Chum salmon

Identification

• Ocean-bright chum have no large spots. The tail is more deeply forked than in other Pacific salmon, is unspotted, and has silver streaks along the fin rays.[2]
  What the source says

  “The tail is highly forked, more so than other species of Pacific salmon, and is not spotted. The tail also has silver streaks along (but not between) the fin rays.”

• Alaska's angler tip: chum have a white mouth and white gum line. Unlike a bright sockeye, a chum has a white tip on the anal fin, a deeply forked tail and a large pupil.[3]
  What the source says

  “Spawning and ocean phase chums have a white mouth with a white gum-line. An ocean-bright chum can be difficult to differentiate from an ocean-bright sockeye. But unlike sockeye, chum salmon have a white tip on the anal fin, deeply forked tail and a large pupil.”

• Spawning colour: males turn dark olive to brown with red to purple wavy vertical stripes and grow a hooked snout with large canine-like teeth; females turn brown to grey with a broad dark bar along the lateral line.[2]
  What the source says

  “Males lose their silvery appearance and take on a dark olive to brown coloration with red to purple wavy vertical stripes. They develop a hooked snout (kype) lined with large canine-like teeth. Females become brown to grey colored with a broad dark horizontal bar running along the lateral line.”

Habitat and range

• Chum are the most widely distributed Pacific salmon. In the US they are found throughout Alaska and south to Yaquina Bay, Oregon.[1]
  What the source says

  “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.”

• Chum usually nest in the lowest reaches of rivers and streams, within 60 miles of the ocean, preferring spots with upwelling currents that bring oxygen to the eggs.[1]
  What the source says

  “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.”

Life history

• Chum usually spawn in the fall and come in two races by run timing: summer chum and the later fall chum.[2]
  What the source says

  “Like other Pacific salmon species, chum salmon usually spawn in the fall. They can be found in two distinct races based on spawning-run timing: the earlier-running race is referred to as summer chum salmon, and the later-running race is called fall chum salmon.”

Status, protections and rules

Legal status and rules as the agency stated them on the date read. Rules change: check the current regulations for the water.

• Under the ESA, NOAA Fisheries lists two chum units as threatened: Columbia River and Hood Canal summer-run (listed 1999).[4]
  What the source says

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

Fishing for it: what the agencies say

What agencies and extension services say about catching it, with the source for each line.

• Alaska says chum fished near river mouths, before or soon after they enter fresh water, can give excellent action on sport gear.[5]
  What the source says

  “However, when targeted near river mouths prior to, or soon after, entrance into freshwater, chum salmon can provide excellent action on sport fishing gear.”

Water temperature

Warm water stresses trout, char and salmon. These are the published temperature lines we show on every gauge, chosen state first: the state agency's own where it publishes one, otherwise federal guidance (said so). Each water page applies them to the gauge's live reading; the flow and temperature checker does the same for any gauge.

Where to fish for chum salmon

Our 10 water pages whose agency species list names chum salmon (each list links to the agency page it comes from). A species missing from a list does not mean it is absent: many agencies publish no list for a water.

Destination hubs

Hubs that list one of these waters, or that a water page is near: each has guides, shops, licences and trip planning for the area.

• Ketchikan & Revillagigedo Island, Alaska2 chum salmon waters
• Anchorage & Eagle River, Alaska1 chum salmon water

Keep exploring

• Pink salmonSpecies
• Coho salmonSpecies
• Northern Rockies hatch & season chart8 sourced rows
• Pacific Northwest hatch & season chart10 sourced rows
• California hatch & season chart19 sourced rows
• Southwest and Colorado hatch & season chart8 sourced rows
• All speciesIndex

Sources

Every fact on this page is our paraphrase of the page cited beside it, read on the date shown. Rules and seasons change: check the agency's current regulations before you fish.

1. Chum Salmon | NOAA Fisheries NOAA Fisheries, read Oct 24, 2026.
2. Chum Salmon Species Profile, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Alaska Department of Fish and Game, read Oct 24, 2026.
3. Alaska's Five Species of Pacific Salmon, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Alaska Department of Fish and Game, read Oct 24, 2026.
4. Chum Salmon (Protected) | NOAA Fisheries NOAA Fisheries, read Oct 24, 2026.
5. Chum Salmon Uses, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Alaska Department of Fish and Game, read Oct 24, 2026.