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

• Brown Trout
• Rainbow Trout
• Coho Salmon

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