loud splash like so many dogs hearing a squirrel. The tide had risen steadily up the adjacent creek mouth as we reveled under the midnight sun, and something big had just jumped.

“Was that a seal?” Podge asked.

“I saw it flash red,” Michael responded.

My 8-weight was still strung and leaning against the truck from harassing Dolly Varden earlier. I strolled over, hauled line, and launched a gaudy pink streamer across the outflow. I stripped it back in without interruption. The next cast I let sink a little longer before pulsing the fly. The line came tight in my hand then ripped free. The small crowd of seiner crewmen and women heard my drag shriek and began wandering over to watch the show.

Heavy is the Head that Wears the Crown Of the six species of salmon present in the Pacific Ocean (Chinook/king, coho/silver, dog/chum, sockeye/red, pink/humpback, masu/cherry), Oncorhynchus tshawytscha grows largest by several magnitudes. While chum and coho have been recorded into the mid-30-pound range, that size barely turns heads in many prominent Chinook fisheries. The current Chinook IGFA rod-and-reel record rests at 97 pounds, but fish breaking the 100-pound mark have emerged from commercial gear as well.

Named for the Chinookan Tribe that traditionally resided near the mouth of the Columbia River, these important food fish are native along the Pacific Coast from Southern California and beyond the Arctic Circle in Alaska, as well as coastal areas of the Russia Far East and Japan’s northern islands. They penetrate deep into the interior of North American via massive rivers like the Yukon and Snake, reaching over a thousand miles into Central Idaho and the Yukon Territory. Chinook once spawned all the way into Nevada before construction of the Hell’s Canyon Dams. They have also been successfully introduced in New Zealand, Chile, the Great Lakes, and many other large waterbodies in the U.S. and Canada.

As anadromous salmonids, Chinook are born in the gravel of freshwater rivers and creeks where they mature for a year or more before travelling downstream to the ocean (or a pseudo-ocean like Lake Superior ). With the abundance of marine nutrients, they grow large and travel thousands of miles through the North Pacific for one to eight years before (usually) returning the river in which they were born. Re-entering freshwater, king salmon’s appearance shifts from their pelagic purple-silver hue to darker red or brown color, their jaws lengthen, and teeth express. Like all Pacific salmon, they die after spawning, recycling their bodies to nourish the freshwater stream and their progeny growing up in it.

How to Catch Chinook in Saltwater and Big Lakes Kings are somewhat less school-oriented than their close cousins, but certain stocks do seem to arrive together at relatively predictable times. Many major rivers have more than one run of kings, often including springers, summers, and fall fish. Native tribes built their calendars around these rhythms.

Several areas, such as Alaska’s Kodiak Island and Washington and British Columbia’s Salish Sea, historically enjoyed nearly year-round Chinook seasons by pursuing winter “blackmouth” or immature Chinook of five to 25 pounds, a smaller portion of the population that remains resident to these waters instead of journeying out to the North Pacific. Blackmouth fisheries are still popular due to the aggressive nature of these fish, but the seasons are increasingly shortened due to conservation concerns.

Being in the right place at the right time is critical with open water Chinook. Luckily, however, that timing and location is rarely a secret since these fish attract so much attention, both for their sporting and eating qualities . You should be able to ascertain the run timing of a given area from local tackle shops, newspapers, or just by observing the mob of boats heading out.

As they come out of the open ocean and into nearshore bays, sounds, and river deltas, kings can be anywhere in the water column but they’re usually near the bottom, with variation depending on the spot, availability of bait, and stage of migration. Successful salmon anglers usually target points, humps, and shelves where kings most often will hold to encounter bait like squid, herring, anchovies, and candlefish. They’ll sometimes push those baitfish into a frenzy ball and follow it up to mid-water, the shore, or even the surface—often indicated by diving birds. But, for the sake of introduction, kings will be on or near the bottom unless your sonar says otherwise. Good electronics and the knowledge to use them can make or break saltwater salmon fishing.

Still, there is a general pattern worth noting: Pacific Ocean Chinook are typically suspended in the water column chasing herring and anchovy schools over depths ranging from 300-feet-plus miles offshore to 50 feet or less just outside kelp beds and breaking waves in iconic places like Southeast Alaska, Nootka Sound, B.C., and Cape Flattery, Washington.

As spring turns to summer and Chinook begin to nose inland, they’re often found feeding on sandlance (candlefish) tight to underwater banks and eel grass flats. In these situations, bouncing smaller spoons, baits, or jigs off the bottom in 80 to 150 feet of water can be exceptionally effective. Similar techniques work consistently for blackmouth.

Later in summer, Chinook will start to stage in anticipation of fall rains, suspending in the water column again and feeding intermittently on clouds of larger herring and squid. This is where hoochies, plugs, Superbaits, and larger, gaudier presentations shine. Although weather, tide, and light conditions can have a big impact on the bite—especially closer to estuaries like the Columbia River mouth and Sacramento Bay—as these salmon now have spawning on the brain.

Trolling Far and away the most common and productive way to catch Chinook is by dragging gear behind a moving boat, often employing downriggers to get your tackle down 100 feet or more to where they’re hanging. Downriggers are like a separate, very heavy-duty rod and reel attached to the stern of the vessel and strung with cable and a large lead weight, often 10 or 15 pounds, which you attach with a release clip to the line of your normal rod and reel. The angler then descends all the gear in tandem toward the bottom. When a fish strikes, the line pulls free from the release clip and you can fight the fish and bring in the downrigger ball separately. Some anglers use other diving mechanisms to get their troll gear down, such as Dipsy Divers , deep-diving plugs, or just a lot of in-line weight.

