A lightly spotted blue-green back and a silver, spotted tail help to distinguish the Chinook from other salmon. It is also the largest, most prized game fish, generally weighing between 1.5 kg and 30 kg. Chinook live from three to seven years. Chinook have black gums at the base of their teeth; the mouths are dark. In some areas, this species is known as “black mouth”. Chinook have a flowing V-shaped, silvery tail often covered with spots. The tail becomes squarer as the Chinook reaches adult stage.
In the juvenile stage of Chinook salmon, some fishers misidentify them as pinks because both have spots on their tails.

Did you know ... Average-size Chinook are often known as “spring salmon” in B.C. The largest Chinook on record in the province weighed 57 kg.