How to Calculate the Weight of Salmon Fish
You've just landed that lunker of a salmon and are sure it must be bigger than the one your buddy landed. The only problem is, you forgot to bring a scale. You can use a simple formula to calculate the weight of a salmon. In most cases, this estimate is going to be close to the actual weight of the salmon. The formula is not species specific, so can be used for any fish that shares the same body shape as a salmon, such as a trout.
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Instructions
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Measure the girth of the fish at the widest point of its midsection. Use a flexible tape measure and wrap it around the fish's body.
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Wrap a string around the widest part of the fish if you have only a ruler or inflexible tape measure. Hold the string where the ends meet, then measure from one end to this point. You also can lay the fish on its side and measure the flat side and thickness. Double both of these measurements to get the girth. The belly will be thicker than the spine, so this will not be as accurate.
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Measure the length of the fish. Lay the fish flat on its side and measure in a straight line from the front of the lower jaw to the fork in the tail.
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To estimate the weight in pounds, use this formula: length times girth squared divided by 800, or length x (girth x girth) / 800.
For example, a salmon 40 inches long and 24 inches around would weigh about 29 pounds:
40 x (24 x 24) / 800= 28.8 pounds
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