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Chum Salmon (Protected)

Chum Salmon (Protected)

Oncorhynchus keta

Side-profile illustration of a big chum salmon fish with dark metallic bluish-green coloring and black speckles on its upper half and lighter, paler belly. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Jack Hornady

Protected Status

ESA Threatened
Columbia River ESU
Hood Canal summer-run ESU

Quick Facts

Weight
8 to 15 pounds on average, but can weight up to 45 pounds
Length
Up to 3.6 feet
Lifespan
About 4 years
Threats
Climate change, Commercial and recreational fishing, Habitat degradation, Habitat impediments (dams), Habitat loss
Region
West Coast
Close-up of two chum salmon at the bottom of murky water. Can see rocks below the fish. Chum salmon. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

Chum salmon. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

About the Species

Chum salmon may historically have been the most abundant of all Pacific salmonids. They are an anadromous fish, which means they can live in both fresh and saltwater. Chum salmon have a relatively complex life history that includes spawning and juvenile rearing in rivers followed by migrating to saltwater to feed, grow, and mature before returning to freshwater to spawn. They are vulnerable to many stressors and threats including blocked access to spawning grounds and habitat degradation caused by dams and culverts. Two evolutionary significant units of chum salmon are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

NOAA Fisheries is committed to conserving and protecting chum salmon. Our scientists and partners use a variety of innovative techniques to study, learn more about, and protect this species.

Learn more about chum salmon

Scientific Classification

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Osteichthyes
Order Salmoniformes
Family Salmonidae
Genus Oncorhynchus
Species keta

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 12/22/2023

Featured News

Salmon jumping out of water. A Chinook salmon jumping out of the water. Credit: iStock
Feature Story

Secretary of Commerce Determines Fishery Resource Disasters for the 2024 State of California Sacramento River Fall Chinook and Klamath River Fall Chinook Salmon Fisheries and the 2023 Squaxin Island Tribe Puget Sound Fall Chum Salmon Fishery

National
3d map of Alaska 3D render and imaging of topographic map of Alaska showing the Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea. Satellite images courtesy of NASA. Credit: Frank Ramspott
Feature Story

A Few Surprises in Alaska’s Marine Environment in 2024

Alaska
Photo of a chum salmon swimming upstream to spawn in Washington. Chum salmon swimming upstream to spawn in Washington. Credit: iStock
Feature Story

Secretary of Commerce Determines Fishery Resource Disasters for the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe’s 2020 Salmon Fisheries

West Coast
Group of singers and dancers performing Tulalip tribal youth singers and dancers kicked off the celebration of new federal funding for tribal fish hatcheries.
Feature Story

Federal and Tribal Leaders Celebrate $240 Million for Tribal Hatchery Modernization

West Coast
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Related Species

Left-facing side-profile illustration of Atlantic salmon fish with black, gray head and shiny silver body. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Jack Hornady

Atlantic Salmon (Protected)

Side-profile illustration of a silvery sockeye salmon fish with black speckles on its back. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Jack Hornady

Sockeye Salmon (Protected)

Side-profile illustration of a big coho salmon fish with dark metallic blue back, silver sides, and a light belly. Small black spots are present on the upper lobe of the tail fin. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Jack Hornady

Coho Salmon (Protected)

Side-profile illustration of a chinook salmon fish with blue-green back and black speckles on its upper half and tail fin. Chinook salmon are silver on the sides and have white bellies. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Jack Hornady

Chinook Salmon (Protected)

Management Overview

We listed the Columbia River and Hood Canal summer-run ESUs as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1999.