“If I had to pick two depths where I consistently set my downriggers to the start the day, it would be one at 90 feet and the other around 120, or right above the bottom,” said Chase Gunnell, a lifelong salmon angler and spokesman for Conservation Northwest who keeps a boat on Puget Sound. “From Neah Bay to Seattle and Southeast Alaska, those numbers work for me. I tend to run a spoon on the deep rod on a longer leader, with a hoochie squid or Ace Hi trolling fly on the shallower rod, switching both to whatever gear and depth is working once the bite turns on.”

Flashers and dodgers , oblong 8- to 16-inch pieces of flashy plastic or metal respectively, are common components of trolling rigs for kings. They throw off a lot of flash and vibration that attracts salmon and provides a lot of action to your terminal gear.

There’s an almost-endless array of terminal lures and baits that have and will catch kings. Where I’m from in western Washington the standards are Hoochie Squid , Kingfisher or Coyote spoons that imitate herring; Coho Killer or Wee Gee spoons that look like candlefish; or plug-cut herring. I’ve also seen wiggling plugs, spinners, and a variety of different bait-holding mechanisms employed in the Great Lakes and Alaska. Popular colors include green, chartreuse, black, white, orange, and pink. It’s really a matter of experimentation and personal preference. The most popular color of all is “Herring Aid,” a mix of black, blue, and chartreuse offered by a number of tackle makers. Kings are not often exceptionally picky while they’re chowing down in preparation for the long run up the river.

Jigging and Mooching My father reached a point recently where he’d untangled enough downrigger cables braided into monofilament from wild tidal currents or sharp turns. He swore off downrigger fishing and now intends to only target kings with a straight line to a lure or bait. Can’t say I blame him.

One of the oldest and most effective methods for Chinook is what’s known as “mooching.” You’d be excused for not hearing of it until now. It involves dropping a big banana sinker to the bottom with a leader of 4 to 8 feet to double hooks rigged with a whole or plug-cut herring or other local baitfish. Anglers then drift on the current through likely areas around humps, rockpiles, and points. Simple but deadly.

Similarly, jigging just like you might do for walleye or lake trout can be very productive for Chinook. The gold standard in my mind is the venerable Point Wilson Dart , but my partiality may derive from the fact that I grew up fishing in the lee of Point Wilson itself. Crippled Herring , Buzz Bombs , Butterfly jigs, and even bucktails can do damage where the current is slow enough to get them to the bottom. A 20-pound king smashing a jig like a freight train is inarguably more exhilarating than seeing a downrigger rod pop up in the holder.

“Mooching is my absolute favorite way to fish for Chinook,” Gunnell said. “There’s something so special about fishing the same way that my dad, grandfather and great grandfather did, no downriggers, flashers or complicated gear, just weight and bait. And once you learn where and when to fish, mooching can be just as effective as more modern techniques.”

Gunnell said that an important element to keep in mind is that mooching is best with a little line angle while drifting in the current or wind, holding with your motor. You need to let the fish chew on the bait before coming tight, he says.

“Vertical jigging on the other hand should be done with as little angle as possible, keeping your line nearly straight so you can feel the take and set the hook,” he said. “The bite will almost always come as the jig flutters on the drop, and you need be ready.”

How to Catch Chinook in Rivers and Deltas For those without a seaworthy vessel or just hoping to use the natural advantage of a bottleneck, streams and their mouths are excellent places to intercept migrating salmon.

Like most salmon, however, Chinook stop actively feeding once they go through the metamorphosis required to transition back into living and breathing in freshwater. They may remain hungry and grabby in the estuary or lower tidal reaches of a stream, but often become increasingly difficult to tempt the further upstream they travel. That is by no means to say that they won’t absolutely annihilate a fly or spinner, just that such a take is more likely out of aggression or territorialism than actual food consumption.

Chinook are big, bulky fish, which is all the more evident once they’re in smaller waters. While they will travel up shallower inside bends, they’ll often hole up in the deepest spots in a river—plunge pools, log jams, deep back eddies. They’ll aggregate in these “salmon holes,” which you can often identify with relative ease because kings love to jump and roll on the surface every now and then. There are a million ways to catch them, but I’ll try to break down the basics.

Lure Fishing I wouldn’t be at all surprised to know that the Blue Fox Vibrax Spinner is the leading cause of untimely death for king salmon in the state of Alaska. The slow thump and pulse of a spinning piece of metal is as deadly an attractant as any. Numerous other spinners work well, as do large spoons like B.C. Steel or RVRFSHR . You can swing such hardware down and across the current or work it slowly across stagnant eddies where kings pile up. The rule of thumb is to work these lures as deep and slow as possible, only fast enough to make the blade turn over.

“Chinook seem especially partial to purple, blue, and brass-colored spinners, though black and green can be effective fallbacks as the sun gets higher or water gets slower and clearer,” Gunnell said.

Boats are advantageous for accessing kings in rivers, and certain techniques rely on a floating device. In larger, lower rivers the same trolling and jigging techniques discussed above can be useful. Many anglers like to back-troll diving plugs like Hotshots , Kwikfish , and Flatfish both in tidewater and higher in river basins. This technique is performed by running the plugs off the bow of drift boat or raft (or stern of a jet boat) and rowing or motoring against the current while slowly backing the plugs down through likely holding water. These plugs are often dressed with a strip of herring or scent to draw in salmon.

One other method that has grown popular in recent years is twitching jigs for kings. Much like bass fishing with plastics, you cast a jig head with a hoochie skirt or twister tail threaded on the hook shank and slowly twitch or hop it back along the bottom. This can produce strikes from even the most lock-jawed Chinook.

