Science Name: | Oncorhynchus gorbuscha |
Other Names: | humpback salmon, humpy, autumn |
Ideal Temp: | 52 to 57 |
World Record: | 13 lbs. 1 ounce, Ont. |
Environment: | coastal, stream, lake |
Techniques: | light tackle, casting, fly |
Range: | Great Lakes and western North America |
From June to September adults can be found migrating from the sea into freshwater anywhere from 40 to 300 miles upstream. Spawning takes place from mid-July to late October. The female prepares the nest or redd where she lays and average of 1500-1900 orange-red colored eggs. She guards her nest as long as able but the spawning adults die in a few days or weeks. Hatching occurs from late December to late February. The average lifespan of a pink salmon is two years; generally they return to the river they were hatched in to spawn. The diet of these salmon consists of euphausiids, amphipods and a variety of fish and squid. Assorted stream fish prey upon the young pink salmon including cutthroat and rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, coho salmon smolts and squawfish. Also predaceous birds account for the loss of a number of small fry.
Habitat
Pink salmon are found in a variety of habitats. In the spring, warmer
temperatures and abundant food attract salmon to nearshore waters and even into
the lower portions of rivers. Once water temperatures reach the mid-50s,
Atlantics move offshore and into deeper portions of the lake. They are active
predators throughout the summer, generally being found where water temperatures
are 65 degrees Fahrenheit or less.
Feeding Habits
They eat plankton, insects, and small fish when they are young, and shift
towards eating more fish as they get larger.
Table Qualities
Their meat will begin to deteriorate when the spawning run begins. Prior to
that, their pink flesh is considered good eating.