Chinook Salmon (King)

• Largest of the salmon, with a lightly spotted blue-green back
• Largest, most highly prized by trophy fishers
• 1.5 to 30 kg (3 to 65 lb)
• Dark mouth with black gums at the base of the teeth
• V-shaped silvery tail, the top and bottom generally covered with spots

Trophy fish of 13.6 to 27.2 kilograms (30 to 60 lbs.), also called Tyees, are surprisingly common in provincial waters from June through early September. From October into May, fishing can be good for still immature "feeders" of "springs" of 2.3 to 11.4 kilograms (5 to 25 lbs.) Chinook live from three to seven years.

Chinook tend to feed near steep shorelines and drop offs, typically near the bottom. Most are caught on slow-trolled or mooched cut-plug herring but large plugs trolled on downriggers can be excellent. They rarely leap; rather, their fight is characterised by powerful, determined runs, and battles with large chinook often last a half-hour or more.

The flesh varies from white to deep-red and is very rich (although some natural runs of chinook in southern BC have an equally rich nearly white flesh).

Source: Fisheries and Oceans Canada