Chinook Salmon

Interesting Info

• The Chinook Salmon, also called King Salmon, is the largest species of Pacific salmon, originally from the North Pacific Ocean and rivers of North America and Asia.
• They were first introduced to Australia in the late 1800s, around the same time as Atlantic Salmon and trout. While they never formed lasting wild populations here, they survive today in small hatchery and aquaculture operations in Tasmania.
• In Tasmania, Chinook Salmon are mainly grown in freshwater hatcheries and released into a few lakes for recreational fishing. Unlike Atlantic Salmon, they are not widely farmed commercially.
• Chinook Salmon are heavy-bodied fish, with blue-green backs, silver sides, and black spots on both the back and tail. During breeding season, males develop a hooked jaw (called a kype) and their colour darkens.
• In their native range, Chinook can reach 1.5 m (59 in) in length and weigh over 45 kg (100 lb), though in Tasmania they are usually much smaller — around 2–6 kg (4–13 lb).
• They do not naturally reproduce here. Hatcheries in Tasmania artificially spawn broodstock, then release young salmon into lakes like Lake Burbury and Lake Purrumbete (Victoria also had stocking programs in the past).
• Their diet includes insects, crustaceans, squid, and smaller fish, though in hatcheries they are fed formulated pellets.
• Chinook Salmon are cold-water specialists, needing cool, oxygen-rich lakes and rivers. This limits their distribution to Tasmania and a handful of cooler mainland waters.
• In New Zealand, Chinook Salmon introductions were more successful, and they now support a thriving wild fishery in South Island rivers.
• Estimates of lifespan are 3 to 7 years with some individuals living up to 9 years or more.