Pacific Salmon Fishing Guide — Chinook, Coho, Sockeye, and Pink

Species: Chinook (king), coho (silver), pink (humpy), chum (dog), sockeye (red) — five distinct species, all anadromous.
Peak run timing: Chinook — May through September; coho — August through November; pink — July-September (odd-numbered years in most areas); sockeye — July-August; chum — August-November.
Top rivers: Columbia River (OR/WA), Kenai River (AK), Sacramento River (CA), Rogue River (OR), Snohomish River (WA).
Ocean tackle: Heavy 8-10 ft mooching rods; 40-65 lb monofilament; flashers paired with spoons, hoochies, or herring.
River tackle: Medium-heavy spinning or drift rod; 15-30 lb mainline; drift bobber and yarn; jigs; spinners.
Hatchery vs. wild: Many fisheries are hatchery-only retention — clipped adipose fin identifies hatchery fish. Wild (unclipped) fish must be released in most rivers.
License note: A standard state fishing license covers most salmon; many rivers require additional endorsements, punchcard report cards, or tribal permits.

Understanding the four main Pacific salmon species is the foundation of successful West Coast fishing. Each has a distinct size range, temperament, and seasonal window that dictates the appropriate tactics. Chinook (King) salmon are the largest of the Pacific salmon — the all-tackle record is 97 lbs 4 oz, caught on the Kenai River in Alaska in 1985, and fish over 50 lbs are caught every season on the Kenai and the Sacramento. Chinook have spring runs (April–June on many California and Oregon rivers) and fall runs (August–November on most systems from the Columbia north through Southeast Alaska). They are the most commercially valuable Pacific salmon species and the primary target for ocean trollers from Monterey Bay to Southeast Alaska. Chinook hold deep in the water column — typically 50 to 200 feet — and require precise depth control with downriggers or heavy tackle. Coho (Silver) salmon weigh 8 to 20 lbs on average and are the most acrobatic fighters in the family. They feed aggressively near the surface in the ocean and are prime targets for casting spoons and spinners near the beach. Coho run in fall — September through November in most systems — and enter rivers with more aggressive energy than the methodical Chinook. They are the preferred species for fly fishing because of their willingness to chase surface and near-surface presentations. Sockeye (Red) salmon are the best-tasting of the Pacific salmon, prized for their deep red flesh and rich flavor. They migrate in tight schools in the open ocean and are notoriously difficult to catch on hook-and-line because they feed almost exclusively on zooplankton rather than baitfish. Snagging tactics (legal in some Alaskan personal-use fisheries) and small flies or bare hooks imitating plankton are used in rivers. The Fraser River, Copper River, and Kenai River sockeye runs are among the most famous in the world. Pink (Humpy) salmon are the smallest Pacific salmon at 3 to 5 lbs and run on odd-year schedules in Washington and British Columbia — 2025, 2027, 2029 — though even-year runs occur in Alaska. They are the most abundant salmon species globally and provide some of the most accessible fishing on the West Coast. Small spinners, spoons, and flies in pink or chartreuse produce well. Pink salmon are a gateway species for new salmon anglers, and an odd-year pink run in Puget Sound or the Strait of Juan de Fuca puts thousands of willing fish within reach of small boats and shore anglers. Key rivers and systems for Pacific salmon include the Columbia River (multi-species, OR/WA), the Kenai River (Chinook, Sockeye, AK), the Sacramento River (Chinook, CA), the Rogue River (Chinook, Coho, OR), and the Quillayute system on the Olympic Peninsula (WA). Each river has its own run timing, hatchery and wild stock mix, and regulatory framework.

