Coho Salmon
Coho Salmon
Oncorhynchus kisutch
Quick Facts
Coho salmon. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
Coho salmon. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
About the Species
U.S. wild-caught coho salmon is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.
NOAA Fisheries works in cooperation with federal, state, tribal, and Canadian officials to manage these commercial, recreational, and tribal harvest of salmon and steelhead in ocean and inland waters of the West Coast and Alaska. To learn more about management of these fisheries, visit our West Coast and Alaska fisheries management pages.
Some evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) of coho salmon are listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Learn more about protected coho salmon.
Population
There are numerous stocks of Coho salmon. The Queets and Juan de Fuca stocks are overfished, but the fishing rate established under rebuilding plans promote population growth. All stocks are managed using strict regulations.
Fishing Rate
Not subject to overfishing.
Habitat Impact
Fishing gear used to catch coho salmon rarely contacts the ocean floor and has little impact on habitat.
Bycatch
Regulations are in place to minimize bycatch.
Population Status
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 2017 Hugh Smith Lake and 2021 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 2022 stock assessments, the Queets and Juan de Fuca stocks are 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.
Appearance
- Commonly called silver salmon, coho have dark metallic blue or greenish backs with silver sides and a light belly.
- While they are in the ocean, they have small black spots on their back and on the upper lobe of the tail.
- The gumline in the lower jaw has lighter pigment than on Chinook salmon.
- In fresh water, spawning coho are dark with reddish-maroon coloration on the sides.
- Spawning males develop a strongly hooked snout and large teeth.
- Before juvenile coho migrate to the sea, they lose their parr marks (a pattern of vertical bars and spots useful for camouflage) and gain the dark back and light belly coloration of coho living in the ocean.
Biology
- Coho salmon are anadromous—they hatch in freshwater streams and spend a year in streams and rivers then migrate out to the saltwater environment of the ocean to feed and grow.
- Some stocks of coho salmon migrate more than 1,000 miles in the ocean, while other stocks remain in marine areas close to the streams where they were born.
- They spend about 1½ years feeding in the ocean, then return to their natal streams or rivers to spawn, generally in fall or early winter.
- Adult coho salmon usually weigh 8 to 12 pounds and are 24 to 30 inches long.
- They typically spawn between the ages of 3 and 4.
- Female coho dig out gravel nests (redds) on stream bottoms where they lay their eggs.
- The eggs incubate for 6 to 7 weeks until they hatch.
- All coho salmon die after spawning.
- The newly hatched larvae remain in the gravel until the yolk sac is absorbed.
- While in fresh water, young coho salmon feed on plankton and insects.
- While in the ocean, they switch to a diet of small fishes such as herring, sandlance, anchovies, and sardines.
- Adults are also known to eat juveniles of other salmon species, especially pink and chum salmon, as well as juvenile sablefish.
- Otters, seals, and a variety of fish and birds prey on juvenile coho. Sharks, sea lions, seals, and orcas feed on adult coho.
- After salmon spawn and die, salmon carcasses are a valuable source of energy and nutrients to the river ecosystem. Carcasses have been shown to improve newly hatched salmon growth and survival by contributing nitrogen and phosphorous compounds to streams.
Where They Live
Range
- Coho salmon are found throughout the North Pacific Ocean and in most coastal streams and rivers from Alaska to central California.
- In North America, they're most abundant in coastal areas from southeast Alaska to central Oregon.
- Coho salmon have also been introduced in all the Great Lakes, as well as many other landlocked reservoirs throughout the United States.
Habitat
- Coho salmon spend their early life growing and feeding in freshwater streams, estuaries, and associated wetlands.
- They spend the remainder of their life foraging in the ocean before returning to the streams and tributaries where they were born to spawn.
Fishery Management
- 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.
Harvest
- 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.
Scientific Classification
- Coho salmon are found throughout the North Pacific Ocean and in most coastal streams and rivers from Alaska to central California.
