Ontario-Great Lakes Area Fact Sheets

Chinook Salmon

General Description

The chinook salmon is the largest pacific salmon species and has the following characteristics:

• the body is fusiform, streamlined, laterally compressed in large adults;
• the snout becomes extended, narrow, and turned down at the tip in breeding males;
• the mouth is greatly deformed in breeding males, with the lower jaw enlarged and turned up at the tip so that the mouth is unable to close;
• the body colour of marine adults is iridescent green to blue-green with gold sheen on the back and top of the head, sides silvery below the lateral line, silvery to white on the underside, and black spots on the back, top of the head, upper sides, and both lobes of caudal fin;
• breeding fish are an overall olive-brown to purple and males are darker in colour than females.

Distribution

As marine adults, the chinook salmon occurs in the Pacific Ocean and Arctic Ocean. In Canada, young and spawning adults are found in most of the rivers flowing into these water bodies. Introductions of chinook salmon into the Great Lakes started in the 1870s.

Habitat and Life History

The chinook salmon is a cold-water fish species. The only freshwater habitat of the anadromous stocks of chinook salmon is the gravelly spawning stream or river. In Canada, most chinooks spend 2 or 3 years in the sea. Maturing chinook salmon move inshore into spawning rivers over most of the year. They proceed up river as short a distance as the point just above tidal influence, e.g. 960 km (600 miles) in the Fraser River and over 1920 km (1200 miles) in the Yukon River. Spawning takes place from July to November in the Fraser River and July and August in the Yukon River. Chinook salmon generally spawn near riffles in larger rivers or tributaries, in deeper water and on larger gravel than the other pacific salmon. The female prepares the redd (nest) by lying on her side and beating vigorously with her tail. The eggs fall into spaces between the gravel and immediately the female begins digging at the upstream edge of the nest covering the eggs with the displaced gravel. The female guards the nest as long as she can, but the adults die shortly after spawning. The eggs hatch in the spring and some fry migrate almost immediately to the sea, but most remain at least 1 year in freshwater. At the end of their stay in freshwater, the young chinook salmon become smolts and begin to migrate to the ocean. The smolts spend some time close to shore and before moving out to the open water.

Food Habits

The food of the marine adult chinook consists mainly of fish and some invertebrates such as squids, shrimps, crab larvae and other crustaceans.

Economic Importance

The chinook salmon has been very important in the native food fishery and in the commercial fish and sport fisheries of the west coast. This species was the first pacific salmon to be introduced elsewhere in Canada, the United States and in countries around the world.

The chinook salmon is an excellent food fish, which is marketed smoked, canned, fresh or frozen.

Fishing Facts

The chinook salmon hybridizes in nature with the coho salmon.

Further Information

For further information, please contact your local DFO office: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans-habitat/habitat/aboutus-apropos/regions/arctic-arctique_e.asp?#1