Side by Side

Brown Trout Salmo trutta

Typical: 16–26 in, 2–10 lb

Key field mark: Red-orange spots with pale halos and a nearly spotless tail mark a brown trout; steelhead and the salmon carry black-only spots and a clearly spotted tail.

• Buttery-brown to golden body
• Both black AND red/orange spots, many ringed with pale halos
• Few or no spots on the squared tail
• Adipose fin often tinged orange
• Sparse spotting below the lateral line
• Thick, blunt head

Full Brown Trout guide — season, gear and rules →

Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch

Typical: 20–26 in, 4–8 lb

Key field mark: Coho has a WHITE gum line (the reliable tell) with tail spots on the upper lobe only; Chinook has a black mouth WITH black gums and spots on both tail lobes; steelhead has a fully white mouth and gums.

• Chrome silver with a metallic blue-green back
• Black spots on the back and the UPPER lobe of the tail only
• Dark/gray mouth interior but a WHITE gum line at the tooth bases
• 12-15 anal fin rays
• Broad, only slightly forked tail
• Typically smaller and slimmer than a Chinook

Full Coho Salmon guide — season, gear and rules →

When Each Is Running July — current month highlighted

Where Brown Trout and Coho Salmon Overlap

Both run in Great Lakes — that is where telling them apart actually matters.

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