If you’ve hung around Alaskan anglers, you may have heard conversations revolving around ‘coho’, ‘dog’ or ‘chum’ salmon. And while it’s quite clear that people are talking about salmon, you may not have heard the nicknames before.
In this post, I’ll break down the salmon nicknames (or what the locals call them) and a description of what they look like.
- King Salmon (aka Chinook Salmon):
- Description: Blue, gray back and silver sides (turn a darker maroon / brown color when spawning)
- Seasonal Run: End of May – end of June
- Sockeye Salmon (aka Red Salmon):
- Description: Blue, dark gray back and silver sides (bright red when spawning)
- Seasonal Run: Mid June – late August
- Silver Salmon (aka Cohos):
- Description: Green / blue back and silver sides (brown / maroon sides when spawning)
- Seasonal Run: End of July – end of September
- Chum Salmon (Dog Salmon):
- Description: Gray back with yellowish / silver sides (dark green / maroon when spawning)
- Seasonal Run: Mid June – end of August
- Pink Salmon (aka Humpies or Pinks):
- Description: Large spots on the back and silver / pink sides (dull gray and hump when spawning)
- Seasonal Run: End of July – mid September
Those are the most common found in Southeast Alaska. Often times, the types of Salmon look similar when they are first heading in from the ocean (they tend to look more different as they begin spawning). If you’re out fishing and have a hard time knowing which type of Salmon you’ve caught – don’t worry! You’re not alone! Even the best anglers get tripped up on which salmon they’ve caught.