Fish I.D. Pink Salmon - Oncorhynchus gorbuscha

[KingSalmon Admin]

Pink Salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha

A.k.A. Names: Humpy, humped backed salmon
Family: Salmonidae
Range: Northern Washington, North to Bering Strait Alaska, Bering Sea regions, Great Lakes region
I.D. Tips: Large hump on back, grey and white color split at about lateral line, thin hooked kype
Run Timing: July, August, and September, run is strongest on even numbered years in Alaska
Travel: Travels in small groups, moves with haste through center of stream
Holding: Drifts, pools, often rests near the front of shallow holes
Spawning Preference: Gravel side channels and shallow riffs, spawns through September
Spawning Color: Upper half of salmon is grey, lower half white.
Average Adult Size: 2 to 6 Lbs

Please Keep Native Salmon & Steelhead in Water While Releasing Them!

Fresh or Bright Female Pink Salmon




Fresh or Bright Male Pink Salmon


Male Pink Salmon About 48 Hours in Tidewater


Male Pink Salmon About 1 Week in Freshwater


Male Pink Salmon Head


The Pink salmon [Oncorhynchus gorbuscha] is the smallest of the 5 species of Pacific salmon. Easily identified by the large hump and small size, giving them an odd football shape. The upper half tends to be shades of grey with light black spots while the lower half of the fish appears white with hints of red around the fin and gill areas. Some females may display dark vertical bar patterns similar to a chum. It is often suggested that anglers look for fresh schools of bright pink salmon entering with the daily tides since dark pink salmon are considered poor table fair. Pinks will often hold in tidewater and move less than a few hundreds yards upstream to spawn. Look for small rolling salmon to mark their location - see photo below.

Pink Salmon Rolling in Alaska's Kenai River


Pink Salmon Will Often Roll While Traveling in Freshwater

Photos: Mike & Nick Braun, Matthew Clark

Pink Salmon Links & Resources

• Land Big Fish.com: Pink Salmon
• Wiki Pink Salmon

Fish I.D. Pages SSSF

• Fish I.D. American Shad - Alosa sapidissima
• Fish I.D. Chinook Salmon - Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
• Fish I.D. Chum Salmon - Oncorhynchus keta
• Fish I.D. Coho Salmon - Oncorhynchus kisutch
• Fish I.D. Pink Salmon - Oncorhynchus gorbuscha
• Fish I.D. Sockeye Salmon - Oncorhynchus nerka
• Fish I.D. Steelhead Trout - Oncorhynchus mykiss
• Fish I.D. Walleye - Stizostedion Vitreum
• Fish I.D. White Sturgeon - Acipenser transmontanu

Angler Fights Pink Salmon in Hope Alaska