King Salmon Animal Information
King Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) - A.K.A. Chinook, Spring Salmon. With its raw, rod busting power and heroic aerial acrobatics. The King Salmon is the king of sportfish in the Pacific Northwest. Considered the ultimate challenge by salmon fishermen, because of its brute strength and gargantuan size. Hooking up with a few of these big strappers during the course of the day, can leave you with soar arms and a tackle box in shambles. The King is the first salmon to enter the rivers in the spring. Their arrival is a highly anticipated event. Fresh from the sea, they have bright silver sides, a white belly, and black spots on a gun metal blue back. Spawning colors range from copper to a deep red. The average king weighs between 20-50 pounds with a few hogs (as they are sometimes called) reaching the 50-100 pound mark. The largest king on record was caught in a fish trap near Petersburg, Alaska in 1949 and weighed a whopping 126 ½ pounds.
