Field guide / 03

The coho.

A silver finish to the season.

Oncorhynchus kisutch · Silver salmon

COHO / THE SILVER SALMON

Look a little closer

Follow the silver.

Silver sides beneath a dark blue-green back
Spots concentrated on the upper tail lobe
A lighter lower gum line than Chinook

Identification and biology: NOAA Fisheries ↗

At the Locks

Save a visit for autumn.

Coho are the last of the three main runs in our seasonal guide, with the busiest stretch around late September and the beginning of October.

They begin life in freshwater, grow at sea, and return to streams and tributaries to spawn. At the windows, you’re watching the passage between two chapters of that life.

Choose a day to visit ↗

From the official count table

19,211

Coho recorded through October 2, 2024.

A dated USACE snapshot, not today’s count.
Explore the recorded run ↗