Chinook Salmon
Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
Family / Type
Salmon
Habitat
Anadromous
Scientific Name
Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
Family
Salmonidae
Order
Salmoniformes
Class
Actinopterygii
Edibility
Excellent
Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Also Known As
King Salmon
Chinoook Salmon
King
Artwork: © SportfishingReport.com Inc
Full Taxonomy
Animalia
› Chordata
› Actinopterygii
› Salmoniformes
› Salmonidae
› Oncorhynchus
› Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
Overview
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The body of the chinook salmon is elongate and somewhat compressed. The head is conical. The color is bluish to dark gray above, becoming silvery on the sides and belly. There are black spots on the back and on both lobes of the tail. While five species of salmon occur along the Pacific Coast, over 99% of all salmon caught in the ocean off California are either chinook or cohos. Chinook and coho salmon can be distinguished by the color of the lining of the gums at the base of the teeth. In chinook salmon, this lining is blackish, while in cohos it is white.
Identifying
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Top Fishing Locations
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Filter by State:
60 fishing locations where you can catch Chinook Salmon
Bay
🌊 Saltwater
British Columbia Outlook
🏞️ Freshwater
Capilano
🏞️ Freshwater
Chilliwack River:
🏞️ Freshwater
Quail Lake (Utah)
🏞️ Freshwater
Ray Roberts Lake
🏞️ Freshwater
Skykomish River
🏞️ Freshwater
Gold Bar
Soquel Hole
🌊 Saltwater
Walla Walla River
🏞️ Freshwater
Arizona Fish Report
🏞️ Freshwater
AZ
C. C. Cragin Reservoir
🏞️ Freshwater
AZ
Green Valley Lake AZ
🏞️ Freshwater
AZ
Dean River
🏞️ Freshwater
BC
Fraser River
🏞️ Freshwater
BC
Kokish
🏞️ Freshwater
BC
Pit River (BC, Canada)
🏞️ Freshwater
BC
Squamish
🏞️ Freshwater
BC
American River
🏞️ Freshwater
Sacramento, CA
American River - Nimbus Hatcery
🏞️ Freshwater
Gold River, CA
Arrowhead Lake (Mammoth Lakes)
🏞️ Freshwater
CA
B Bouy
🌊 Saltwater
San Francisco County, CA
Backcountry
🏞️ Freshwater
CA
Big Chico Creek
🏞️ Freshwater
Chico, CA
Bishop Trails Report
🏞️ Freshwater
CA
Butte Lake
🏞️ Freshwater
CA
Calaveras River
🏞️ Freshwater
CA
California Ocean
🌊 Saltwater
CA
Deep Reef
🌊 Saltwater
San Gregorio, CA
Discovery Bay
🏞️ Freshwater
Discovery Bay, CA
Drakes Bay
🌊 Saltwater
Marin Coast, CA
Duxbury Reef
🌊 Saltwater
Marin County, CA
Eagle Canyon Lake
🏞️ Freshwater
CA
Eastern Sierra Fishing Report
🏞️ Freshwater
CA
Eastern Sierra Trail Report
🏞️ Freshwater
CA
Edison Lake
🏞️ Freshwater
CA
Eel River
🏞️ Freshwater
Fortuna, CA
Eel River - South Fork
🏞️ Freshwater
CA
