The largest Pacific salmon, the "king," whose great spawning runs once fed entire Northwest economies.
Where it lives
Chinook salmon range across the North Pacific from central California north through Alaska and across to Kamchatka and northern Japan. They use the largest river systems on the Pacific coast — Sacramento, Columbia, Fraser, Yukon — and may spend one to seven years at sea.
How to recognise it
A robust salmon with small black spots over the back, dorsal fin, and both lobes of the tail. The gum line at the base of the teeth is black — the easiest field mark to distinguish chinook from coho. Spawning fish turn dusky brown to reddish; males develop a powerful kype.
Diet & behavior
At sea, chinook prey on herring, sand lance, anchovies, and squid. Adults returning to rivers stop feeding and may travel thousands of miles upstream. They spawn in autumn or winter in clean gravel and die after spawning.
Fisheries & Conservation
Globally Least Concern, but multiple U.S. stocks are listed as Threatened or Endangered. Chinook anchor commercial, sport, and tribal fisheries; some runs survive only with hatchery support.