About King Salmon

King salmon is a common name for the Chinook salmon. It is also known by the names bill salmon, blackmouth, black salmon, chub salmon, Columbia River salmon, quinnat salmon, tule salmon and tyee salmon. The king salmon is the state fish of Alaska. They are very popular with sport and commercial fishermen and prized for their size and taste.

Identification

The king salmon is the largest type of Pacific Ocean salmon. It can be identified by its bluish greenish back and head, its silvercolored sides and its white underside. King salmon also have black spots on their tail and top. They are a very large fish. An average adult king salmon is about three feet long and weighs up to 50 pounds. The largest king salmon ever recorded weighed 126 pounds and was about 5 feet long.

Geography

King salmon live in coastal waters around the Pacific Ocean. In the United States they are found from Monterey Bay in California up north to Alaska. They are also found along the Canadian west coast in between. In Asia, the king salmon is found from northern Japan up to Siberia. Alaska is renowned as the best place to fish for king salmon. They are plentiful from the southeastern panhandle to the Yukon River.

Function

King salmon are anadromous. This means they migrate upriver from the sea to spawn. By necessity they function well in both saltwater and freshwater. King salmon hatch in late winter or early spring in streams. Most spend a year in the stream before heading downriver to the ocean. There they gain weight quickly, feasting on smaller fish, squid and crustaceans. They can double in size in just a few months. Different king salmon reach sexual maturity at different times. This usually happens when they are between 2 and 7 years old. During the summer months, the sexually mature king salmon swim upstream to the place where they were born. They can cover up to 2,000 miles on their migration. When they reach their destination they spawn, then they die.

Significance

King salmon make a significant contribution to the economy of Alaska. They are valued because they are good to eat and each king salmon contains a lot of meat. The Alaska fishing industry harvests about $19 million worth of king salmon every year. The number of king salmon that can be caught is strictly regulated by the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Quotas have been established to ensure that the species is not fished to extinction.

Benefits

King salmon are highly sought after by sport fishermen. It is considered the "most highly prized sport fish in Alaska" by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The state benefits from an active tourist industry while the king salmon are running. Trolling with rigged herring is a popular way to catch king salmon in saltwater. In freshwater anglers use salmon eggs and lures. About 76,000 king salmon are caught by sport fishermen every year. This number is also carefully regulated by the Pacific Salmon Treaty.

Resources

• King Salmon Pictures
• Chinook Salmon
• How To Catch King Salmon