Coho Salmon

Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) are the third-largest Pacific salmon and the second-most-common stocked salmonid in the Lake Ontario program. They share genus and many life-history traits with Chinook, but are distinct in size, coloration, and angler experience.

Identification cues, in order of usefulness:

• White mouth and gum line -- the single most reliable ID separating Coho from Chinook. Chinook are uniformly black-mouthed; Coho are white.
• Spotted upper tail lobe only -- spots on the upper lobe of the caudal fin only, not the lower. Chinook are spotted on both lobes.
• Black spots on back + upper sides -- spotting present but less dense than Chinook.
• Smaller, more streamlined body -- Lake Ontario Coho typically run 6-12 lbs versus 15-30 lbs for Chinook.
• Bright silver pre-spawn -- chrome sides extending well up the body; sea-fresh Coho are visually striking.
• Pre-spawn color change -- mature Coho develop a brick-red body and green head; the contrast is more dramatic than the Chinook's brown-red transformation.
• Kype -- mature males develop a hooked jaw, less pronounced than the Chinook kype.

Coho salmon are native to the North Pacific, ranging from California through Alaska and across to Russia + Japan. In their native range they are anadromous: spawn in freshwater, smolt to the ocean, return to the natal river to spawn once and die.

In the SHA-tracked region, Coho are an introduced lake-going population:

• Lake Ontario -- second-most-stocked Pacific salmon in the NYSDEC program after Chinook. Annual Coho stocking is approximately 250,000-300,000 smolts across multiple Lake Ontario tributaries.
• Lake Erie -- much smaller program; minor Lake Erie presence.
• Lake Michigan -- historically substantial Coho population; Michigan + Wisconsin DNR programs continue.

Lake Ontario Coho return to the same NYSDEC-stocked tributaries as Chinook -- primarily the Salmon River, with secondary runs into the Genesee, Oak Orchard, and the Niagara County Eighteenmile.

Coho run timing is roughly 2-3 weeks behind Chinook, which makes the Salmon River from late September through mid-October a true multi-species window: late-run Chinook + fresh Coho + first fall steelhead all in the river simultaneously.

Coho life-history follows the same anadromous-semelparous pattern as Chinook with some timing differences:

1. Eggs deposited in tributary gravel late October-November. Females excavate redds; eggs overwinter under gravel.
2. Alevin and fry -- hatching and emergence in spring; juveniles rear in tributary habitat for 12-18 months (longer than Chinook).
3. Smolting -- typically at age 1 (4-6 inches); smolts migrate to Lake Ontario.
4. Lake-feeding adults -- 1-2 years of growth in Lake Ontario (faster maturation than Chinook). Diet primarily alewife.
5. Return migration -- adults return to the natal tributary to spawn at age 2-3 (most age 2 or 3, with most Lake Ontario fish age 2 -- the "jacks" being precocious males returning at age 1).
6. Spawn + die -- single spawning event followed by death within 1-2 weeks.

The Lake Ontario Coho population is sustained by NYSDEC stocking. Natural reproduction occurs but at insufficient scale to support the fishery independently.

Coho diet is similar to Chinook but with notable differences in feeding behavior:

Like Chinook, returning Coho stop feeding once in the spawning tributary. The aggressive strikes anglers see are territorial responses, not feeding responses. Coho are known among anglers as more aggressive strikers than Chinook -- they hit attractors, spinners, and small streamers more readily, and the strikes are often spectacular.

Coho are the more dramatic of the two Lake Ontario salmon. The acrobatic jumping behavior is the species' calling card -- a hooked Coho frequently clears the water multiple times before the angler can react.

Notable behavioral patterns:

• Aggressive strikers -- Coho will hit virtually anything within reasonable distance during the territorial-aggression phase. This makes Coho the most willing of the Pacific salmonids on small spinning gear, light fly tackle, and centerpin float rigs.
• Spectacular jumpers -- the species' signature behavior. A hooked Coho can clear the water 3-5 times before the angler stabilizes the fight.
• Schooling at tributary mouths -- pre-run Coho stage in tight schools at the Salmon River mouth area; charter boats catch them by the dozen during the staging window.
• Pool-holding -- once in the tributary, Coho hold in pools between spawning runs, often in tight groups.
• Post-spawn die-off -- same as Chinook; carcasses contribute downstream nutrients.

Coho habitat requirements largely overlap with Chinook -- the same Lake Ontario tributaries that hold Chinook hold Coho during the run window. The main difference is depth preference: Coho hold in slightly shallower water than Chinook in both lake and tributary contexts.

• Lake habitat -- mid-depth (40-100 ft typically), more often associated with thermoclines and structure than Chinook.
• Tributary holding -- pool tail-outs, current edges, structure breaks. Coho are willing to hold in shallower water than Chinook, which makes them more accessible to wading anglers.
• Spawning habitat -- same gravel + cobble + moderate flow requirements as Chinook; often in tail-out water just downstream of the deeper pools.

The Salmon River's full reach supports the Coho fishery; the upper river above Pineville is generally Coho-preferred over the bigger pools that hold the bulk of the Chinook population.

Salmon River, Pulaski, NY. The same destination that anchors the Chinook fishery; Coho run a few weeks later. Mid-October is peak; the Lower Fly Fishing area + Upper Fly Fishing area + Douglaston Salmon Run all hold Coho during the window. See the Salmon River fishing guide.

Niagara County Eighteenmile / Burt Dam. Compact concentrated Coho fishery at the dam tailwater, especially during the mid-October peak. See the Niagara County Eighteenmile guide.

Lower Genesee. Urban Coho fishery in the Rochester corridor below the dam-bounded reach.

Lake Ontario open water. Charter boats targeting Coho in summer and pre-run staging fish at Lake Ontario tributary mouths in late August - September. Different fishery from SHA's tributary focus.

Coho were stocked into Lake Ontario beginning in the late 1960s alongside Chinook as part of the same alewife-control program. Coho were chosen for two reasons:

1. Different niche. Coho occupy slightly different depths and forage patterns than Chinook, which spreads predation pressure across multiple alewife age classes.
2. Different timing. Coho run later than Chinook, extending the angler season by 2-3 weeks. Pulaski's fall economy benefits from the extended window.

The Salmon River produced the IGFA all-tackle freshwater Coho world record in 1989 -- 33 lbs 4 oz. The record was a fish of substantial proportions even by Pacific standards. As of the most recent IGFA records the record holds, which is a meaningful indicator of the quality of the Lake Ontario fishery during peak years.

The same Lake Ontario alewife-dependence concerns that affect Chinook affect Coho -- the stocked Coho population is contingent on the prey base. NYSDEC stocking levels are adjusted based on alewife forage assessments and broader lake ecology.

Snagging is illegal across all SHA-relevant jurisdictions. The Coho's territorial-aggression strikes make legitimate hookups straightforward; foul-hooked fish must be released immediately.