Whether you charter fish the famous waters outside Ilwaco or venture into calm seas in the inland coast of the Puget Sound, the state of Washington is renowned for its salmon fishing. For the last decade, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife have focused their energy to protecting and preserving the declining number of wild salmon. Ensuring their survival means preserving a natural heritage, sustaining local ecosystems, and enjoying fishing for years to come.
Chinook/King Salmon
Chinook salmon are the largest of the Pacific salmon, with some individuals growing to more than 100 pounds, although most mature King’s are less than 50 pounds. A majority of the Chinook spawn in large rivers such as the Columbia and Snake, although they will also use smaller streams with sufficient water flow. Chinook spawn on both sides of the Cascade Range, and some fish travel hundreds of miles upstream before they reach their spawning grounds. Because of the distance, these fish enter streams early and comprise the spring and summer runs. Fall runs spawn closer to the ocean and more often use small coastal streams. All Chinook reach their spawning grounds by fall, in time to spawn.
Cutthroat Trout
Of the 13 subspecies of cutthroat trout indigenous to North America, only the coastal cutthroat is anadromous, both saltwater and freshwater fish. Most cutthroat rear in-stream for two to three years before first venturing into salt water. Emerging fry are less than an inch long, and are poorly able to compete with larger Coho and steelhead fry for resources. To compensate, cutthroat fry use headwaters and low-flow areas that Coho and steelhead avoid. Cutthroat prefer to remain within a few miles of their natal stream. Protected estuaries and Puget Sound bays are excellent cutthroat habitat.
Steelhead
Steelhead and rainbow trout are the same species, but rainbow are freshwater only, while steelhead are anadromous, or go to sea. Unlike most salmon, steelhead can survive spawning, and can spawn in multiple years. Like Chinook, steelhead have two runs, a summer run and a winter run. Most summer runs are east of the Cascades, and enter streams in summer to reach the spawning grounds by the following spring. A few western Washington rivers also have established runs of summer steelhead. Winter runs spawn closer to the ocean, and require less travel time.
Coho Salmon/Silver Salmon
The average size of a Coho is 6-12 lbs, but will reach up to 31 lbs. Coho are a very popular sport fish in Puget Sound. This species uses coastal streams and tributaries, and is often present in small neighborhood streams. Coho can even be found in urban settings if their needs of cold, clean, year-round water are met. Returning Coho often gather at the mouths of streams and wait for the water flow to rise, such as after a rain storm, before heading upstream. The higher flows and deeper water enable the fish to pass obstacles, such as logs across the stream or beaver dams that would otherwise be impassable.
Chum Salmon/Dog Salmon
The average size of a chum salmon is 10 to 15 pounds, but they can get up to 33 pounds. Male chum salmon develop large "teeth" during spawning, which resemble canine teeth. This many explain the nickname dog salmon. Chum use small coastal streams and the lower reaches of larger rivers. They often use the same streams as Coho, but Coho tend to move further up the watershed and chum generally spawn closer to saltwater. This may be due to their larger size, which requires deeper water to swim in, or their jumping ability, which is inferior to Coho. Like Coho, chum can be found in virtually every small coastal stream. In the fall, large numbers of chum can often be seen in the lower reaches of these streams, providing opportunities to view wild salmon in a natural environment.
Sockeye Salmon/Red Salmon/Blue back
The average size of the Sockeye salmon is 5 to 8 pounds, but can reach up to 15 pounds. Kokanee or silver trout are the landlocked Sockeye.
Sockeye are the most flavorful Pacific salmon. In Washington, sockeye are found in Lake Washington, Baker Lake, Ozette Lake, Quinault Lake, and Lake Wenatchee. Sockeye are unique in that they require a lake to rear in as fry, so the river they choose to spawn in must have a lake in the system. This seems to be the most important criteria for choosing a spawning ground, as sockeye adapt to a range of water velocities and substrates. Large rivers that supplied sufficient room for spawning and rearing historically supported huge runs of sockeye, numbering into the millions. One such run still exists today on the Adams River in British Columbia, a tributary to the Fraser River. The Canadian government has built viewing platforms for visitors, and annual runs of over a million sockeye are common. Juvenile sockeye rear for one or two years in a lake, although they are also found in the inlet and outlet streams of the lake. Sockeye fry are often preyed on by resident lake fish, and because they use freshwater year-round, they are susceptible to low water quality.
Pink Salmon/Humpies
The average size of the pink salmon is 3 to 5 pounds, but they can reach up to 12 pounds. Male pink salmon develop a large hump on their back during spawning, hence the nickname humpback salmon. This is the smallest of the fall-spawning Pacific salmon. In Washington, pink salmon runs only occur in odd-numbered years. Pinks use the mainstems of large rivers and some tributaries, often very close to saltwater. Because their fry move directly to sea after emerging, the closer they spawn to saltwater the better. The shorter journey reduces predation and increases survival. Sometimes pink salmon spawn right in saltwater, avoiding freshwater altogether. Pinks have a very regular life history, living for two years before returning to spawn the next generation. This is why pink runs in Washington only occur every other year; there are no one-year-old or three-year-old fish to establish runs in the other years. As mentioned, pink fry do not rear in freshwater. Immediately after emerging they move downstream to the estuary and rear there for several months before heading out to the open ocean. Because of this, pink fry have no spots, which provide camouflage in streams, but are bright chrome for open water.
Other Salmon Facts
- Coho and sockeye are found in freshwater year-round; Coho in small coastal streams and sockeye in lakes. These fish are very susceptible to poor water quality, such as high temperatures and pollution.
- Salmon species have adapted to use virtually every part of every stream in the northwest.
Big rivers are used by pink salmon in the lower reaches, Chinook in the mainstem and larger tributaries, Coho in small tributaries, and steelhead in the uppermost tributaries.
- A moving fry is much easier to see than a motionless one. This is why salmon tend to spawn in parts of the stream that their offspring use for rearing; the emerging fry do not have to travel far to find rearing areas.
- The size of a salmon is usually related to its age. Pink salmon are the smallest fall-spawning salmon and are also the youngest, at two years. Chinook can live up to nine years, the longest, which is why some Chinook can grow to over 100 pounds. Cutthroat, which live longer than pinks, are smaller because they live in less productive areas of the watershed?
- There is a sixth fall-spawning salmon, the masu, or cherry salmon, which is found only in Asia. This fish occupies the same niche that the sea-run cutthroat trout occupies in North America.
- Steelhead and cutthroat trout were recently added to the salmon genus, Oncorhynchus, from the trout genus, Salmon. Also, the scientific name of steelhead changed from Salmo gairdneri to Oncorhynchus mykiss.
* Salmon information is provided by Washington Fish & Game
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