Ocean trolling is the dominant technique for targeting Chinook and Coho from boats in the Pacific. The standard setup from California to British Columbia centers on a flasher and hoochie rig: a 36-inch Chinook flasher (a rotating attractor blade in chrome, green, or chartreuse) on 20–30 lb monofilament, followed by a 26- to 32-inch leader to a hoochie (a rubber squid-style lure). Hoochie colors that consistently produce include chartreuse, green-glow, army truck, and white with red head. The flasher creates pulsing vibration and flash that mimics a school of baitfish, while the hoochie rides behind it imitating a fleeing squid or herring. Trolling speed for a flasher-and-hoochie setup is 1.8 to 2.4 mph — faster than most freshwater anglers expect. Downriggers are essential for controlling depth when targeting Chinook, which often suspend 80 to 200 feet below the surface over deep ocean structure. Cannon and Scotty downriggers dominate the Pacific salmon market. The downrigger cable carries a 10- to 15-lb ball to the target depth, with a release clip that pops the line free when a fish strikes. Stacking two rods per downrigger — a deep rod and a shallow rod — is standard practice on serious charter boats. For a more natural presentation, motor mooching with a plug-cut herring is a classic technique on both California and Alaska charters. The herring is cut at a diagonal angle to create a spinning, fluttering fall when the boat slows to 1.2 to 1.8 mph. A double-hook mooching rig (two hooks on a 36-inch leader) keeps the herring from spinning off the hook. Planer boards spread lines to the sides of the boat, allowing multiple rods to be fished simultaneously without tangling. On large bay systems like San Francisco Bay and Puget Sound, mooching from an anchored boat over known holding structure is also effective. Electronics play a critical role: Fish Hawk and Cannon Digi-Troll downrigger computers measure actual trolling speed at depth (which differs significantly from surface speed) and water temperature, letting anglers find the thermal layer where baitfish and salmon are holding. For very deep Chinook (150 to 200+ feet), electric reels like the Shimano Dendoh and Daiwa Tanacom are used to manage the effort of repeated deep drops.

River salmon fishing requires a fundamentally different approach from ocean trolling — the angler presents bait in moving water to fish that are no longer actively feeding but will react to stimuli out of aggression, territorial instinct, or conditioned reflex. Back-bouncing is the premier technique for large Chinook in big rivers like the Sacramento, Columbia, and Kenai. The rig starts with a three-way swivel: one arm to the mainline (20–30 lb mono or braid), one arm to a dropper with a slinky weight or pencil lead (2 to 6 oz depending on current), and one arm to an 18- to 24-inch fluorocarbon leader terminating in a single or double egg hook in size 1 to 2/0. The angler presents the bait from a drifting or anchored boat, lowering the rig to the riverbed and working it downstream with slow, deliberate lifts and drops. The weight ticks the bottom while the bait drifts naturally in the current slightly above. Top back-bouncing baits are sand shrimp (fresh or ghost shrimp) and cured salmon eggs. The scent trail is critical — salmon in rivers respond to scent even when visibility is nil. Drift fishing is the shore angler's primary method on smaller rivers. The corky-and-yarn setup uses a small round foam float (corky) in fluorescent orange, pink, or red pegged on the fluorocarbon leader above a 1/0 egg hook with a small piece of yarn. A pencil lead or slinky weight is added on a shorter dropper above the swivel. Cast upstream, allow the rig to drift naturally along the bottom through known holding water — tailouts, deep slots, and the seam between fast and slow current. Cured salmon eggs in a mesh bag (spawn sack) or unwrapped on a single hook are the standard bait. Kwikfish and Hot Shot plugs are another proven river technique. A Kwikfish K14 or K15 wrapped with a sardine or herring fillet is back-trolled from an anchored boat directly over known holding lies, the lure diving to the bottom and vibrating in place for 20 to 30 minutes. The setup can also be plunked from shore below dams where salmon stack in the tailrace. Side-drifting from a drift boat — presenting bait on a long, nearly slack leader while the boat drifts sideways in the current — is a guide-boat standard on Oregon and Washington rivers that covers large amounts of holding water efficiently.

