CHINOOK
oncorhynchus tshawytscha · a.k.a. king salmon, blackmouth
- black mouth & gums
- spots on both tail lobes
- deep, heavy body
- largest of the pacific salmon
THE RUN AT THE LOCKS
the kings take the second shift. chinook arrive at the ballard locks fish ladder in late july, build to a peak in the last weeks of august, and taper through september. from the ship canal they cross lake washington for the cedar river and its neighbors, the biggest bodies in the ladder all year.
▶ will you see salmon today? check the forecastLIFE STORY
- the largest pacific salmon: most kings run 10–25 pounds, the giants past 50, and the all-time record — hauled in near petersburg, alaska, in 1949 — weighed 126.
- puget sound locals call resident chinook “blackmouth” for the ink-black gum line behind their teeth.
- a king may roam the pacific three to seven years before turning for home.
- puget sound chinook have been listed as threatened since 1999 — every one through the glass counts.
- the endangered southern resident orcas hunt chinook above all other fish; the king’s fate and theirs run together.
THE NUMBERS
the fish ladder counted 18,741 chinook in 2025 — a middle child of a run, bigger than the sockeye’s and smaller than the coho’s. for a threatened fish, every summer’s count is watched closely.
ASKED ABOUT KINGS
how big do chinook get?
most adults run 10–25 pounds. exceptional fish top 50, and the all-time record — a commercial catch near petersburg, alaska, in 1949 — weighed 126 pounds.
why are they called king salmon?
size. chinook are the largest of the pacific salmon, so “king” stuck. around puget sound, resident chinook also go by “blackmouth” for their black gum line.
when do kings run at the ballard locks?
late july through september, peaking in the last weeks of august. they follow the sockeye and hand off to the coho.
are puget sound chinook endangered?
they’ve been listed as threatened under the endangered species act since 1999 — and they’re the primary prey of the endangered southern resident orcas. every king through the ladder counts.