Coho Salmon

Quick Facts

Latin Name: Oncorhynchus kisutch

Status: Endangered and threatened

Population: Both the Asian and North American sides of the North Pacific Ocean

Diet: Plankton and insects in freshwater. Small fish in the ocean

Weight: Average weight 8 pounds (can grow up to 35 pounds)

Length: 2 feet

About the Coho Salmon

Coho salmon are born in freshwater streams and spend the first half of their lives in these habitats. They then migrate downstream to the ocean, where they live and forage for food. At around three years old, adults will swim upstream to their birthplaces where they spawn and die, in a process known as anadromy.

During mating season, males develop hooked snouts and sharp teeth and females prepare nests at the bottom of riverbeds, called redds. After their eggs are laid, the eggs stay in the redds for 6-7 weeks before hatching.

The statuses of coho salmon populations vary by region. Along the California Central Coast, coho salmon are listed as endangered and north along the coasts and riparian zones of Oregon and Washington states they are listed as threatened.

For more information: NOAA Fisheries and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Photography: Image #1 by Oregon Department of Forestry, Image #2 by Bureau of Land Management.

HOW YOU CAN HELP THIS SPECIES

The coho salmon needs your help to preserve its natural habitat. Together, with Pacific Forest Trust and our network of partners, we can all protect the spaces this species needs to survive.

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Conservation PROJECTS WITH
Coho Salmon HABITATS

The Pacific Forest Trust is dedicated to preserving natural habitats and forest systems where animals can thrive. Explore some of our conservation projects and easements in and around the coho salmon habitat.