Chinook Salmon
Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
Also known as: King Salmon, Spring Salmon, Quinnat Salmon, Chinook, Pickled Salmon
About This Species
The largest of the Pacific salmon, spending most of its life at sea before returning to natal rivers to spawn, typically in late summer or autumn depending on the run. Look for large, dark-backed fish holding in deep pools or working upstream through riffles, and watch for the exhausted, discoloured adults typical of the final stages of the spawning run. Bridges and shallow gravel runs on known spawning rivers are reliable vantage points.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Spawning fish are stressed and vulnerable, so stay on the bank, avoid wading through redds (the gravel nests where eggs are laid), and keep dogs out of the water near spawning areas.
- Regulations on fishing, handling and disturbance vary by country and river system and are often tightly restricted during the spawning run, so check local rules before any close approach.
LCSalmoniformesSalmonidae
Seasonal Activity
166,234 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Order
- Salmoniformes
- Family
- Salmonidae
Photo
United States Fish and Wildlife Services, no known copyright restrictions (public domain)
CC0-1.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.