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## Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
Status| Species Description | Habitat| Distribution | Population Trends | Threats | Conserva t Taxonomy| Key Documents | More Info


## Status ESA Endangered - 2 ESUs ESA Threatened - 7 ESUs* ESA Candidate Species - 1 ESU ESA Species of Concern - 1 ESU
* Snake River fall-run ESU under review for delisting The Sacramento River winter-run chinook is one of NOAA Fisheries' Species in the Spotligh t

Sacramento River Winter-Run Chinook Salmon Spotlight Species 5-Year Action Plan West Coast Regional Office salmon management program Recovery plan for Central Valley salmon and steelhead trout Other NOAA Fisheries Species in the Spotlight 

## Species Description Weight: 40 pounds (18 kg), but can be up to 120 pounds (55 kg) Length: considered mature at about 3 feet (1 m) Appearance: at sea, they are blue-green back with silver flanks Lifespan: they spend 3 months-2 years in freshwater and about 2-4 years at sea Diet: insects, amphipods, and other crustaceans while young, and mainly fish as adults Behavior: adults migrate from a marine environment in to the freshwater streams and rivers of t h birth in order to mate ( "anadromous" ) Chinook salmon are very similar to coho salmon in appearance while at sea (blue-green back wit h flanks), except for their large size, small black spots on both lobes of the tail, and black pigment al o base of the teeth. Adults migrate from a marine environment into the fr eshwater streams and rivers of their birth in or d mate (called anadromy). They spawn only once and then die (called semelparity). They feed on terrestrial and aquatic insects, amphipods, and other crustaceans while young, and primarily on other fishes when older. Populations exhibit considerable variability in size and age of maturation, and at least some portion variation is genetically determined. There is a relationship between small size and long distance of migration that may also reflect the earlier timing of river entry and the cessation of feeding for Chin o Fisheries Home 

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### Chinook Salmon <em>(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)</em> :: NOAA Fi sh... http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/sp ecies/fish/chinook-salmon.html

1 of 4 4/21/2016 11:28 AMsalmon stocks that migrate to the upper reaches of river systems. Bodysize, which is related to age, may be an important factor in migration and spawning bed, or redd, construction success. Juvenile Chinook may spend from 3 months to 2 years in freshwater before migrating to estuarine areas as smolts and then into the ocean to feed and mature. Chinook salmon remain at sea for 1 to 6 years (more commonly 2 to 4 years), with the exception ofa small proportion of yearling males (called jack salmon) which mature in freshwater or return after 2 or 3 months in salt water. There are different seasonal (i.e., spring, summer, fall, late-fal l or winter) "runs" in the migration of Chinook salmon from t he ocean to fre even within a single river system. These runs have been id entified on the basi s of when a dult Chinook salmon enter freshwater t o begin spawning migration. However, distinct runs also differ in the deg ree of maturation at the time of river entry, the temperature and flow characteristics of their spawning site, and their actual time ofspawning. Freshwater entry and spawning timing are believed tobe relate d temperature and water flow regimes. A dult female Chinook will prepare a redd (or nest) in a stream ar ea with suitable gravel type composition, water depth and veloc ity. The a female Chinook may deposit eggs in 4 to 5 "nesting pockets" within a single redd. Spawning sites have larger gravel and more wa ter flo w through the gravel than the sites used by other Pacific salmon. After laying eggs in a redd, adult Chinook will guard the redd from just a f to nearly a month before dying. Chinook salmon eggs will hatch, depending upon water temperatures, 3 to 5 months after deposition. Eggs are deposited at a time to e n young salmon fry emerge during the following spring when the rive r or estuary productivity is suff icient for juvenile survival and growth. A s the time for migration to the sea approaches, juveniles lose t heir parr marks, the pattern of vertical bars and spots useful for camoufl a then gain the dark back and light belly coloration used by fish living in open water. Chinook salmon seek deeper water, avoid l ight, and t h and kidneys begin to change so that they can process salt water. Two distinct types or races among Chinook salmon have evolved. One race, described as a "stream-type" Chi nook, is found most commonly in headwater streams of large river systems. Stream-type Ch i salmon have a longer freshwater residency, and perform extensiv e offshore migrations in the central North Pacific before return ing to th e or natal, streams in the spring or summer months. Stream-type juveniles are much more dependent on freshwater stream ecosystems b of their extended residence in these areas. A stream-type life history may be adapted to areas th at are more consistently produ ctive and susceptible to dramatic changes in water flow. At the time of sa ltwater entry, stream-type (yearl ing) smolts are much larger, averaging 3 t inches (73-134 mm) depending on t he river system, than their ocean-type (subyearling) counterparts, and are therefore able to m ove off relatively quickly. The second race, called the "ocean-type" Chinook, is commonly found in coastal streams in North America. Ocean-type Chinook typ ical l to sea within the first three months of lif e, but they may spend up to a year in fres hwater prior to emigration to the sea. The y also spend t ocean life in coastal waters. Ocean-type Chin ook salmon return to their natal streams or rivers as spring, winter, fall, summer, and late-f a but summer and fall runs predominate. Ocean-type Chinook salmon tend to use estuaries and coastal areas more extensively than o the salmonids for juvenile rearing. The evolution of the ocean-type li fe history strategy may have been a response to the limited c arrying ca p smaller stream systems and u nproductive watersheds, or a means of avoiding the impactof seasonal floods. Ocean-type Chinook sa lm o migrate along the coast. Populations of Chinook salmon south of the Columbia River drainage appear to consist predominantly of ocean fish. Chinook salmon are easily the largest of any salmon, with adult s often exceeding 40 pounds (18 kg); individuals over 120 pounds(55 k g been reported. Chinook mature at about 36 inches and 30 pounds. 