Learn more about the regulatory history of chum salmon

Key Actions and Documents

Actions & Documents

Dungeness Hatcheries Plans

NOAA Fisheries is making available for public review its Proposed Evaluation and Pending Determination (PEPD) for a Chinook salmon hatchery program operating in the Dungeness River basin (see Resources, below). An ESA Section 4(d) Limit 6…
Notice,
West Coast
Published

Initiation of 5-Year Reviews for 28 ESA Listed Species of Salmon and Steelhead

NOAA announced 5-year reviews of 28 species listed under the Endangered Species Act. The listed species comprise 17 evolutionarily significant units of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) and 11 distinct population segments of steelhead (Oncorhynchus…
Notice,
West Coast
Issued

90-Day Finding on Petition to List the Winter-Run Puget Sound Chum Salmon in the Nisqually River System and Chambers Creek as a Threatened or

NOAA Fisheries announces a 90-day finding on a petition to list the winter-run Puget Sound chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) in the Nisqually River system and Chambers Creek as a threatened or endangered evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) under the…
Notice,
National
Published

Designation of Critical Habitat for 12 Evolutionarily Significant Units of West Coast Salmon and Steelhead in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho (2005)

NOAA Fisheries issued a final rule designating critical habitat for 12 Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) of West Coast salmon (chum, Oncorhynchus keta; sockeye, O. nerka; chinook, O. tshawytscha) and steelhead (O. mykiss) listed as of the date of…
Final Rule,
West Coast
Published

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 12/22/2023

Science Overview

Image
Five salmon species on a table with a ruler arranged from smallest to largest (pink, chum, sockeye, chinook, and coho)
Juveniles of the five Pacific salmon species. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Alaska Fisheries Science Center

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

Chum Salmon in Alaska

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.

Salmon research in Alaska

 

Chum Salmon Research in the Pacific Northwest

Our research on Pacific salmon covers several topics including bycatch, salmon harvest forecasts, ecotoxicology, genetics, marine survival and responses to climate change. 

More on chum salmon research in the Pacific Northwest

Research & Data

NOAA Live! Alaska Season 5: 2024-25

NOAA Live! Alaska is a series of webinars that connects NOAA scientists and partners with students, teachers, and Alaska communities. In 2024-25, we are featuring NOAA programs and partners in Alaska communities.
Alaska

Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Domains

Endangered Species Act (ESA) recovery domain boundaries for West Coast salmon and steelhead.
August 09, 2024 - Map ,
West Coast

GoToWebinar Registration and Joining Instructions

How to register and join meetings for the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force
Alaska

Meet the Task Force Members

Members of the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force
Alaska
View More

Recent Science Blogs

View More

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 12/22/2023

Documents

Document

Cook Inlet Small Entity Compliance Guide

The Small Entity Compliance Guide (select "View Document" below) contains a summary of regulations…

Alaska
Document

Alaska Salmon Task Force Meeting Minutes January 25, 2024

Alaska Salmon Task Force Meeting Minutes for January 25, 2024.

Alaska
Document

Alaska Salmon Task Force Meeting Minutes November 14, 2023

Alaska Salmon Task Force Meeting Minutes for November 14, 2023.

Alaska
Document

Alaska Salmon Task Force Meeting Minutes September 19, 2023

Alaska Salmon Task Force Meeting Minutes for September 19, 2023.

Alaska
More Documents

Data & Maps

More Data
More Maps

Research

NOAA Live! Alaska Season 5: 2024-25

NOAA Live! Alaska is a series of webinars that connects NOAA scientists and partners with students, teachers, and Alaska communities. In 2024-25, we are featuring NOAA programs and partners in Alaska communities.

Alaska

GoToWebinar Registration and Joining Instructions

How to register and join meetings for the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force

Alaska

Meet the Task Force Members

Members of the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force

Alaska

Alaska Salmon Research Task Force

Information and updates on the task force activities.

Alaska
More Research

Outreach & Education

Outreach Materials

Alaska Salmon Research Task Force Report

Report from the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force

Alaska
Outreach Materials

Alaska Salmon Research Task Force Meeting Agenda—March 27, 2024

Alaska Salmon Research Task Force Meeting Agenda for March 27, 2024

Alaska
Educational Materials

¡Cuento con usted! edición salmón (en español)

Aprenda a administrar el salmón responsablemente.

West Coast
More Outreach Materials
More Educational Materials

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 12/22/2023