Fly fishing for Pacific salmon and steelhead on the same rivers is a pursuit that demands heavier gear, more backing, and a fundamentally different cast-and-swing presentation than trout fishing. The standard salmon fly rod is an 8- or 9-weight single-hand rod (9 to 10 feet) or a 12- to 14-foot Spey rod for two-hand casting in wide rivers. Spey casting allows long presentations without backcast room — critical on brushy coastal rivers in Oregon and Washington. A large-arbor reel with a strong drag and a minimum of 250 yards of 30 lb Dacron backing is mandatory. A 40 lb Chinook running downstream in fast current will take you to the backing on the first run. Line selection depends on water depth and current speed. Sink-tip lines (T-8 to T-17 grain-per-foot tips) get flies down in faster, deeper water. Full-sinking running lines are used in slow, deep pools. Floating lines with a weighted fly work in shallow, slow tailouts — the most common scenario for Coho and Pink salmon in smaller coastal rivers. Fly patterns for salmon and steelhead break into two categories: egg and flesh patterns for Chinook (large globular egg clusters in orange/peach/chartreuse; bunny strip flesh flies in natural or pink), and traditional featherwing and marabou patterns for Coho and steelhead. The Egg Sucking Leech (a black woolly bugger with a pink or chartreuse bead head) is a universal river salmon and steelhead fly. The Popsicle, a marabou intruder in purple and orange, is one of the most productive Coho flies in BC and SE Alaska. The Intruder — a large, articulated pattern developed on the Skagit River — is the modern standard for large steelhead. Presentation follows the quarter-and-swing method: cast 45 degrees downstream and across the current, mend the line upstream once or twice to slow the swing, then let the fly arc across the current to hang directly below you before recasting. The strike from a salmon or steelhead on a swung fly — a hard pull that loads the rod before the angler has time to react — is the signature sensation of Pacific Northwest fly fishing. Steelhead — sea-run rainbow trout — are often found on the same rivers as returning salmon from October through April. In Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and California, they require a separate steelhead tag or harvest card in addition to the base fishing license. Wild steelhead (unclipped adipose fin) are catch-and-release only in most rivers on the West Coast.

Cured salmon eggs are the single most productive bait for river salmon and steelhead across the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Understanding the curing process — from fresh eggs to finished bait — separates consistently productive river anglers from occasional ones. Obtaining eggs: The most reliable source is a female salmon you catch yourself. When cleaning a female salmon, remove the egg skein (the membrane holding the egg clusters) intact. Keep it cold immediately in a cooler with ice. Some bait shops sell uncured fresh skein during salmon season, particularly in Alaska and Washington. Curing methods: Three primary curing agents are used by serious salmon egg fishermen. Borax is the simplest — pack dry borax around the egg clusters in a bowl or Ziploc bag, let it draw moisture from the eggs for 12 to 24 hours, and the result is a firm, slightly tacky egg with a long shelf life. Borax cures produce natural pink to orange eggs. Sodium sulfite cures (such as ProCure Egg Cure, Pautzke's Fire Cure, or Atlas Mike's Balls O' Fire) add color along with the curing chemistry, producing bright red, flame orange, or chartreuse eggs depending on the product. These commercially prepared cures are the most consistent option for anglers who don't cure frequently. Dry-brining with sugar and salt (1:1 ratio, sometimes with a small amount of borax added) produces a natural-flavored egg with a firm texture and glossy finish preferred by some Columbia River guides. Color selection: In clear water, natural orange or peach eggs generally outperform fire-cured red eggs. In stained, off-color water, bright red or fluorescent pink eggs are far more visible and often dramatically outfish natural presentations. Keep multiple colors on the water when conditions are uncertain. Rigging: A spawn sack (mesh bag tied with a piece of elastic thread and secured over 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of loose eggs) is standard for drift fishing and back-bouncing. Single eggs on a size 10 to 14 hook are a finesse technique for clear-water steelhead. Cluster presentations (thumb-sized portions of skein mounted on a 1/0 hook) work well in faster, deeper water. Storage: Properly cured eggs last up to two weeks in the refrigerator and six months in the freezer when sealed in a Ziploc bag with excess air removed. Do not freeze eggs more than once — the texture degrades significantly with repeated freeze-thaw cycles.

