Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

king salmon, spring salmon, tyee, quinnant, blackmouth

s/f

A chinook's teeth are rooted in black gums. Their sides are silver/white and their back/tail have small, black spots. Their jaw comes to a pointed joint.

The chinook salmon is an anadromous species that lives in Northern Pacific waters and enters large coastal streams to spawn. They are known to be very strong swimmers and may migrate up to 1,500 miles upstream. Chinook have been stocked in numerous inland lakes, including the Great Lakes.

Chinook eat mostly fish, but crustaceans, crab larvae, squid and shrimp are part of their diet as well.

Chinook will usually spawn between the ages of two and 9. They die right after spawning. Before beginning the upstream run, they grow between 15 and 25 pounds. Males will generally be much larger.

Chinook are extremely sensitive to light and are less likely to feed on the surface. They will hit trolling flies, erratic plugs, spoons, spinner/salmon egg combos and whole or cut baitfish. Once hooked, chinook sound and fight tenaciously.

Their meat can vary in color from red to white — the red flesh is considered best. Chinooks are considered to be one of the best table fish on the Pacific coast.