Different Types Of Salmon In Shelter Cove

There are many different types of salmon that you can fish for while in Shelter Cove. Here is a brief guide to what to look for when salmon fishing in Shelter Cove:

The Chinook salmon is also known as the king salmon in Shelter Cove. Of all the Pacific salmon the king is the largest. The king salmon is lightly and irregularly spotted on its blue-green back. They also have a black pigment along their gum line. Spawning kings in fresh water range in color from red to copper to almost black.

The Sockeye salmon is also called the red salmon due to the bright red color of its flesh, and it is the second most abundant salmon species in Shelter Cove. Sockeye salmon are the slimmest and most streamlined of the 5 species of Pacific salmon. They differ from kings, silvers, and pink salmon by the lack of large black spots, and they differ from chum salmon by having more gill rakers on the first gill. Sockeye are generally a greenish-blue color with silver sides and a white or silver belly.

Coho salmon are known as silver salmon in Shelter Cove and are an excellent game fish. Coho salmon have bright silver sides and have small black spots on their back. Spawning salmon of both sexes develop red to maroon colored sides. The males develop a hooked snout with large teeth.

Pink salmon are also known as the humpback in Shelter Cove. Prior to spawning the pink salmon develops a pronounced hump on its back. The color of the pink salmon is generally a bright steely blue on top and silver on the sides. It has many large black spots on its back and over the entire tail fin. It has small scales and its flesh is pink, befitting its name.

The spawning pink salmon develops an olive green to black color on its back with a light-colored to white belly. It develops a very pronounced hump and hooked jaws.

Sometimes called "dog salmon" in Shelter Cove, the chum salmon is a traditional source of dried fish for winter use. Chum salmon have a metallic greenish-blue back surface with fine black spots. They resemble sockeye and silver salmon so closely that one needs to examine their gills and fins closely to make a positive identification.

After learning how to identify different types of salmon, you should have lots of fun salmon fishing in Shelter Cove!

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