Salmon

There are over 150 species of fish in Michigan, but for most, King Salmon is the ultimate prize. They can be found in the Great Lakes year round and travel to the tributaries around their 4th year of life. They then begin their migration up their natal river to spawn and then die.

There are 4 Salmon species in the Great Lakes and associated tributaries. They include:
*Chinook (A.K.A. King Salmon), which is the largest of the Salmon and can grow to 30 pounds or more and have been in the Great Lakes for more than 50 years. The state record King Salmon weighed in at 46.06 pounds and was 43.5 inches long and was caught in 1978. In 2019 41 to 42 pound Kings were recorded.

*Coho (A.K.A. Silver Salmon), They are a pretty dark red color and love to bite flies. Will peak around 20 pounds and were introduced to tributaries of the Great Lakes in 1966. The state record Coho weighed in at 30.56 pounds and was 40 inches long and was caught in 1976.

*Pink (A.K.A. Humpies), They grow a hump back which helps identify them and have a pink hue. They are the smallest, were introduced into Lake Superior in 1956 and have since extended their range to all the great lakes. The state record Pink weighed in at 8.56 pounds and as 28 inches long and was caught in 1987.

*Atlantic, were introduced to the Great Lakes in 1972. They Recently have been making a comeback thanks to stocking by the Michigan DNR. The state record Atlantic weighed in at 32.62 pounds and was 41 inches long and was caught in 1981.