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Coho salmon

How to tell a coho salmon from the fish it's most often mistaken for, and what you can keep in each BC region.

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How to confirm it's a coho salmon

  1. White gums at the base of the teeth
  2. Spots on the back and the upper lobe of the tail only
  3. Salmon fishing in fresh water follows Fisheries and Oceans Canada rules

Could it be something else?

Chinook salmon
Chinook have black gums and spots on the whole tail.

What you can keep

Salmon in BC's non-tidal waters are managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, not the provincial synopsis. Check the freshwater salmon regulations and DFO's in-season notices before keeping one.

Waters with their own coho salmon rules

Pine River

The drawings are Fishable's own recognition aids, not portraits; colours vary with size, season and water. Quotas from the BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis 2025-2027, data of October 29, 2026. If you can't be sure what a fish is, release it.