Atlantic Salmon
Salmo salar. Silvery flanks with black spots on the upper body and a forked tail; unlike brown trout, no spots on the adipose or tail fin.
Photos
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Identification
- Silvery flanks with black spots on the upper body and a forked tail; unlike brown trout, no spots on the adipose or tail fin.
- Small X-shaped markings along the back and upper sides, a trait shared with the sea-run form of the same species.
- Landlocked adults typically run 16-18 inches and 1 to 1.5 pounds, with 3-5 pound fish considered a good catch.
- Spawning males develop a hooked lower jaw called a kype, the same feature seen in sea-run Atlantic salmon.
Depth by season
| Season | Depth | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | – | Fish feed near the surface and close to shore as ice-out water is still cold. |
| Summer | 30–60 ft | Fish descend to 30-60 feet as surface water warms past their roughly 55°F comfort zone. |
| Fall | – | Fish return to feeding near the surface and close to shore as the water cools. |
| Winter | 0–15 ft | Ice anglers do best within the first 15 feet below the ice. |
Top lures
- Smelt-imitating stickbait (crankbait , silver/copper/gold): Trolled near the surface in spring and fall when fish hold shallow and close to shore.
- Trolling spoon (spoon , silver/copper/gold): Trolled with lead-core line or a downrigger to reach 30-60 feet in summer.
- Smelt-mimicking streamer fly (fly , white/silver/blue): Cast or trolled near shoals and shoreline structure in spring and fall.
- Weighted nymph (fly , brown/olive): Fished on a fly rod in spring around shoals, reefs, and shoreline rock outcroppings.
Top baits
- Smelt (dead or alive): Still-fished or trolled near the surface in spring and fall, or within 15 feet of the surface through the ice.
- Jig: Fished within the first 15 feet below the ice in winter.
Line & tackle
- Line: 6–8 lb
- Rod power: Light trolling or fly rod for surface fishing; lead-core line or a downrigger outfit for deep summer trolling
- Hook sizes: Size 8 hook when jigging a small smelt
Stocked behavior
Landlocked Atlantic salmon growth depends on healthy smelt populations, and growth is reported to suffer in lakes without enough forage to support them. Maine maintains landlocked salmon fisheries across more than 300 lakes through stocking, and fish follow a predictable seasonal depth pattern, shallow in spring and fall, 30-60 feet in summer, and shallow again under the ice in winter.
Common mistakes
- Fishing the same depth year-round; landlocked salmon move from shallow to 30-60 feet and back as seasons change.
- Using tackle or flies that don't imitate smelt, the forage base landlocked salmon growth depends on.
- Fishing open water in summer without a depth finder; summer fish suspend at a specific depth worth locating.
State records
| State | Weight | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 14.38 lbs | Ron Howard | Green River, King County | 1999 |
Source: Washington's official record page , accessed 2026-09-19.
Where it's stocked
No stocking events recorded for Atlantic Salmon yet.
Sources
- identification (accessed 2026-09-19)
- identification (accessed 2026-09-19)
- depth_by_season (accessed 2026-09-19)
- depth_by_season (accessed 2026-09-19)
- stocked_behaviour (accessed 2026-09-19)
- top_lures (accessed 2026-09-19)
- top_baits (accessed 2026-09-19)
- line_and_tackle (accessed 2026-09-19)
- common_mistakes (accessed 2026-09-19)
- common_mistakes (accessed 2026-09-19)