Chum salmon
Also called Dog salmon, Chum, Dogs, Oncorhynchus keta
Chum salmon are an anadromous Pacific salmon species, Oncorhynchus keta, known for strong runs and aggressive behavior in freshwater during the spawn.
- Group
- Salmon & steelhead
- Category
- Species
- Level
- Intermediate
- Water
- Freshwater
Last updated
What Chum salmon means
You will hear them called “chums” or “dogs” in Alaska. They return from the ocean to freshwater to spawn, and the males develop big teeth and a hooked jaw as they color up.
In freshwater they are usually targeted in rivers close to tidewater and in lower river sections where fish stack and move in waves. They are not feeding in the normal sense, but they will still chase and grab flies out of aggression, territorial behavior, or reaction.
Common approaches are swung flies on a sink tip, stripped streamers, and flies drifted through travel lanes. Tackle tends to be heavier than trout gear because chums are powerful and the current is often pushy.
Why it matters on the water
Chum salmon change the pace of a trip. A river that feels “empty” for trout can be full of moving salmon, and the bite window can be short and intense as pods slide through.
They also change what the rest of the river is doing. Spawning chums draw predators and scavengers, and their eggs and carcasses become food for other species. Knowing when chums are present helps with fly choice and where to spend time in the system.
Read next
- Egg patternAn egg pattern is a fly that imitates a drifting salmonid egg or a small cluster of eggs. It is most often used for trout and steelhead in rivers below spawning fish.
- Sink tipA sink tip is a fly line with a floating rear section and a sinking front section. It helps get flies down while keeping the cast and line control of a floating line.
- SteelheadA steelhead is a rainbow trout that migrates to the ocean and later returns to freshwater to spawn. Unlike Pacific salmon, steelhead can survive spawning and may repeat the cycle.
- StreamerA streamer is a fly meant to be moved to imitate a baitfish, leech, sculpin, or crayfish. It is often fished with strips, swings, or a steady retrieve, but it can also be dead-drifted.
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