Bait Fishing Kings are very scent-oriented and there may be nothing they like more than cured salmon eggs. I’ve heard it postulated that eating eggs may be an adaptation to reduce genetic competition, but it could just be a simple snack for extra calories on their upstream swim. Cured and colored shrimp are a close second in popularity, providing a much more durable and castable attractant than eggs.

Salmon eggs can be cured, contained, and presented in a myriad of ways. Some folks use Borax, some use salt, some use red Jell-O. Some wrap them in thin mesh spawn sacks while others trim egg skeins into quarter-sized chunks. You can deliver your eggs to the fish based on the situation—suspended under a slip float through slower water, side-drifting through heavy current behind a stick of pencil lead, or free-lined weightless in finesse situations. Back-bouncing on the bottom with a lot of weight as a driftboat works through deep pockets can seduce hunkered-down kings.

Among the more relaxing and efficient styles of bait fishing for them involves using a big pyramid sinker with a leader to a spin-n-glo and double snell rig with a gob of worms. You cast the rig, get the weight to settle in a likely travelling lane, post the rod in a shore spike holder or forked stick, sit back, and wait. It’s called “plunking” and it’s equal parts redneck and refined.

Fly Fishing Where you can get close enough and deep enough to lay a fly before the king, it works almost as well as any other method. There’s something about the pulse and wiggle of marabou, rabbit fur, and other natural materials that must evoke squid, shrimp, or other oceanic forage. Likely the most popular fly angling tactic is swinging across the current with a heavy Spey rod and a large, bulky fly like an Intruder . But certain situations can dictate the need for nymphing egg patterns through deep runs or stripping streamers through slow or tidal waters for more active fish. A one-to-one gear ratio fly reel may be the best way to experience the sheer strength of the world’s largest salmonid.

Long Live the King Chinook salmon are experiencing long-term decline throughout much of their native range. Dams , culverts , deforestation , overfishing, increased predator abundance , hatcheries, fish farms , adverse ocean conditions, climate change, and countless other factors may play roles in individual stock health. New distinct populations segments are proposed for Endangered Species Act listing in the U.S. every year. But there are bright spots and annual fluctuations, so it’s incumbent on each individual angler to not only know the regulations and restrictions but carry a measure of stewardship with them to the king water every day of the run. Chinook taste better than almost any other meat on Earth, yet it’s often more satisfying to release a wild fish to bring on the next generation than to put it in the cooler.

“Chinook are undoubtedly the most iconic fish across the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, but these days we can’t take them for granted,” Gunnell said. “Anglers and others passionate about these fish should get involved with conservation groups working on their behalf, especially efforts to recover freshwater spawning areas through on-the-ground restoration projects and policies to responsibly limit development in salmon habitat; as habitat loss is the biggest barrier to West Coast salmon recovery today.”

As my commercial fishing friends filtered from the bonfire to the beach that summer night outside Cordova, we all soon acknowledged that it must be a Chinook at the end of my ever-extending line reaching from the backing out into the bay. Nothing else fights like that. Eventually, worn under the strain of dragging so much thick fly line through the floating eel grass and saltwater, the fish began to pendulum swing back toward shore as I diligently cranked on the underpowered reel and rod. After nearly a half-hour we trapped the fish in the shallows, hoisted it for a photo, and sent it on its royal way. It’s always an honor to be graced by the king’s presence.

Feature image via Tosh Brown

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Chinook Salmon

Description of the chinook salmon, size and physical characteristics, geographic distribution, diet and feeding habits, fishing for chinook salmon.

Once hooked, Chinook Salmon are renowned for their vigorous fight, often characterized by forceful runs and high-energy jumps. The strategies needed to reel in a Chinook Salmon successfully demand a combination of patience, skill, and often the assistance of a net, given the considerable size and strength of these fish.

The Chinook Salmon, with its majestic stature, cultural significance, and exhilarating fight, holds a captivating position among the Pacific salmon species. While we delight in the challenge of fishing for these formidable creatures, it’s crucial to remember the importance of sustainable fishing practices. These practices ensure the preservation and health of Chinook Salmon populations, allowing future generations to marvel at, learn from, and enjoy this magnificent species.

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6 Tips for the Spring Columbia River Salmon Season

By Debbie Hanson

Apr 01, 2024

Tips that cover spring Columbia River salmon season, including where to fish, what tackle to use, what to know about regulations, bank fishing access points

Check out six basic tips for Columbia River spring salmon fishing:

1. Chinook Salmon season typically starts in March. For information on season dates and regulations, check with the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife and the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. Season dates and regulations can change often.

2. Spring-run Chinook Salmon are often referred to as “springers.” Spring-run Chinook or “springers” often migrate closer to shore than summer- and fall-run salmon , which makes them easier to target from shore.

3. While many anglers target spring-run Chinook salmon on the Columbia River from a boat, you can also find bank access at a number of parks and beaches in Oregon. Look into bank access at Chinook Landing Marine Park, Prescott Beach County Park, Social Security Beach, and Kelley Point Park.

4. The best tackle and gear to use when targeting Chinook salmon from the bank or shoreline depends on the fishing technique, but a good general set-up would include a 9 to 10 foot surf rod rated for 15-30 pound line. Some of the most frequently used baits by bank anglers when targeting Chinook are salmon eggs and coon shrimp.

5. When it comes to the best places to fish for spring salmon on the Columbia River by boat, research spots near Bonneville Dam, Buoy 10, and Hanford Reach.

