Silver Salmon Information

Alaska has a healthy population of Silver salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). Like the Sockeye salmon, these fish are an anadromous species and spend time in both freshwater and saltwater environments throughout their lifetime. After hatching, Silver salmon fry will spend up to three years in freshwater streams and lakes before migrating to the sea.  Silver salmon are in the smolt stage once they begin to swim downstream towards the Pacific. Smolts will stay in estuaries to adjust to the saltier environment and then enter the ocean. These salmon will spend around 18 months feeding on krill, small fish, and squid. At this point, the Silver salmon are a bright silver with darker backs and average 8-12 pounds with individuals reaching up to 30 pounds. These adults, fat and healthy from feeding in the rich Pacific ocean, will head upstream where they were born to spawn before dying off. If kept, Silver salmon populations in Alaska provide anglers with a delicate flavored pink flesh that is both delicious and extremely healthy.