Sockeye Salmon

The sockeye salmon is the only Pacific salmon where the fry rear almost exclusively in lakes. In the ocean stage, sockeyes are greenish blue on the top of the head and back, silvery on the sides and white to silver on the belly. At spawning, the head and caudal fin become bright green and the body turns brilliant scarlet giving the sockeye its other common name, “red salmon”. Sockeyes can reach a length of about 34 inches and a weight of about 15 pounds. Most fish are around 26 inches in length, and 7 to 11 pounds.