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Species Directory

Chum Salmon

Overview Science Resources

Chum Salmon

Oncorhynchus keta

Chum salmon illustration
Also Known As
Salmon, Chum, Keta, Dog salmon, Calico salmon, Chub

Quick Facts

Region
Alaska, West Coast
Fish Watch. U.S. Seafood Facts Logo
Chum salmon swimming near a rocky bottom

About The Species

U.S. wild-caught chum 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.

However, some chum salmon are also protected under the Endangered Species Act. Learn more about protected chum salmon.

Population Status Icon

Population Level

There are hundreds of chum salmon stocks in Alaska and several Pacific stocks. Some stocks are above target population levels, while others are below.

Fishing Status Icon

Fishing Status

Managers set fishing rates to avoid jeopardizing the survival and recovery of chum salmon stocks that are below their target levels.

Habitat Impacts Icon

Habitat Impacts

Fishing gear used to catch chum salmon rarely contacts the ocean floor and has little impact on habitat.

Bycatch Icon

Bycatch

Regulations are in place to minimize bycatch.

Status

  • Alaska:
    • As of 2019, there were hundreds of stocks of chum salmon in Alaska.
    • Some stocks are in decline, while others are steady or increasing.
    • None are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
    • Review of Salmon Escapement Goals in Southeast Alaska, 2019
  • West Coast:
    • Two populations of chum salmon are listed as threatened under the ESA.
    • Review of 2019 Ocean Salmon Fisheries
  • 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:
    • Captive-rearing in hatcheries.
    • 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

  • Chum salmon is one of the largest species of Pacific salmon, second only to Chinook salmon in size.
  • When in the ocean, chum salmon are metallic greenish-blue along the back with black speckles, similar to both sockeye and coho salmon.
  • As they enter fresh water, their appearance changes dramatically.
    • Both sexes develop a tiger stripe pattern of bold red and black stripes.
    • Males develop enormous canine-like fangs and their bodies have a striking calico pattern, with the front two-thirds of the flank marked by a bold, jagged, reddish line and the back third by a jagged black line.
    • Spawning females are less flamboyantly colored and do not have fangs.
  • When juvenile chum salmon are about to migrate to sea, they lose their parr marks (vertical bars and spots useful for camouflage) and gain the dark back and light belly of fish living in open water.

Biology

  • Chum salmon are anadromous—they hatch in fresh water streams and rivers then migrate out to the saltwater environment of the ocean to feed and grow.
  • Chum salmon do not reside in fresh water for an extended period (unlike coho, Chinook, and sockeye salmon).
  • They can grow up to 3.6 feet and 30 to 35 pounds, but their average weight is 8 to 15 pounds.
  • Young chum salmon (fry) typically migrate directly to estuarine and marine waters soon after they are born.
  • As they grow larger, they migrate offshore across the North Pacific Ocean.
  • As they approach sexual maturity, they migrate back into coastal waters and return to the fresh water area where they were born to spawn.
  • They typically spawn between the ages of 3 and 6.
  • They spawn from late summer to March, with peak spawning concentrated in early winter when the river flows are high.
  • They usually nest in areas in the lowermost reaches of rivers and streams, within 60 miles of the ocean.
  • They prefer to nest in areas with upwelling currents to provide oxygen for their developing embryos, and they cover their nests (redds) with gravel.
  • In North America, female chum salmon typically have 2,000 to 4,000 eggs.
  • All chum salmon die after they spawn.
  • Young chum salmon feed on insects as they migrate downriver and on insects and marine invertebrates in estuaries and near-shore marine habitats.
  • Adults eat copepods, fishes, mollusks, squid, and tunicates.
  • Various fish and birds prey on juvenile chum salmon. Sharks, sea lions and seals, and orcas eat adult chum salmon.
  • 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

  • Chum salmon are the most widely distributed of all the Pacific salmon.
  • They are found throughout the North Pacific Ocean and range from the Arctic coast of Canada and throughout the northern coastal regions of North America and Asia.
  • In the United States, chum salmon are found throughout Alaska and as far south as Yaquina Bay, Oregon, on the West Coast.

Management

  • NOAA Fisheries and the Pacific Fishery Management Council manage chum salmon on the West Coast.
  • Managed under the Pacific Coast Salmon Plan:
    • All Pacific salmon species fall under the jurisdiction of this plan, although it currently only provides fishery management objectives for Chinook, coho, pink, and any salmon species listed under the Endangered Species Act.
    • There are no directed fisheries for chum salmon in federal waters in this area, and chum salmon are rarely caught in the fisheries managed by the council.
    • Chum salmon are caught primarily in inland waters (such as Puget Sound and Hood Canal) where fisheries are managed to ensure that conservation objectives are met.
  • NOAA Fisheries and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council manage chum 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 chum.

