FISHING GUIDE SERVICE SPECIES GUIDE

Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) The Chinook salmon is the largest species in the Pacific salmon. Other common names for the species include king salmon, Quinnat salmon, spring salmon and Tyee salmon. Chinook are anadromous fish native to the north Pacific Ocean and the river systems of western North America ranging from California to Alaska. They are also native to Asian rivers ranging from northern Japan to the Palyavaam River in the Siberian far east, although only the Kamchatka Peninsula supports relatively persistent native populations. They have been introduced to other parts of the world, including New Zealand and the Great Lakes. A large Chinook is a prized and sought-after catch for a sporting angler. The flesh of the salmon is also highly valued for its nutritional content.

Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". During their ocean phase, coho salmon have silver sides and dark-blue backs. During their spawning phase, their jaws and teeth become hooked. After entering fresh water, they develop bright-red sides, bluish-green heads and backs, dark bellies and dark spots on their backs. Sexually maturing fish develop a light-pink or rose shading along the belly, and the males may show a slight arching of the back. Mature adults have a pronounced red skin color with darker backs and average 28 inches (71 cm) and 7 to 11 pounds (3.2 to 5.0 kg), occasionally reaching up to 36 pounds (16 kg).

Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) Sockeye salmon, also called red salmon or blueback salmon in the United States, is an anadromous species of salmon found in the Northern Pacific Ocean and rivers discharging into it. This species is a Pacific salmon that is primarily red in hue. They can be up to 33 inches in length and weigh anywhere from 5 to 15.5 lbs. A distinguishing feature of the sockeye salmon is the lack of a definite spot on the back and tail. Their diet consists primarily of zooplankton. Sockeye salmon are semelparous, dying after they spawn.

Sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) One of the oldest families of bony fish in existence, sturgeon are native to subtropical, temperate and sub-Arctic rivers, lakes and coastlines of Eurasia and North America. They are distinctive for their elongated bodies, lack of scales, and occasional great size: sturgeons ranging from 7–12 feet (2-3½ m) in length are common, and some species grow up to 18 feet (5.5 m). Most sturgeons are anadromous bottom-feeders, spawning upstream and feeding in river deltas and estuaries. While some are entirely freshwater, a very few venture into the open ocean beyond near coastal areas.

Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) The steelhead is a species of salmonid native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coastal rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus) or redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri) that usually returns to freshwater to spawn after living two to three years in the ocean. Freshwater forms that have been introduced into the Great Lakes and migrate into tributaries to spawn are also called steelhead.

Kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka) Kokanee are the non-anadromous (non-migrating) form of sockeye salmon, and like all salmon, they die at after their first spawning. Kokanee have blue backs, and silver sides and unlike other salmon and trout, except chum salmon, sockeye and kokanee lack distinct dark spots on their backs and tail fins. In addition, when compared to other trout, they have finer scales, larger eyes, and deeply forked tail.

Walleye (Sander vitreus) Walleye have one of the most dedicated angler followings in the state because they can be a challenge to catch and they are one of the best eating freshwater fish anywhere. They are a member of the perch family, and so they are closely related to yellow perch. Their most distinguishing features are: two separate dorsal fins with a dark spot near the base of the spiny first dorsal. They also have prominent canine teeth and the lower lobe of the tail fin has a white margin. Walleye also do not have the dark vertical bars on a yellow-golden background on their sides that are features of yellow perch.

Shad (Alosa sapidissima) The back is metallic-blue to greenish, shading through white to silvery on the belly. A row or rows of dark spots decreases in size toward the tail. These spots are not always visible, but show up when the fish are scaled. A very distinctive characteristic is the saw-like serrated edge along the midline of the belly. Like salmon and steelhead, shad are anadromous. They enter freshwater rivers in the spring to spawn. Unlike Pacific salmon, they do not necessarily die after spawning. Many shad continue to spawn annually.