Coho Salmon

There are numerous stocks of Coho salmon.

• Alaska:
  • There are more than 20 different stocks of coho salmon.
  • Alaskan populations of coho salmon are near or above target population levels.
  • The Alaska Coho Salmon Assemblage consists of coho salmon, sockeye salmon, pink salmon, and chum salmon throughout southeast Alaska. There are 3 indicator stocks of coho salmon that are used to determine the status of the assemblage; these indicator stocks are Coho salmon - Auke Creek, Coho salmon - Berners River, and Coho salmon - Hugh Smith Lake.  According to the 2021 Hugh Smith Lake, Auke Creek, and Berners River stock assessments, these stocks are not overfished and not subject to overfishing.  Summary stock assessment information can be found on Stock SMART.
• West Coast:
  • The status of coho populations in California and the Pacific Northwest varies.
  • As of 2022 many individual stocks are not overfished, but one is listed as endangered, and three are considered threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
  • According to the 2023 stock assessment, the Queets stock is overfished, but not subject to overfishing. The remaining stocks are not overfished and not subject to overfishing.  Summary stock assessment information for all West Coast coho salmon stocks can be found on Stock SMART.
• Populations are affected by:
  • Changes in ocean and climatic conditions.
  • Habitat loss from dam construction and urban development.
  • Degraded water quality from agricultural and logging practices.
• Population conservation efforts include:
  • Removal and modification of dams that obstruct salmon migration.
  • Restoration of degraded habitat.
  • Acquisition of key habitat.
  • Improvements to water quality and instream flow.
• The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund supports the restoration of salmon species.

• NOAA Fisheries and the Pacific Fishery Management Council manage coho salmon on the West Coast.
• Managed under the Pacific Coast Salmon Plan:
  • Every year, the council reviews reports of the previous fishing season and current estimates of salmon abundance. Using this information, they make recommendations for management of the upcoming fishing season.
  • Their general goal is to allow fishermen to harvest the maximum amount of salmon that will support the fishery while preventing overharvest of the resource and ensuring that salmon populations with low abundance can rebuild.
  • Specific management measures vary year to year depending on current salmon abundance, and include size limits, season length, quotas, and gear restrictions.
  • Management of coho salmon must also comply with laws such as the Endangered Species Act.
  • Final recommendations are implemented by NOAA Fisheries. Check here for the current season’s management. State and tribal managers use council management recommendations to shape their policies for inland fisheries, to ensure that conservation objectives are met.
  • A rebuilding plan to rebuild the Queets stock to the target population level is in place with a target date of 2020.
  • A rebuilding plan to rebuild the Juan de Fuca stock to the target population level is in place with a target date of 2024.
• NOAA Fisheries and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council manage coho salmon in Alaska. 
• Managed under the Fishery Management Plan for Salmon Fisheries in the EEZ off the Coast of Alaska:
  • All management of the salmon fisheries in federal waters is delegated to the State of Alaska, which is also responsible for managing the commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries for salmon in state waters. This ensures that management is consistent throughout salmon’s range.
    • Managers regulate the fishery based on escapement goals to ensure harvests are sustainable. They want enough salmon to be able to escape the fishery and return to fresh water to spawn and replenish the population.
    • Salmon fishery management largely relies on in-season assessment of how many salmon return to fresh water to spawn.
    • Managers set harvest levels based on these returns. When abundance is high and the number of fish returning is much higher than that needed to meet escapement goals, harvest levels are set higher.
    • In years of low abundance, harvest levels are lowered.
  • During the fishing season, scientists monitor catch and escapement, comparing current returns with those from previous years, to keep an eye on abundance and actively manage the fishery.
• Off the West Coast and in Alaska, the Pacific Salmon Treaty and the Pacific Salmon Commission help coordinate management, research, and enhancement of shared U.S. and international salmon stocks, including coho.

• Commercial fishery:
  • In 2022, commercial landings of coho salmon totaled 13 million pounds and were valued at $16.5 million, according to the NOAA Fisheries commercial fishing landings database.
  • Most of the U.S. coho salmon harvest comes from Alaska (over 90%) with smaller percentages from Washington and Oregon.
• Gear types, habitat impacts, and bycatch:
  • Coho salmon are mainly harvested in commercial troll fisheries in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
  • Troll vessels catch salmon by "trolling" their lines with bait or lures through groups of feeding fish.
  • To retrieve hooked fish, the lines are wound on spools by hand or hydraulically, and the fish are gaffed when alongside the vessel.
  • The troll fishery produces low-volume, high-quality product.
  • Coho are also harvested in commercial seine and gillnet fisheries (described here), both in fisheries targeting stocks of coho and as bycatch in fisheries targeting other species of salmon.
  • Fishing gear used to catch coho salmon rarely contacts the ocean floor and has little impact on habitat.
  • Bycatch is low and usually consists of other salmon species.
• Recreational fishery:
  • Salmon are a favorite catch of recreational fishermen.
  • Coho are spectacular fighters and the most acrobatic of the Pacific salmon.
  • Recreational fishermen use a variety of fishing gear to harvest coho salmon.
  • To ensure recreational fisheries are sustainable, West Coast anglers are only allowed to keep a certain number of salmon per fishing trip.
  • In Alaska, regulations vary by area and individual fisheries.
  • Recreational fisheries in high-use areas (Cook Inlet, Southeast Alaska, Copper River) are regulated through management plans that allocate fish between competing commercial and recreational fishermen.
  • In Washington, Oregon, and the Columbia River, hatchery fish are marked (by clipping the adipose fin), so wild coho can be released and have lower fishing mortality rates.
• Subsistence fishery:
  • Salmon is an important source of spiritual and physical sustenance for Western Indian tribes and Alaska natives, and salmon are culturally important to many other residents of these areas.
  • Subsistence fishermen use a variety of fishing gear to harvest coho salmon.