Eureka Coast
🌊 Saltwater
Eureka, CA
Eureka Coast
🌊 Saltwater
Eureka, CA
Gualala River
🏞️ Freshwater
CA
Humboldt County Coast
🌊 Saltwater
Eureka, CA
Klamath River - Lower
🏞️ Freshwater
Klamath, CA
Klamath River - Upper - CA
🏞️ Freshwater
Hornbrook, CA
Lake Almanor
🏞️ Freshwater
CA
Lake McClure
🏞️ Freshwater
Coulterville, CA
Lake Oroville
🏞️ Freshwater
Oroville, CA
Mad River
🏞️ Freshwater
Arcata, CA
Mammoth Lakes Basin
🏞️ Freshwater
CA
Marshall Beach
🌊 Saltwater
San Francisco, CA
Mattole River
🏞️ Freshwater
Patrolia, CA
Montara State Beach
🌊 Saltwater
CA
Monterey Bay
🌊 Saltwater
CA
Pacifica Coast
🌊 Saltwater
Pacifica, CA
Rowdy Creek
🏞️ Freshwater
Smith River, CA
Russian River
🏞️ Freshwater
Guerneville, CA
Sacramento River
🏞️ Freshwater
CA
Sacramento River - Barge Hole
🏞️ Freshwater
CA
Sacramento River - Garcia Bend
🏞️ Freshwater
Sacramento, CA
Sacramento River - Lower
🏞️ Freshwater
Redding, CA
Sacramento River - Red Bluff
🏞️ Freshwater
Red Bluff, CA
Whoppers — Biggest Catches
5 of 6
🥇
51.38 lbs
Brain Malloy (Willits, CA)
Telstar
Aug 26, 2002
🥈
45.00 lbs
19's Toy
Nov 30, -0001
🥉
43.00 lbs
Kevin Tinto
Jul 11, 2015
#4
39.10 lbs
American River
19's Toy
Nov 30, -0001
#5
35.00 lbs
Apr 7, 2007
#6
34.50 lbs
Sacramento River - Lower, Redding, CA
Aug 21, 2020
#7
34.06 lbs
Vera Bolderoff
New Horizon
Jun 13, 2002
#8
32.00 lbs
Dan Colonello
Mirage
May 11, 2002
#9
31.00 lbs
Trent Slate
Bite Me
Jun 29, 2004
#10
31.00 lbs
Cooper & Griffen Slovik
Smiling Salmon Drift Boat
Nov 23, 2010
#11
30.00 lbs
Frances Nisikawa
Chubasco
Jul 8, 2002
#12
30.00 lbs
Farallon Islands, San Francisco, CA
Jul 21, 2018
#13
30.00 lbs
High Five
Sep 16, 2004
#14
30.00 lbs
Mr. Gallant
Outlaw
Jun 25, 2002
#15
30.00 lbs
Dino DeBenedetto
Kahuna
Jul 18, 2003
#16
27.50 lbs
Adam I.
TigerFish
Jul 9, 2017
#17
27.50 lbs
Adam I.
TigerFish
Jul 9, 2017
#18
27.44 lbs
Dominic Bomber
Chubasco
Apr 22, 2002
#19
26.00 lbs
Haley Foladare
Queen of Hearts
Apr 21, 2011
#20
26.00 lbs
Monterey Bay
Jul 23, 2021
#21
26.00 lbs
Sep 3, 2019
#22
25.90 lbs
Sua Xiong
Oct 6, 2015
#23
25.00 lbs
Tequila Too ( old one)
Aug 18, 2020
#24
25.00 lbs
Tom Turner
Kahuna
Apr 17, 2004
#25
25.00 lbs
TigerFish
Jul 28, 2018
State & Agency Records
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4 official records on file for Chinook Salmon
🥇
88 lbs. 0 oz.
O. Lindberg Red Bluff
Sacramento River, CA
Nov 21, 1979
Freshwater Angling
CDFW
#2
83 lbs. 0 oz.
Ernie St. Claire
Umpqua River, Roseburg, OR
Jan 1, 1910
Freshwater Angling
ODFW
#3
66 lbs. 4 oz.
Franklin T. Cox
Crescent City Coast, Crescent City, CA
Aug 21, 2002
Ocean Angling
CDFW
#4
20 lbs. 15 oz.
L: 35.3" · G: 22.8"
Sally Nachreiner Redding
Trinity Lake, Trinity Center, CA
Jul 16, 2013
Freshwater Angling
CDFW