6. Backtrolling with diving plugs (technique where plugs are put out behind the boat into the current) and back-bouncing rigs (such as herring, sardines, and anchovies) along the bottom are two of the most popular techniques for Columbia River spring salmon fishing. When targeting Chinook, these lures and plugs are often soaked in tuna scent or wrapped with baitfish.

Now that you know a few basic tips that you can use for spring Columbia River salmon season , check the updated Chinook salmon regulations, and put these tips to the test.

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Idaho Fish and Game

Chinook salmon in idaho.

Chinook salmon, also known as king salmon, grow to be the largest salmon. Chinook salmon are considered spring, summer, or fall runs, depending on when the adults leave the ocean.

Spring and summer Chinook spawn in tributary streams to the Clearwater and Salmon rivers during August and September. Young spring and summer Chinook live for a year in Idaho streams before migrating to the ocean in April and May. In the ocean they move northward along the coast to the Gulf of Alaska. Chinook spend 1-5 years at sea, although most only spend 2 or 3 years there.

Fall Chinook spawn in the main stem Clearwater, Salmon and Snake rivers during October and November. Young fall Chinook live in their rivers for a few months to a year before migrating to the ocean. They don’t travel as far in the ocean and live near the coast.

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Fishing moratorium on Yukon River chinook may be 'too little, too late,' panel hears

New agreement to halt chinook fishing in yukon and alaska for 7 years drives debate at yukon river panel.

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A new international agreement on chinook salmon stoked at times emotional debate at the Yukon River Panel meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, this week, and while many appeared to approve of the pact, others seemed to cast doubts. 

Duane Aucoin, a member of the Teslin Tlingit Council in the Yukon, said it's taken the collapse of the chinook population to finally do something, but the natural world doesn't work that way. 

"One thing we're afraid of is, is this too little, too late?" he said.

"Western policies, Western politics, Western science is what helped get us into this crisis, into this mess. Traditional knowledge will help get us out."

Signed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the State of Alaska recently, the seven-year agreement sets a new conservation target of 71,000 Canadian-origin Yukon River chinook at the international border. One aspect of the accord that's drawing a lot of attention so far is a fishing moratorium, which, among other things, affects the commercial fishery, long suspected of having an outsized impact on chinook.

Last year, roughly 15,000 fish crossed the border into Canada, far below the former conservation target of at least 42,500 chinook. This season, run size could be even smaller. The latest point estimate of the panel's joint technical committee is 13,000 chinook at the border.

Driving much discussion at this week's meeting is a clause in the agreement that raises the prospect of subsistence and ceremonial harvest, if the species rebounds to the degree that the new conservation target is exceeded. 

'Far greater' than new conservation target

Steve Gotch, the Canadian chair of the Yukon River Panel — a Canada/Alaska advisory body on salmon management — said to allow for ceremonial or subsistence harvest under the agreement, the number needs to be "far greater" than 71,000 chinook at the Pilot Station sonar, located near the mouth of the river in Alaska, to account for things like on-route mortality.

"It's probably more in the realm of 90,000 or, if not, 100,000," said Gotch, who's also a senior regional director with DFO in the Yukon.

According to a 2022 report from DFO , 10,000 chinook are required to meet Yukon First Nations' subsistence needs.

Panel chairs said this week the goal is to maintain cultural connections while work is underway to rebuild the population.

"Is it going to provide for all Alaskan or Canadian cultural and traditional practices? No, we don't have the fish at this moment, but we do want to look into and explore ways by engaging with those that maintain the knowledge and traditions of their cultures on how we can try and provide for some of that connection to these fish," said U.S. panel chair John Linderman.

"It's safe to say there's more to come, on both sides of the border."

The agreement on chinook hasn't yet been implemented. The Canadian and Alaska governments say that over the coming months they will work with Indigenous nations on that.

'Every fish counts'

Some question how the moratorium could affect cultural harvests.

One Alaska Native panel member said she doubts the agreement will uphold Indigenous rights to fish. 

"I don't trust that this agreement will protect those ceremonial uses to the degree that's necessary," said Rhonda Pitka, of Beaver, Alaska. "We've had great losses in our region over the last several years and we haven't had any fish at those potlatches to give."

Pauline Frost, a panel member and chief of the Vuntut Gwitchin Government in the Yukon, said the agreement will only work if everyone does their part along the whole length of the river. If that happens, she said everyone will benefit.

"We have to be consistent in how we manage these resources from here on. Every fish counts," she said.

"Because in seven years I don't want to be back at this table talking about a species at risk — because that's a conversation we will have if we don't take drastic action and remove the distrust."

Duane Aucoin of the Teslin Tlingit Council said chinook aren't just facing pressure from fishing in Alaska, and said he's concerned about how the moratorium will be enforced.

"We're also impacted by fishing that goes on on the Yukon side, by even some Yukon First Nation members, who refuse to stop fishing because they say it's their right," he said. 

"There can be no rights without responsibility."

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Nika Silverfox-Young, a member of the Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation in the Yukon, said she yearns to know how to prepare fish — the traditional way. She wants to be able to pass on those skills to the next generation.

"The loss of salmon is catastrophic to my people and to my Yukon," Silverfox-Young told the panel meeting.

"Now our fish camps are empty, a former shell of what once was great. The ghosts of generations of salmon swim through my nets now. If we do not act immediately, the salmon that swim in our DNA will go to sleep forever.

"To stave off my fears, as well as the youths, we need to bring them home to their streams, where our children of tomorrow can continue our traditions and thrive along with our fish."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julien Gignac is a reporter for CBC Yukon. He can be reached at [email protected].

