Learn When and How To Catch Alaska Wild Salmon

Alaska is famous for its wild salmon. The flavor of Alaskan salmon depends on fat content and the environment in which it matured. Alaska’s pure waters and the variety of natural food give Alaska salmon unique flavor.

Although salmon are caught in Alaska’s spotless waters year-round, fishing season in port and southcentral Alaska really heats up in late May, when the cherished king salmon returns home to spawn in the area’s glacier-fed, freshwater streams.

The remaining 4 types of Pacific salmon-sockeye, coho, chum and pink-are also found in the general area.

Many anglers are now trying to catch what’s known as a “grand slam”-all 5 species of salmon. Some say a simple way to recollect which kind is which is to match them up with the fingers on your hand.

&8226 ; Thumb-Chum salmon (Dog). The best fishing for this fish is mid-July to late Aug. Chum salmon have a firm texture, tantalizing orange-pink color and delicate flavor that makes it an ideal fish for smoking. The average weight is eight pounds and they can grow to be 25 to 27 inches long.

• Pointer finger-Sockeye salmon ( Red ). Most available late May to early June or mid-July, sockeye salmon are the 2nd most abundant Alaskan salmon species. This species turns from a silvery color to a bright red body and green head as they begin the journey upriver to spawn. Their average weight is 6 pounds and they can grow to almost 3 feet in length.

• Middle finger-King salmon ( Chinook ). The best fishing for king salmon is mid-June to mid- July. The biggest species of salmon in Alaska, they are valued for their color, high oil content, firm texture and tasty taste. Average weight is roughly twenty pounds and length goes from thirty to 40 inches.

• Ring finger-Silver salmon (Coho). With its orange-red flesh, firm texture and delicate flavor, cohos are really preferred among neighbors. The best fishing for them is found in early August to mid-September. Cohos are the second largest of the species, with average weights of 12 pounds, and range from 25 to 35 inches in length.

• Pinky finger-Pink salmon ( Humpy ). At the height of their run, millions of pinks swim up the freshwater brooks and streams to spawning grounds. Pinks are the smallest and most usual of the species and average about 2 - 3 pounds. The best fishing for pinks takes place in mid-July to late August.

For more information about food and useful cooking tips, check out cooking101.org and also have a look at easy salmon croquettes recipe.

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