Featured News

Photo of workers on a boat deck with a surface trawl net.
Feature Story

Distribution and Abundance of Forage Fish in Arctic and Sub-Arctic Waters Affected by Warming Ocean Conditions

Alaska
grilled tuna lemon with mayo_Mariners Menu_photo by Vanda Lewis_NC Sea Grant.jpg Grilled tuna lemon with mayo. Credit: North Carolina Sea Grant/Vanda Lewis.
Feature Story

Behind the Scenes of the Most Consumed Seafood

Photo 7. juvenile chinook salmon.JPG
Feature Story

Cowlitz Tribe Restores Lower Columbia Salmon Habitat, Benefiting Juvenile and Adult Fish

West Coast
skokomish-estuary-restoration_750x500.jpg
Feature Story

Skokomish River Estuary Restoration Helps Salmon and Steelhead Return Home

West Coast
View More News

Recreational Fishing Regulations

Commercial Fishing Regulations

Subsistence Fishing Regulations

Science Overview

NOAA Fisheries conducts various research activities on the biology, behavior, and ecology of chum salmon. The results of this research are used to inform management decisions for this species. 

Dive Deeper Into Our Research

500x333-SalmonResearchInAlaskaImage003-sized.jpg

Chum Salmon in Alaska

Juveniles of the five Pacific salmon species.

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 chum salmon in Alaska. 

Learn More

Research & Data

Salmon Habitat Status and Trend Monitoring Program Data

Habitat data sets for habitat status and trend monitoring in Puget Sound…
June 18, 2020 - Map ,
West Coast

Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund Database

The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) database serves as a…
February 11, 2020 - Database ,
Alaska
West Coast

Recovery Action Database

Tracks the implementation of recovery actions from Endangered Species Act…
February 10, 2020 - Database ,
National

Protected Resources App

Displays spatial data for marine and anadromous species listed under the…
February 05, 2020 - Map ,
West Coast
View More

Recent Science Blogs

Survey

Annual Study of Salmon in Southeast Alaska - Post 6

Survey
Spiny-lumpsuckers_saved_for-the_TSMRI_aquarium_Andy-Gray.jpg
Survey

Annual Study of Salmon in Southeast Alaska - Post 5

Survey
Andy-Gray_Luck-Erickson_Jim-Murphy_backdeck.JPG
Survey

Annual Study of Salmon in Southeast Alaska - Post 4

Survey
Trawling_Icy-Strait_SECM2020_JimMurphy.JPG
View More

Documents

Document

Stillaguamish Hatcheries Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and Proposed Evaluation and Pending Determination (PEPD)

Hatchery and Genetics Management Plans (HGMPs)

West Coast
Document

Salmon, Cods and Skates Observer Training Guide

This documentation contains Salmon, Cods, and Skates identification information to assist North…

Alaska
Document

Genetic Stock Composition Analysis of Chum Salmon from the Prohibited Species Catch of the 2015 Bering Sea Walleye Pollock Trawl Fishery and Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Fisheries

A genetic analysis of the prohibited species catch (PSC) of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)…

Alaska
Document

Genetic Stock Composition Analysis of Chum Salmon from the Prohibited Species Catch of the 2016 Bering Sea Walleye Pollock Trawl Fishery and Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Fisheries

A genetic analysis of the prohibited species catch (PSC) of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)…

Alaska
More Documents

Data & Maps

Map

Salmon Habitat Status and Trend Monitoring Program Data

West Coast
Data

Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund Database

The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) database serves as a project and performance…

Alaska
West Coast
Data

Recovery Action Database

Tracks the implementation of recovery actions from Endangered Species Act (ESA) recovery plans.

National
Map

Protected Resources App

West Coast
More Data and Maps

Research

Alaska Ecosystem Monitoring and Assessment

Eastern Bering Sea sample stations. Our goal is to improve and reduce uncertainty in stock assessment models of commercially important fish species by collecting, analyzing and incorporating observations of fish and oceanography into these…

Alaska

Northeastern Bering Sea Ecosystem Assessment

Pelagic trawl (surface trawl and mid water acoustics) and oceanographic data collected during the Northern Bering Sea survey are used to improve understanding of the pelagic ecosystem and assist efforts aimed at reducing uncertainty in harvest…

Alaska

Connecting Independent Research Surveys of Bering Sea Salmon Populations to Chum Salmon Bycatch

Although chum salmon bycatch has historically remained at low levels relative to their biomass in the Bering Sea, recent increases in chum salmon bycatch have generated concern over bycatch impacts on Alaskan salmon stocks and the effectiveness of…

Alaska

Southeastern Bering Sea Ecosystem Assessment

Southeastern Bering Sea sample stations (below 60 degrees north) We conduct a fishery and oceanographic survey in the southeastern Bering Sea using surface trawl and midwater acoustics to collect indices on fish size, relative abundance,…

Alaska
More Research

Outreach & Education

Educational Materials

Protectores de Salmónidos (en español)

A través de los cómics, los juegos de palabras, y los laberintos, los niños aprenden sobre la…

West Coast
Educational Materials

¡Cuento con usted! edición salmón (en español)

Aprenda qué es lo que el salmón necesita para vivir y cómo puede hacer la diferencia.

West Coast
Educational Materials

I'm Counting on You! Salmon Brochure About Issues Affecting Salmon and How You Can Help

Learn about the threats facing salmon and what you can do to help.

West Coast
More Outreach and Education Materials
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