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Chinook Salmon

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Fishing Status

Quick facts.

Spring Chinook Salmon. Credit: Michael Humling, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

About the Species

U.S. wild-caught Chinook salmon is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.

NOAA Fisheries works in cooperation with federal, state, tribal, and Canadian officials to manage these commercial, recreational, and tribal harvest of salmon and steelhead in ocean and inland waters of the West Coast and Alaska. To learn more about management of these fisheries, visit our West Coast and Alaska fisheries management pages.

However, some Chinook salmon are also protected under the Endangered Species Act. Learn more about protected Chinook salmon.

• When they’re in the ocean, Chinook salmon are blue-green on the back and top of the head with silvery sides and white bellies.
• They have black spots on the upper half of the body and on both lobes of the tail fin.
• Chinook salmon also have a black pigment along the gum line, thus the nickname "blackmouth."
• In fresh water, when they are about to spawn, Chinook change to olive brown, red, or purplish. This color change is particularly evident in males.
• Spawning adult males can be distinguished by their hooked upper jaw.
• Females can be distinguished by a torpedo-shaped body, robust mid-section, and blunt nose.
• Juveniles in fresh water (fry) have well-developed parr marks on their sides (the pattern of vertical bars and spots useful for camouflage).
• Before juveniles migrate to the sea, they lose their parr marks and gain the dark back and light belly characteristic of fish living in open water.
• Chinook salmon are anadromous—they hatch in freshwater streams and rivers then migrate out to the saltwater environment of the ocean to feed and grow.
• Chinook salmon are the largest of the Pacific salmon, hence the name “king salmon.”
• They can grow as long as 4.9 feet and up to 129 pounds, but typical length and weight of mature fish are about 3 feet and 30 pounds.
• They spend a few years feeding in the ocean, then return to their natal streams or rivers to spawn, generally in summer or early fall.
• Chinook salmon sexually mature between the ages of 2 and 7 but are typically 3 or 4 years old when they return to spawn.
• Chinook dig out gravel nests (redds) on stream bottoms where they lay their eggs.
• All Chinook salmon die after spawning.
• Young Chinook salmon feed on terrestrial and aquatic insects, amphipods, and other crustaceans.
• Older Chinook primarily feed on other fish.
• Fish (such as whiting and mackerel) and birds eat juvenile Chinook salmon.
• Marine mammals, such as orcas and sea lions, and sharks eat adult salmon.
• Salmon are also primary prey for Southern Resident killer whales, an endangered species.
• After salmon spawn and die, salmon carcasses are a valuable source of energy and nutrients to the river ecosystem. Carcasses have been shown to improve newly hatched salmon growth and survival by contributing nitrogen and phosphorous compounds to streams.

Where They Live

• In North America, Chinook salmon range from the Monterey Bay area of California to the Chukchi Sea area of Alaska. 
• Chinook salmon spend their early life growing and feeding in freshwater streams, estuaries, and associated wetlands.
• They spend the remainder of their life foraging in the ocean before returning to the streams and tributaries where they were born to spawn.

Scientific Classification

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 12/22/2023

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Related species.

Chum Salmon

Coho Salmon

Pink Salmon

Sockeye Salmon

Seafood facts.

Is Chinook Salmon Sustainable?

Although some Chinook populations are below target levels, U.S. wild-caught Chinook salmon is a smart seafood choice because they are sustainably managed with careful consideration given to impacts on endangered and threatened species.

Availability

Fresh mainly in the summer and early fall, though the timing varies by area and fishery. Frozen year-round.

U.S. wild-caught from Alaska to California.

Chinook salmon has a pronounced buttery, rich taste. They are the most highly prized salmon in the culinary world. White Chinook taste the same as the darker variety.

Oily, flaky, and meaty.

The meat is almost always red, never pink, except for the rare white-meat variety.

Health Benefits

Chinook salmon is low in sodium and is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, niacin, vitamin B12, and selenium.

Nutrition Facts

More information.

• Sustainable Seafood

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Population status.

There are numerous stocks of Chinook salmon.

• In Alaska, the status of Chinook salmon stocks varies.
• Some stocks are in decline, while others are steady or increasing.
• None are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) .
• According to the 2021 stock assessment, the Eastern North Pacific Far North Migrating stock is not overfished and not subject to overfishing.  Summary stock assessment information can be found on  Stock SMART.
• The status of Chinook stocks in California and the Pacific Northwest varies.
• As of 2022, two populations  of Chinook salmon are listed as endangered, and seven are listed as threatened under the ESA.
• According to the 2023 stock assessment, the Klamath River Fall stock is overfished, but not subject to overfishing. According to the 2023 stock assessment, the Queets Spring/Summer stock is overfished, but the overfishing status is unknown. The remaining stocks are not overfished and not subject to overfishing.  Summary 2023 stock assessment information for all West Coast Chinook salmon stocks can be found on Stock SMART .
• Changes in ocean and climatic conditions.
• Habitat loss from dam construction and urban development.
• Degraded water quality from agricultural and logging practices.
• Captive-rearing in hatcheries.
• Removal and modification of dams that obstruct salmon migration.
• Restoration of degraded habitat.
• Acquisition of key habitat.
• Improvements to water quality and instream flow.
• The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund supports the restoration of salmon species.