## Habitat Juvenile Chinook may spend from 3 months to 2 years in freshwater before migrating to estuarine areas as smolts and then into t he oce feed and mature. They prefer streams that are deeper and larger than those used by other Pacific salmon species. Critical habitathas been designa ted for the 9 ESA-listed Chinook salmon ESUs. 

## Distribution In the U.S., Chinook salmon are found from the Bering Strait area off Alaska south to Southern California. Historically, they ranged as fa r the Ventura River, California. Maps of the 17 ESUsof Chinook salmon are available on the NMFS West Coast Regional Office website. Chinook salmon also occur along the coast ofSiberia and south to Hokkaido Island, Japan. 

## Population Trends In recent years, some populations have shown encouraging increases in population size. Population trends for specific ESUs can be fo u 2005 status review report for Pacific salmon and steelhead [pdf]. 

### state fish of Alaska. Kin g salmon is anot name for this speci e because of their lar g 

### Chinook Salmon <em>(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)</em> :: NOAA Fi sh... http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/sp ecies/fish/chinook-salmon.html

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## Threats Various human-induced and natural factors 

## Conservation Efforts Avariety of conservation efforts have been undertaken with some of the most co mmon initiatives including : captive-rearing in hatcheries removal and modification of dams that obstruct salmon migration restoration of degraded habitat acquisition of key habitat improved water quality and instream flow For the The Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) was established by Congress in 2000 to su pport the restoration of salmon specie oversee the fund, and state and trib al governments carry out the fund. 

## Regulatory Overview In 1985, NMFS received a petition to list the winter run of Ch inook salmon in the Sacramento River under the Endangered Species Act ( 1990, they were listed as Threatened. NMFS received another peti tion to list this population as Endangered and this occurred in 1994. In 1990, NMFS received a petition to list Snake River Chinook; two ESUs from this river were listed. After these listings and receiving other petitions to list Pacific salmonids, the Northwest Fisheries Science Centerand the Southwest Fisheries Science Centerlaunched a systematic review of all West Coast salmon runs. A detailed listing history of all Chinook salm o is available on the NMFS West Coast Regional Office website. Critical habitathas been designa ted for the 9 ESA-listed Chinook salmon ESUs. 

## Taxonomy Kingdom : Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Osteichthyes Order: Salmoniformes Family: Salmonidae Genus: Oncorhynchus Species: tshawytscha 

## Key Documents (All documents are in PDF format.) Title Federal Register Spotlight Species 5-Year Action Plan n/a 01 Appendices for Proposed ESA Recovery Plan for Snake River Fall Chinook Salmon 1 Proposed ESA Recovery Plan for Snake River Fall Chinook Salmon 0 Draft Recovery Plan for No rthern California Steelhead, Central Ca lifornia Coast Steelhead, and California Coastal Chinook 1 ESA Listing Rules, Critical Habitat Designations, and other Chinook Federal Register Notices various v Recovery Plan for winter-run Chinook, Central Valley spring-run Chinook and Central Valley Steelhead 79 FR 42504 07 Not Warranted 12-month finding on petition to listUpper Klamath and Trinity Rivers Basin DPS

» Petition to List Upper Klamath DPS under the ESA 77 FR 19597 04

Species of Concern Fact Sheet: Detailed n/a 06 

### Chinook Salmon <em>(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)</em> :: NOAA Fi sh... http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/sp ecies/fish/chinook-salmon.html

3 of 4 4/21/2016 11:28 AMFact Sheet Highlights n/a 08
Recovery Plan for Upper Columbia Spring-run Chinook 72 FR 57303 10 Recovery Plan for Puget Sound Chinook 72 FR 2493 01 Status Review Update of All ESA-Listed ESUs n/a 0 Final 4(d) Protective Regulations for Threatened Salmonid ESUs 65 FR 42422 07 5-year reviews v 

## More Information NMFS West Coast Regional Office Chinook Salmon ESU Information NMFS Critical Habitat NOAA's National Ma rine Sanctuaries Gulf of the Farallones Sanctuary Chinook Salmon Species Card U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service CyberSalmon Chinook Salmon Information Updated: February 10, 2016

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### Chinook Salmon <em>(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)</em> :: NOAA Fi sh... http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/sp ecies/fish/chinook-salmon.html

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