- In North America, they're most abundant in coastal areas from southeast Alaska to central Oregon.
- Coho salmon have also been introduced in all the Great Lakes, as well as many other landlocked reservoirs throughout the United States.
- Coho salmon spend their early life growing and feeding in freshwater streams, estuaries, and associated wetlands.
- They spend the remainder of their life foraging in the ocean before returning to the streams and tributaries where they were born to spawn.
Fishery Management
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Harvest
- 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.
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia | Phylum | Chordata | Class | Actinopterygii | Order | Salmoniformes | Family | Salmonidae | Genus | Oncorhynchus | Species | kisutch |
|---|
Featured News
Oregon angler Jim Anderson displays a wild Oregon Coast coho salmon that he caught in the popular coastal fishery for the rebounding species. Although still listed under the Endangered Species Act, the wild species is productive enough to support a popular sport fishery. Photo courtesy Lance Kruzic/NOAA Fisheries.
3D render and imaging of topographic map of Alaska showing the Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea. Satellite images courtesy of NASA. Credit: Frank Ramspott
Veteran Colton Long monitors salmon and steelhead habitat in California’s Klamath River basin. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.
Tulalip tribal youth singers and dancers kicked off the celebration of new federal funding for tribal fish hatcheries.
Related Species
Seafood Facts
Is Coho Salmon Sustainable?
U.S. wild-caught coho salmon is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.
Availability
Fresh mainly in summer through late fall and frozen year-round.
Source
U.S. wild-caught mainly from Alaska with smaller amounts from Washington and Oregon.
Taste
Smaller coho have a delicate flavor. Fillets from larger fish have a mild taste.
Texture
Coho has a high oil content and appears soft when raw, but becomes firm and flaky when cooked.
Color
The flesh is reddish-orange, usually pinker than that of chum salmon, but paler than Chinook or sockeye.
Health Benefits
Coho salmon is low in sodium and a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, niacin, vitamin B12, and selenium.
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1; Serving Weight: 100 g (raw); Calories: 146; Protein: 21.62 g; Total Fat: 5.93 g; Total Saturated Fatty Acids: 1.260 g; Carbohydrate: 0 g; Total Sugars: 0 g; Total Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Cholesterol: 45 mg; Selenium: 36.5 mcg; Sodium: 46 mgSeafood News
NOAA Fisheries, in collaboration with Blue Ocean Mariculture, is conducting a multi-year pilot study to evaluate observational methods and tools for studying Hawaiian monk seal behavior. Courtesy of Blue Ocean Mariculture
Tonya Wick aboard a fishing vessel at sea in 1998. Photo courtesy of Tonya Wick
Fish on display at the market. Credit: Shutterstock
Fishermen offloading. Credit: Shutterstock
Science Overview
NOAA Fisheries conducts various research activities on the biology, behavior, and ecology of coho salmon. The results of this research are used to inform management decisions for this species.
For detailed information about stock status, management, assessments, and resource trends, you can search for coho salmon, and any other species of interest, using NOAA’s StockSMART web tool.
Coho Salmon Research in Alaska
Our work to forecast salmon harvests, assess the impact of commercial fisheries on salmon, and evaluate how salmon populations respond to environmental changes enable us to estimate abundance and trends for coho salmon in Alaska.
More on salmon research in Alaska
Coho Salmon Research in the Pacific Northwest
Our research on Pacific salmon covers several topics including bycatch, salmon harvest forecasts, ecotoxicology, genetics, marine survival and responses to climate change.
More on coho salmon research in the Pacific Northwest
Salmon Stock Assessments
NOAA Fisheries’ scientific stock assessments are key to fisheries management. They examine the effects of fishing and other factors to describe the past and current status of a fish stock, answer questions about the size of a fish stock, and make predictions about how a fish stock will respond to current and future management measures. Fish stock assessments support sustainable fisheries by providing fisheries managers with the information necessary to make sound decisions.
