For most novice fishermen or ladies one of the hardest parts about salmon fishing is being able to obviously identify which particular kind of salmon that they have caught. Since fishing regulations are based on species it is very critical that you can tell each from the other to prevent being in violation of the license and potentially facing fines or even more serious outcomes. Learning about salmon fishing and varied species is not too tricky, and the general descriptions provided below should be all that is required to spot the salmon species.

The following tips about salmon fishing species identification will apply only to grown up salmon and may not apply to minors and smelts.

Chinook - it is important to bear in mind when talking about salmon fishing that many species go by different names. The Chinook is also called the King and blackmouth. It is the biggest of the Pacific salmon, and is easily identified by the distinct black coloration to the lower gums. They’re olive or brown in coloration on the back with darker black coloration on the sides. They have many little, dark spots on the back.

Coho - AKA Silver salmon, are smaller than the Chinook or King salmon. They’ve a bluish green color to the skin on the head and back. Depending on the time of year the sides of the Coho could be wine colored or even a very brilliant red. The cover of the gills will also be very reddish throughout the year.

Chum - one of the less common salmon it is important to grasp about salmon fishing this species to be successful. They will typically not move far inland and will stay close to salt water. Mate is the second biggest of the Pacific salmon species and are easily distinguished by their red to purplish blue color and horizontal bars. They also have a particularly particular and told set of teeth.

Sockeye - this salmon is very red in color and may sometimes be mistaken for the Coho because of the coloration. Sockeye spend up to two years in a fresh water lake before moving out the ocean, and are unique in this aspect. They have no distinct spots and the female is less brilliantly colored than the male. Male Sockeyes have a conspicuous hump on their back just in front of the dorsal fin.

Kokanee - this is the truly land locked salmon, living its complete live cycle in a fresh water lake, never venturing to the salt water. In physical description they are nearly matching the Sockeye, being red in color and males having the dorsal hump.

When learning about salmon fishing and fish identification it is a brilliant idea to bring a salmon identification book and don’t forget to practice conservation and return fish to the water whenever limits are reached.

For more information about food and useful cooking tips, check out cooking101.org and also have a look at canning smoked salmon.