Sockeye Salmon

The sockeye salmon is the most commercially valuable of all the Pacific salmons.

HOW TO IDENTIFY A SOCKEYE SALMON

The body of breeding males is bright red with small black speckling (spots not large or distinct) on the back. The totally red body will distinguish the sockeye from the otherwise similar chum salmon, O. keta, and the lack of large distinct spots will distinguish it from the other three Pacific salmons.

 

WHERE TO CATCH SOCKEYE SALMON

The sockeye salmon is endemic to the Pacific Ocean and its tributaries for Hokkaido in Japan to the Anadyr River, Russia, and from the Sacramento River, California to Point Hope, Alaska. Freshwater, non-migratory populations, known as kokanee, occur naturally in Japan, Russia, Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Idaho, the Yukon and British Columbia and have been introduced elsewhere, but largely unsuccessfully. The following list includes additional details on where to catch this fish:

 

BACKFLOW                    BAYS AND ESTUARIES

OUTSIDES OF BENDS                         RIVERS AND STREAMS

SCHOOLS                                            DROP-OFFS

MERGING CURRENTS                        STANDING WAVES

CURRENT EDGES                                 BAYS

CHANNEL ENTRANCES                        RIPPLES, CURRENTS, SWIRLS AND SPRAYS

ROCK AND BOULDER POCKETS        DAMS AND FALLS

EDDIES                                                 SMALL POINTED WAVES

UNDERCUTS

 

HOW TO CATCH SOCKEYE SALMON

Sockeye are plankton feeders. They can be caught on a small hook baited with a piece of worm, a maggot, or a small, flashy metal spoon. The landlocked kokanee can be taken by fly fishing at times when they are feeding on insects at the surface. The following are fishing methods used to catch this fish:

 

JIGGING       FLY FISHING        STILL FISHING   DRIFT FISHING

TROLLING

SOCKEYE SALMON LURES, TACKLE & BAIT

The following are lures, tackle or bait that can be used to catch this fish:

CURED FISH ROE       FLIES      SALTWATER LIVE BAIT   SPOONS

CUT BAIT             PLUGS            SPINNER BAITS