Coho Salmon
Coho salmon are one of Alaska's premier sport fish and a cornerstone of the state's fishing economy. Alaska's coho populations are healthy and robust, unlike stressed populations in the lower 48 states.
Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus kisutch
Also known as silver salmon
- Adult coho typically weigh 8-12 pounds and measure 24-30 inches long, though exceptional fish can reach 31 pounds.
- Fresh from the ocean, they display brilliant silver sides with dark metallic blue or greenish backs and small black spots on their backs and upper tail lobe (distinguishing them from Chinook salmon which have spots on both tail lobes).
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- They're found throughout Alaska's coastal waters from Southeast to Point Hope on the Chukchi Sea, and in the Yukon River to the Alaska-Yukon border.
- Coho are extremely adaptable, inhabiting nearly all accessible freshwater bodies from large trans-boundary watersheds to small tributaries.
- They prefer smaller rivers and streams that larger salmon species like Chinook cannot access, making them available in urban settings with cold, clean year-round water.
Key Locations
- In the Anchorage area, Ship Creek and Campbell Creek.
- On the Kenai Peninsula.
Specific Spots
- Target back eddies, lagoons, eddylines, pools, and quiet tributary waters rather than fast current.
- They're known for seeking quiet water to hold in - back eddies, lagoons, pools, and eddylines between moving and still water.
Coho Salmon FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Coho Salmon in Alaska?
Vibrax spinners (sizes 5-6), Pixees, and Brad's Cut Plugs in bright colors, plus cured salmon roe under bobbers.
What flies work for Coho Salmon in Alaska?
Essential fly patterns include Dolly Llamas, S.T.S Leeches, Articulated Polar Egg Hareball Leeches, Clouser Minnows, and UV Polar Starlite Leeches for stripping. For nymphing, try Liquid Wrench, Deep Six, Steelhead Glow Bugs, and Sockeye Lightning patterns.
When is the best time to fish for Coho Salmon in Alaska?
The prime coho fishing season in Alaska runs from July through October, with peak fishing typically in August and September. In the Anchorage area, Ship Creek sees coho from mid-July through late September, while Campbell Creek runs from late July through September.
How do you catch Coho Salmon in Alaska?
The most productive technique is stripping streamers at medium to high speed with a stop-and-go 'herky-jerky' retrieve of 6-20 inch pulls at 60-100 pulls per minute, mimicking panicked baitfish. Nymphing works well for holding fish using dead-drift presentations with strike indicators.
What do Coho Salmon eat?
Their diet transitions from aquatic insects and plankton as juveniles to fish and squid as adults. In freshwater, young coho feed voraciously on aquatic insects, plankton, and salmon e.g.gs from spawning adults. At sea, they consume mainly fish (herring, sand lance, anchovies, sardines) and squid.
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