Chinook Salmon
What it looks like
- elongated, moderately deep-bodied fish
- blue or green back
- silvery sides
- white belly
- spotted tail
- black mouth and gums
- leading ray on anal fin extends ⅓ the length of the fin
- short, narrow caudal peduncle (where body and tail join)
Size
- length: 30-100 centimetres (12-39 inches)
- weight: 3.1-6.8 kilograms (7-15 pounds)
- Ontario record: 21 kilograms (46.4 pounds)
Similar fish
Where it is found
Range
- spend most of the year in the cold waters of the Great Lakes
- return to tributary streams to spawn
- use Fish ON-Line, an interactive mapping tool, to find specific lakes and rivers
Habitat
- gather at the mouth of rivers in the late summer and early fall before migrating upstream to spawn
Find a fishing spot with Fish ON-Line
Angling tips
- strong fighter, popular with anglers for its size
- extremely light-sensitive, so unlikely to feed on the surface
- usually stop feeding once they move upstream in fall, but are aggressive and territorial and will hit lures in defense — try rattle baits, spinners and plugs
- downrigging and trolling work best when fishing in the Great Lakes
- troll deep with plugs, spoons and live or dead bait
- still-fish in moderately deep water using live, salted or fresh-cut herring
Common baits
- plugs, spoons
- trolling flies
- live or dead bait