Side by Side

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 →

Pink Salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha

Typical: 18–25 in, 3–5 lb

Quickest tell: Big oval spots covering the WHOLE tail plus the tiniest scales of any salmon clinch a pink; coho spot only the upper lobe and chum has no real spots.

• Large oval/oblong black blotches over the entire tail AND on the back
• Very small scales (smallest of any Pacific salmon)
• Bright silver at sea; smallest, most slender Pacific salmon
• Spawning males develop a pronounced humped back

Full Pink Salmon guide — season, gear and rules →

When Each Is Running July — current month highlighted

Where Coho Salmon and Pink Salmon Overlap

Both run in Alaska — Southcentral & Southeast — that is where telling them apart actually matters.

← All fish species