Fishery Management

• NOAA Fisheries and the Pacific Fishery Management Council manage Chinook salmon on the West Coast.
• Every year, the council reviews reports of the previous fishing season and current estimates of salmon abundance. Using this information, they make recommendations for management of the upcoming fishing season.
• Their general goal is to allow fishermen to harvest the maximum amount of salmon that will support the fishery while preventing overharvest of the resource and ensuring that salmon populations with low abundance can rebuild.
• Specific management measures vary year to year depending on current salmon abundance, and include size limits, season length, quotas, and gear restrictions.
• Management of Chinook salmon must also comply with laws such as the Endangered Species Act . One of the threats to recovery of endangered Southern Resident killer whales on the West Coast is the availability of their preferred prey, Chinook salmon. Every year the fishery management council considers the prey needs of this endangered population before setting commercial fishing catch limits for Chinook. Read more
• Final recommendations are implemented by NOAA Fisheries. Check here for the current season’s management. State and tribal managers use council management recommendations to shape their policies for inland fisheries, to ensure that conservation objectives are met.
• A rebuilding plan to rebuild the Klamath River Fall Chinook stock to the target population level is in place with a target date of 2021.
• NOAA Fisheries and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council manage Chinook salmon in Alaska. 
• Managers regulate the fishery based on escapement goals  to ensure harvests are sustainable. They want enough salmon to be able to escape the fishery and return to fresh water to spawn and replenish the population.
• Salmon fishery management largely relies on in-season assessment of how many salmon return to fresh water to spawn.
• Managers set harvest levels based on these returns. When abundance is high and the number of fish returning is much higher than that needed to meet escapement goals, harvest levels are set higher.
• In years of low abundance, harvest levels are lowered.
• During the fishing season, scientists monitor catch and escapement, comparing current returns with those from previous years, to keep an eye on abundance and actively manage the fishery.
• Off the West Coast and in Alaska, the Pacific Salmon Treaty and the Pacific Salmon Commission  help coordinate management, research, and enhancement of shared U.S. and international salmon stocks, including Chinook.
• In 2022, U.S. commercial landings of Chinook salmon totaled 11 million pounds and were valued at $51.3 million, according to the NOAA Fisheries commercial fishing landings database .
• Most of the Chinook in the U.S. market comes from U.S. and Canadian fisheries.
• Chinook salmon are harvested using a variety of gear types.
• Troll vessels catch salmon by "trolling" their lines with bait or lures through groups of feeding fish.
• To retrieve hooked fish, the lines are wound on spools by hand or hydraulically, and the fish are pulled aboard when alongside the vessel.
• The troll fishery produces low-volume, high-quality product.
• Chinook are also harvested in commercial seine and gillnet fisheries (described here ), both in fisheries targeting stocks of Chinook and as bycatch in fisheries targeting other species of salmon.
• Fishing gear used to catch Chinook salmon rarely contacts the ocean floor and has little impact on habitat.
• Bycatch is low and usually consists of other salmon species.
• Chinook salmon are a favorite catch of recreational fishermen.
• Recreational fishermen use a variety of fishing gear to harvest Chinook salmon.
• To ensure recreational fisheries are sustainable, West Coast anglers are only allowed to keep a certain number of salmon per fishing trip.
• In Alaska, regulations vary by area and individual fisheries.
• Recreational fisheries in high-use areas (Cook Inlet, Southeast Alaska, Copper River) are regulated through management plans that allocate fish between competing commercial and recreational fishermen.
• Salmon is an important source of spiritual and physical sustenance for Western Indian tribes and Alaska natives, and salmon are culturally important to many other residents of these areas.
• Subsistence fishermen use a variety of fishing gear to harvest Chinook salmon.

Aquaculture

Science overview.

NOAA Fisheries conducts various research activities on the biology, behavior, and ecology of chinook salmon. The results of this research are used to inform management decisions for this species.

For detailed information about stock status, management, assessments, and resource trends, you can search for chinook salmon, and any other species of interest, using NOAA’s StockSMART web tool

Chinook Salmon Research in Alaska

Our work to forecast salmon harvests, assess the impact of commercial fisheries on salmon, and evaluate how salmon populations respond to environmental changes enables us to estimate abundance and trends for chinook salmon in Alaska.

More on salmon research in Alaska

Chinook Salmon Research in the Pacific Northwest

Our research on Pacific salmon covers several topics including bycatch, salmon harvest forecasts, ecotoxicology, genetics, marine survival and responses to climate change. 

More on Chinook salmon research in the Pacific Northwest

Research & Data

The incorporation of environmentally derived 87sr/86sr and sr/ca in early otolith formation of chinook salmon, critical habitat - maps and gis data (west coast region), 2008: genetic stock composition analysis of chinook salmon bycatch samples from the 2008 bering sea pollock trawl fisheries, 2010: genetic stock composition analysis of chinook salmon bycatch samples from the 2010 bering sea trawl fisheries.

• Alaska Research On Salmon Ecology And Bycatch
• What's Behind Chinook and Chum Salmon Declines in Alaska?
• 2016 Report: Genetic Composition of the Chinook Salmon Bycatch from the Bering …
• Tagging Along on an Ocean Migration

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Annual study of salmon in southeast alaska - post 6.

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Summary of the Beneficial Management Activities that were accomplished during the 2022 reporting year

Summary Report for the Shasta River Template Safe Harbor Implementation

Alaska Salmon Research Task Force Meeting Agenda—July 27, 2023

Alaska Salmon Research Task Force Meeting Agenda for July 27, 2023

Data & Maps

Alaska Fisheries Science Center Salmon Bycatch Report

2011: Genetic Stock Composition Analysis Of Chinook Salmon Bycatch Samples From The 2011 Bering Sea And Gulf Of Alaska Trawl Fisheries

Outreach & education, central valley spring-run chinook salmon brochure.