Salmon and steelhead in rivers hold in specific lies dictated by current speed, depth, and dissolved oxygen levels. Learning to read the river is the skill that separates consistently productive anglers from those who fish the wrong water. Prime holding lies for Chinook and Coho include: Tailouts — the shallow, accelerating water at the downstream end of a deep pool where the river transitions toward the next riffle. Salmon rest in deep pools and push through tailouts on their upstream migration; the tailout is where they are catchable before they accelerate into the riffle. Deep slots along gravel bars and submerged ledges provide the low-energy holding water salmon prefer during rest periods. Soft seams behind boulders, bridge pilings, and woody debris create current breaks where Coho in particular will stage for hours. Confluence water where a tributary joins a main river creates eddies and mixing zones that salmon use as staging areas before pushing into the colder tributary. Understanding the feeding behavior shift: A critical distinction for salmon river fishing is that salmon in freshwater do not feed. They have stopped eating entirely from the moment they enter freshwater. They strike baits and lures out of aggression, territorial defense, conditioned reflex (they respond to the same stimuli they fed on in the ocean), and occasionally pure curiosity. This means scent-based presentations (cured eggs, sand shrimp, herring-wrapped plugs) work by triggering aggression and territorial response rather than hunger. Flow triggers: Salmon push upstream on rising water — a rain event that bumps river flow 20 to 50% is a classic "salmon push" trigger that sends fish moving. Anglers fishing 24 to 48 hours after a rain event often experience the best fishing of the season. On falling, clearing water, fish that have pushed upstream settle into lies and become more difficult to move. Temperature windows: Salmon fishing peaks when water temperature is 48 to 60°F. Above 65°F, salmon become lethargic and stressed; many states implement emergency closures when temperatures exceed this threshold to protect migrating fish. Below 40°F, cold water slows fish metabolism and reduces bite frequency. The fishable window in a given river often narrows to two to four hours at peak tide or peak light conditions during cold stretches. Muddy water fishing: Back-bouncing with strong-scented baits (sand shrimp, raw salmon eggs) remains productive in high, off-color water. Reduce lead weight and slow the presentation to keep the bait near the bottom longer. Many experienced guides fish the first 12 hours of a rain event before visibility drops below six inches — fish are still active and moving, and the turbidity masks your presence on the bank.

Pacific salmon regulations are among the most complex in all of North American fishing and change frequently based on run strength assessments made in late winter and early spring. Missing a regulatory requirement — particularly a punch card or retention rule — can result in substantial fines. License and tag structure: In Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, and Alaska, the base state fishing license does not cover salmon harvest. Each state requires an additional salmon and steelhead tag or punch card purchased separately. Oregon issues Combined Angling Tags that cover salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, and halibut. Washington issues a separate Salmon/Steelhead Catch Record Card. California requires a sportfishing license plus a separate salmon stamp. Alaska issues annual sport fishing licenses with specific salmon provisions. The punch card is a physical card that must be immediately tagged upon catching a salmon designated for retention — before removing the fish from the water. At the end of the season, the completed punch card must be returned to the issuing state agency regardless of whether any fish were harvested. Failure to return a punch card can result in disqualification from future license purchases in some states. Hatchery vs. wild regulations: On virtually all West Coast salmon rivers, hatchery and wild fish are subject to different retention rules. Hatchery fish have a clipped (removed) adipose fin — the small, fleshy fin between the dorsal fin and tail. These are marked fish from hatchery programs and may be retained. Wild salmon (unclipped adipose fin present) are catch-and-release only on most rivers and seasons, with narrow exceptions. Knowing how to quickly and correctly identify an adipose clip under field conditions — while the fish is still in the water — is a mandatory skill for any Pacific salmon angler. Tribal fishing rights: Many major Pacific salmon rivers — the Columbia, the Yakima, the Quinault, the Elwha, the Klamath — cross or adjoin lands subject to tribal treaty fishing rights. Tribal fisheries are separate from state-licensed recreational fisheries, and understanding where tribal-only water begins and ends is part of knowing the regulations on these systems. Check tribal websites (Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla, Quinault Indian Nation, Yurok Tribe, Nez Perce Tribe) for co-management boundaries. State resources: Oregon ODFW (dfw.state.or.us), Washington WDFW (wdfw.wa.gov), California CDFW (wildlife.ca.gov), Alaska ADF&G (adfg.alaska.gov), and Idaho Fish and Game (idfg.idaho.gov) each publish annual salmon fishing regulations that must be reviewed before every trip — rules can and do change between the time regulations are printed and the season opens based on in-season run assessments.