Hi,
I am new to salmon fishing and never really bothered about the different kind of salmon and how to ID them.
But now I am bitter by the Salmon bug and having difficulties finding a simple to read Salmon ID chart.
That's Why I come up with the idea of creating one. I am planning to create a one letter page that would be easy to print for
every new fisherman. I gathered the following information from the web and I would ask you kindly to add or correct whatever you think it is
easier way to ID the different species. ( remember it is for novices like me who possibly never seen a certain kind of salmon except on diner plate with potatoes
)
If this works I'm planning to create a PDF file with possibly some small pictures that everyone could download and print.
Any comments about this idea is also appreciated.
There it goes:
Chinook:
Identification Characteristics:
* Olive brown to dark brown in color, almost black on back and sides
* Many spots on its back
* Few spots on fins
* BOTH upper and lower part of tail fin has spots
* Lower gum line is black
* Range in length from 24 inches (2 feet) to 60 inches (5 feet)
Spawn Timing:
* September through mid-December
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Chum:
Identification Characteristics:
* No distinct black spots on back or caudal fins
* Males are dark blue above with reddish-purple vertical markings and well developed teeth
* Females less colorful, often with horizontal bar along sides
* Lower gum line is black
* Range in length from 30-42 inches
Spawn Timing:
* November through late December
-----------------------------------------
Coho:
Identification Characteristics:
* Back and head dark bluish-green
* Lower sides brilliant red to wine color
* Gill cover reddish
* Spots on back and UPPER lobe of tail fin only
* Lower gum line is light colored
* Range in length from 17 to 38 inches
Spawn Timing:
* Mid-October through early January
-----------------------------------------
Kokanee
Kokanee SalmonKokanee are the land-locked form of sockeye salmon.
Identification Characteristics:
* In males, back and sides are bright red to dirty red-gray, head is bright to olive green, tail is green to black
* In females, colors not as bright, but red above lateral line
* Possible spots on back or tail fin
* Males have a large dorsal hump
* Range in length from 10-18 inches
Spawn Timing:
* Early August through late December
-----------------------------------------
Cutthroat Trout:
Identification Characteristics:
* Head blunt, jaw long - extends past eye
* Small black spots on head & body extending well below lateral line, and on all fins
* Red to yellow streaks on underside of jaw
* Faint to no red on sides of spawning fish
* Length up to 30 inches
Spawn Timing:
* Spawns February through May
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Sockeye:
Identification Characteristics:
* In males, back and sides are bright red to dirty red-gray, head is bright to olive green, tail is green to black
* In females, colors not as bright, but red above lateral line
* NO distinct spots on back or tail fin
* Males have a large dorsal hump
* Range in length from 20-28 inches
Spawn Timing:
* Early August through late December
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Steelhead:
Identification Characteristics:
* Head blunt, jaw short - does not extend past the eye
* Distinct dark spots on dorsal fin
* Square-shaped tail fin with radiating pattern of spots
* Often has reddish stripe along sides, gill cover reddish
* Length up to 45 inches
Spawn Timing:
* Late March through early June
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Pink:
* tail heavily marked with large oval spots
* tiny scales
* the tail of a pink has no silver in it