Some Good Information About Salmon Species Diffrentiation

For most beginner fishermen or women one of the hardest parts about salmon fishing is being able to obviously identify which particular type of salmon that they have caught. Since fishing regulations are based on species it is very critical that you can tell each from the other to prevent being in violation of the license and probably facing fines or even more serious outcomes. Learning about salmon fishing and various species isn’t too difficult, and the general descriptions provided below should be all that is needed to identify the salmon species.

The following tips about salmon fishing species identification will apply only to mature salmon and may not apply to minors and smelts.

Chinook – it is important to keep in mind when speaking about salmon fishing that many species go by different names. The Chinook is also called the King and blackmouth. It is the biggest of the Pacific salmon, and is easily identified by the distinct black coloration to the lower gums. They are olive or brown in coloration on the back with darker black coloration on the sides. They have many tiny, dark spots on the back.

Coho – AKA Silver salmon, are smaller than the Chinook or King salmon. They’ve a bluish green color to the skin on the head and back. Depending on the time of year the sides of the Coho might be wine coloured or even a particularly brilliant red. The cover of the gills will be extraordinarily reddish throughout the year.

Chum – one of the less common salmon it’s important to understand about salmon fishing this species to be successful. They will typically not move far inland and will stay close to salt water. Mate is the second biggest of the Pacific salmon species and are easily distinguished by their red to purplish blue color and horizontal bars. They also have a particularly particular and voiced set of teeth.

Sockeye – this salmon is very red in color and may often be mistaken for the Coho due to the coloration. Sockeye spend up to 2 years in a fresh water lake before moving out the sea, and are unique in this aspect. They have any distinct spots and the female is less brilliantly coloured than the male. Male Sockeyes have a conspicuous hump on their back just before the dorsal fin.

Kokanee – this is the truly land locked salmon, living its complete live cycle in a fresh water lake, never venturing to the salt water. In physical description they are nearly matching the Sockeye, being red in color and males having the dorsal hump.

When studying salmon fishing and fish identification it is a brilliant idea to bring a salmon identification book and don’t forget to practice conservation and return fish to the water whenever boundaries are reached.

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