Coho Salmon
Oncorhynchus kisutch. Dark metallic blue to green back with silvery sides and small black spots on the back and upper tail lobe only.
Photos
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Identification
- Dark metallic blue to green back with silvery sides and small black spots on the back and upper tail lobe only.
- Spawning fish turn dark with reddish-maroon sides, and males develop a strongly hooked snout and large teeth.
- Typically 8 to 12 pounds and 24 to 30 inches, smaller than Chinook but larger than most trout.
- Like Chinook, all coho salmon die after spawning.
Top lures
- Trolling spoon (spoon , silver/chartreuse/pink): Trolled behind a flasher in lakes and saltwater, standard coho tactics.
- Hoochie squid skirt (soft plastic , pink/green/glow white): Trolled behind a flasher, often tipped with bait for scent.
- Bucktail jig (jig , pink/chartreuse): Cast to fish staged at stream mouths waiting for higher flows before running upstream.
- Streamer fly (fly , pink/chartreuse/white): Cast or trolled near the surface for coho holding in open water.
Top baits
- Herring: Rigged on a trolling harness behind a flasher, a standard coho presentation.
- Sand shrimp: Fished below a slip sinker, drifted through pools in rivers and stream mouths.
Line & tackle
- Line: 8–20 lb
- Rod power: Medium trolling or casting rod, lighter than Chinook tackle but stout enough for a hard-fighting fish
- Hook sizes: A size 4 to 1/0 single hook for bait and drift rigs
Stocked behavior
Coho gather at the mouths of streams and wait for water flow to rise, such as after a rain storm, before heading upstream to spawn. Juveniles rear in fresh water for roughly a year before migrating to sea, and hatchery-origin fish follow the same pattern as wild coho once released.
Common mistakes
- Fishing upstream water when fish are staged at a stream mouth waiting for higher flow to move.
- Piling on Chinook-weight gear; WDFW notes coho can sit close to the surface, where lures may need no added weight at all.
- Overlooking small urban and neighborhood streams; coho can use these if cold, clean, year-round water is present.
State records
| State | Weight | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 25.27 lbs | Brad Wilson | Quinault River, Grays Harbor County | 2001 |
Source: Washington's official record page , accessed 2026-09-19.
Where it's stocked
No stocking events recorded for Coho Salmon yet.
Sources
- identification (accessed 2026-09-19)
- identification (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)
- line_and_tackle (accessed 2026-09-19)
- common_mistakes (accessed 2026-09-19)
- common_mistakes (accessed 2026-09-19)