Anglers should use three or more distinguishing characteristics to
properly identify all salmon. This would, for example, aid in
identifying juvenile chinook from adult pink salmon. In the early adult
stage, pink salmon are often mistaken for chinook because both have
spots on their tails.
Pink salmon have tiny scales and a tail heavily marked with large oval spots. Unlike the other salmon species, the tail of a pink has no silver in it. In the sea, pinks have silver bodies with spotted backs. They are the smallest of the Pacific salmon, usually weighing about 2.2 kg, but occasionally reaching 5.5 kg. They are more abundant in northern waters in even-numbered years and in southern waters in odd-numbered years. Pinks live only two years.
Each pink salmon you keep must be at least 30 cm long.

Mature males are yellowish gray on the sides of their body, blotched with brown, and dark along back. Females are olive green on the sides of their body with dusky stripes. Both males and females appear dirty white below the lateral line, and their tails have large oval spots.

|
Pink Jaw The mouth in a pink salmon is white, but the gums are black, as they are in a chinook. It does not have "teeth" on its tongue. |
Pink Tail ![]() The pink salmon has a V-shaped tail coverd with large oval spots. Its scales are very small. |
Return to Salmon Information