All About Pacific Salmon

There are six different species of salmon, five of them breed in the rivers of the Pacific and western North America. The Chinook, or King salmon begin their upstream migrations in February. With weights averaging 22 pounds, and occasional fish weighing from 70 to an atypical 126 pounds, the name King is deserved. Next is the Sockeye salmon which averages 5 pounds in weight. Before these fish can travel hundreds of miles to migrate from the sea, they spend their lives storing up oils for their run. This gives their flesh a rich flavor that brings much demand. Recently, over fishing, pollution, loss of spawning grounds, and "sharing" their water ways with humans have greatly if not seriously reduced ther populations.

The other three salmon begin their runs upstream in summer and fall. They are the small humpbacked, or pink, salmon; the chum, keta, or dog salmon; the silver, or coho, salmon. Because they do not travel as far upstream to spawn, they do not require as much stored fat. These salmon now exceed the Chinook and Sockeye in the populations.

Long ago these sockeye salmon were landlocked by blockage of their water passages. Over time they adapted to the fresh water and migrated between streams and lakes. The Kokanee does not grow to the size of its sea-migrating cousin and are gray to bright rusty red in color. Just as the other pacific salmon it dies soon after spawning. These Kokanee were found at Taylor Creek which flows into Lake Tahoe.

Ok, hang on. This is where it gets confusing! Salmon and Trout both belong to the family Salmonidae. Pacific salmon belong to the genus Oncorhynchus. Marine fish of the family Salmonidae that spawn in fresh water are, salmon, trout, and char. Usually all silver in color Salmonidae are characterized by soft, rayless, adipose fins and live in cold, oxygen-rich waters.

The steelhead is a rainbow trout that migrates to sea returns to fresh water as an adult to spawn. Atlantic Salmon are a member of the genus Salmo, or trout (NOT salmon) family, which is placed in the genus Oncorhynchus.

Atlantic Salmon

Unlike the Pacific salmon, Atlantic Salmon and Steelhead Trout do not always die following spawning and may spawn more than once returning to the sea after each spawning.

The Optometrist....
Actually, Most salmon from North American rivers can travel thousands of miles to the North Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea and Back. Their destination is dependent upon the species and point of origin. They almost always return to their river or stream where they were hatched. The Chinook can travel far north through the Bering Sea to the USSR. That's up to 3,500 miles! The Sockeye may also migrate east to the Gulf of Alaska. Most other salmon from Washington State to Alaska, travel to the northeastern Pacific and Gulf of Alaska. Steelhead trout from Washington and Oregon are known to migrate to the the Alaskan Peninsula, over 1,500 miles!

Salmon are caught near the mouths of rivers with purse seines, gill nets, beach seines, and traps. They are caught off the coast by trolling with hooks. The fish are marketed in various ways including fresh, frozen, smoked, and canned. The centers of the salmon industry are the Columbia and Fraser rivers in British Columbia, Puget Sound, and Alaska.

How many times do they spawn? How much do they weigh? At what age to they migrate? How much do they weigh?

Chinook

Most fish live only in one type of water, sea, brackish or fresh. The Salmon however, can adapt to water "Salinity" or saltiness. The young salmon usually adapt to their water salinity in 2 to 5 weeks. This allows them to filter the salt from the water they ingest. If trapped inland, as in the case of the Kokanee, it will adapt to the fresh water environment.

Coho Salmon

Traveling great distances and treacherous conditions both natural and man made the salmon will almost always return to their birth streams. It is believed that they can smell their way back. Salmon have been noticed to swim with their snouts upstream. Since they back out of a river when they are young "Fingerlings", they constantly smell the water and learn it's scent. Another theory is that they use the earth's magnetic fields to navigate.

From 2,500 to 7,000 depending on species and size of fish. The chinook produces the most and largest eggs.

Temperatures in the range of 37 to 47 degrees are best. Water warmer that 53 degrees may not allow the eggs to develop.

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Some images courtesy of "Regulatory Fish Encyclopedia, Office of Seafood and Office of Regulatory Affairs, Food and Drug Administration, 1993-1996."