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Project aims to help restore chinook salmon fishing in Lake County with release of 75,000 fish

Joseph s. pete.

• Apr 13, 2024
• 34 mins ago

Video provided in partnership with The Times, JEDtv and WJOB. Sponsored by Strack & Van Til.

EAST CHICAGO – The Lake County Fish and Game Protection Association hopes to restore chinook salmon fishing in Lake County to the point where one can catch a massive salmon from the rocks along the shore.

The Griffith-based group, which dates back a century and has grown to more than 400 members, raised funds for and built two massive pens that will be used to release about 37,500 fry Chinook salmon into Lake Michigan. A total of about 75,000 fish total will be released into Lake Michigan, with the other 37,500 chinook salmon fingerlings released directly into the lake – at night, so no seabirds swoop in and gobble them up.

The hope is to repopulate Lake Michigan with chinook, or king salmon, which are large fish that typically grow over 30 pounds and are prized by fisherman.

"It's reeling in big fish. It's deep sea fishing but you can do it right here in Lake County," Connie "Mugg" Dembowski said.

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The Indiana Department of Natural Resources started stocking chinook salmon at the East Chicago Marina again in 2020. Last year, it considered an option in which it would continue to stock chinook salmon at Burns Harbor in Porter County and in Michigan City in LaPorte County.

So the Lake County Fish and Game Protection Association sprung into action to ensure salmon would continue to be stocked in Lake County. It build two large floating cages called net pens that will hold 37,500 salmon at the marina for a few weeks until they grow larger and start to molt. 

"This was a big undertaking," Mary Lou Dembowski said.

The pens will protect them from predators like cormorants and other seabirds, giving them the chance to adjust so they can survive better. It also will imprint the East Chicago Marina as the place they will return to spawn in a few years, likely in the fall of 2027. 

Salmon gravitate toward tributaries like Trail Creek in Michigan City and the Portage-Burns Waterway in Burns Harbor but the DNR no longer has direct access to the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal.

Volunteers with the Lake County Fish and Game Protection Association built the pens, installed them at the beginning of April and have been scraping algae off the pens. They will feed the fish three times a day while monitoring their health, the water quality and the oxygen level.

The exact date of the stocking will be decided by the Mixsawbah State Fish Hatchery manager. It's expected to be about three weeks before the the smolts in the pens are released into the wild after they've developed enough. They must molt, lose their scales and show spots before they're ready to be let loose. 

"The salmon will come back to the shore for the fisherman in Lake County to catch them," Connie Dembowski said. "They get acclimated to the area where they're put in and come back up the river to spawn. This gives people a chance to catch a big fish from the shore."

The Lake County Fish and Game Protection Association, which operates a clubhouse and fishing ponds on Main Street in Griffith, raised the funds through its annual game dinner. It has held the fundraiser every year since 1980 and attendance grew to more than 700.

It raised more than $8,000 to build  the pens, which it will beat and scrub daily to get the algae off before they're stocked.

"When they come back in their life cycle, the fishing will be good at the marina," he said. "They're the biggest fish to catch and they're good eating. Just look at the prices in the supermarket."

Founded by the late Walt Millikan in the J.W. Millikan Sporting Goods store in downtown Hammond, the group tries to preserve animal, birds and waterfowl in woodlands and lakes in Northwest Indiana. It for instance successfully lobbied to end the practice of commercial fishing of lake trout in Lake Michigan, hoping the populations would rebound.

"It's a big undertaking for the club," he said. "But we want to help Lake County for future generations."

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The Silver Line Building Products plant at 16801 Exchange Ave. will be shuttered permanently.

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Coastal salmon fishing banned for a second year amid steep population declines

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With salmon populations struggling, fishery officials have decided to ban fishing along the California coast for a second straight year.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council, a multi-state, quasi-federal body that decides on ocean fishing seasons, voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend shutting down commercial and recreational fishing along the coast.

Chinook salmon populations have suffered major declines in recent years, and fishery managers decided to prohibit fishing for another year to help stocks recover.

“A lot of people have already been hurting because of last year’s shutdown,” said Scott Artis, executive director of Golden State Salmon Assn. “And this is just going to be one more devastating blow.”

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California’s commercial salmon fishing fleet now numbers about 460 vessels, Artis said, and many in the business have recently turned to other work to make ends meet. Others who take groups out on charter boats for recreational fishing will also be forced to find other business for another year.

It’s the second time in California history that coastal fishing has been prohibited for two consecutive years. The other back-to-back closure occurred in 2008 and 2009.

In both cases, the cancellation of fishing came a few years after severe drought.

“After the closure last year, this decision is not an easy one to make,” said Charlton “Chuck” Bonham, director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “While we have been enjoying back-to-back rainy and wet winters this year and last, the salmon that will benefit from these conditions aren’t expected to return to California until around 2026 or 2027.”

Bonham said the salmon “were impacted by the difficult environmental factors present three to five years ago.”

In an announcement of the closure , the Department of Fish and Wildlife said salmon stocks “continue to be impacted in California from ongoing issues associated with drought and climate disruption.”

The agency said low numbers of returning adult salmon last year — as well as low ocean population forecasts — led the Pacific Fishery Management Council to recommend full closure of ocean salmon fisheries.

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The fishing season for fall-run chinook salmon would normally run from about May to October.

The National Marine Fisheries Service is expected to act on the council’s recommendation and enact the closure.

The council also recommended that the California Fish and Game Commission close down inland fishing for salmon on the state’s rivers at a meeting next month.

