Where does the word “Coho” come from? It’s origin is un-known, but it is believed that it came from an American Indian language. The small Pacific Salmon that commonly grows to 25lbs in the ocean (called Silver Salmon in AK), only reaches an average size of a few pounds here in Lake Superior.
They were introduced into Superior in the late 60’s and early 70’s and are still stocked in here, but very few. Most of the Coho that we catch are now self sustaining. Michigan dis-continued stocking Coho in 2007, but Minnesota may still be stocking in the Duluth area. Recently, starting in 2016, MIDNR also dis-continued stocking Chinook (King) salmon in Lake Super.
The Coho is anadromous, or one that migrates up rivers to spawn.
The life span of Coho is 3 years and they die after spawning although some males (called Jacks) will spawn twice before dying.
After the eggs hatch, the fry spend the first 1/2 of their lives in the streams, then venture out into the open waters where they grow quickly if feed us abundant.
They are among the best table fare with a low fat content – even less than King Salmon.
If you’d like to target Coho Salmon the best time is mid-summer into fall.
Brian Helminen