Many who work in the fishing industry have said they blame California water managers for the low salmon numbers, saying too much water has been sent to farms and cities, depriving rivers of the cold flows salmon need to survive.

Artis, whose group represents fishing communities, blamed Gov. Gavin Newsom and his administration.

“We’ve seen that under Gov. Newsom, the state of California has had a disastrous environmental record,” Artis said. “Dangerously low river flows, unsustainable water diversions have been happening out of our rivers.”

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California’s fishing fleet suffered when salmon fishing was banned last year. With the fish population still struggling, more fishing restrictions are expected.

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He also criticized the amounts of water going to the state’s agriculture industry, saying that California has seen a dramatic expansion of “insatiably thirsty almond acreage” in recent years, and that the water the salmon industry relies on is being “stolen on Gov. Newsom’s watch.”

State officials say they are prioritizing plans to help salmon populations recover. Newsom’s administration in January announced a salmon strategy plan including a series of expanded efforts, including restoring habitats, modernizing hatcheries and removing barriers that block fish migration.

Bonham has said that even as the fishery goes through this difficult time, state officials are focused on actions that can “change the trajectory.” He said these efforts include restoring wetlands to create more habitat, removing dams on the Klamath River and protecting flows and water quality in rivers to support fish.

“Hope is very much alive for salmon in California,” Bonham said in a recent interview with The Times. “We think they can not only hang on in the state but thrive, and get back to healthy numbers each year, where people can enjoy them.”

California rivers once teemed with salmon, but the construction of dams blocked the fish from reaching many of the cold mountain streams where they once spawned. For decades, government-run hatcheries have reared and released millions of salmon each year. Those efforts, however, haven’t been enough to prevent populations from declining.

Successive droughts and global warming have also taken a toll. During the 2020-22 drought, the water flowing from dams sometimes got so warm that it was lethal for salmon eggs .

“There is no way that we can sugarcoat this or just lay the blame solely on drought. This really is a water policy problem. And it’s just compounded by drought and climate change,” Artis said. “If we want to save this industry in the long term, and save the species in the long term, we need to make some changes now on our water policy.”

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The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Assns., the largest commercial fishing trade association on the West Coast, supported the closure. George Bradshaw, the federation’s president, said that although the shutdown is painful for fishing communities, “we all need to be doing everything we can to give California’s salmon a chance to recover.”

Salmon are also central to the cultures of Native tribes, whose leaders canceled subsistence fishing last year.

Regina Chichizola, of the group Save California Salmon, said the closure is devastating for those who depend on fishing. She called it a “manmade disaster” and said it’s linked to decisions by the Biden administration and the state government to continue with water operations that “prioritize water for agriculture over salmon, cities and communities.”

The federal government has announced $20.6 million in disaster relief funds for California fishing communities affected by last year’s shutdown . But the funds have yet to be distributed. The Department of Fish and Wildlife said it is accepting comments from the public on the plan for spending the relief funds.

In response to the closure, Newsom announced Thursday that he had requested a federal declaration of a fishery disaster, much as he did last year. If approved, the disaster declaration would provide needed relief to impacted communities.

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Ian James is a reporter who focuses on water in California and the West. Before joining the Los Angeles Times in 2021, he was an environment reporter at the Arizona Republic and the Desert Sun. He previously worked for the Associated Press as a correspondent in the Caribbean and as bureau chief in Venezuela. He is originally from California.

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Federal government bans salmon fishing off California coast for second year in a row

Federal fishery managers voted Wednesday to cancel all commercial and recreational salmon fishing off the coast of California  for the second year in a row , and only the fourth time in state history, because of dwindling stocks.

The unanimous vote by the Pacific Fishery Management Council, the authority responsible for setting Pacific salmon seasons, is  a blow to the state fishing industry  that supports tens of thousands of jobs and is still reeling from last year’s shutdown. Salmon fishing was also closed in California during the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

Like 2023, this year’s decision was made in order to protect California’s waning salmon populations after drought and water diversions resulted in river flows that are too warm and slow for the state’s Chinook salmon to flourish.

A February report by the fishery council found that in 2023 just over 6,100 fall-run Chinook, often known as king salmon, returned to the upper Sacramento River to spawn. The average between 1996 and 2005 was more than 175,000 fish.

For the time being the ban affects commercial and recreational ocean fishing. However the council has recommended that the California Fish and Game Commission consider barring river fishing as well. The state agency is expected to vote in the coming weeks.

The salmon population faces a number of challenges including river water temperatures rising with warm weather and a  Trump-era rollback of federal protections  for waterways that allowed more water to be diverted to farms. Climate change, meanwhile, threatens food sources for the young Chinook maturing in the Pacific.

Scott Artis, executive director of Golden State Salmon Association, said state water policy under Gov. Gavin Newsom has resulted in “dangerously low river flows, unsustainable water diversions out of our rivers, record high water temperatures because of dam operations and record numbers of salmon eggs and juveniles killed in our streams.”

“Our water, our natural resources, the resources every Californian and the entire salmon industry rely on, are being stolen on Governor Newsom’s watch,” Artis said in a statement Wednesday after the council’s decision.

The governor’s office didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the closure.

Much of the salmon caught in the ocean originate in California’s Klamath and Sacramento rivers. After hatching in freshwater, they spend three years on average maturing in the Pacific, where many are snagged by commercial fishermen, before migrating back to their spawning grounds, where conditions are more ideal to give birth. After laying eggs, they die.

California’s spring-run Chinook are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, while winter-run Chinook are endangered along with the Central California Coast coho salmon, which has been off-limits to California commercial fishers since the 1990s.

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