Chinook salmon

Quick facts

Adult size

80 cm, 12000 g typical harvest weight

Days to harvest

730 to 1460 days from fingerling

Lifespan (max)

up to 9 years

Diet

carnivore

Temperature class

cold-water

Difficulty

advanced

Water parameters

Temperature range

2–18°C (optimum 13°C)

pH

6.5 to 8

Hardness

3 to 20 dGH

Minimum tank

3000 L per individual at harvest size

Feed and growth

Feed protein

45% target

Daily feed (warm water)

1.10% of body weight per day

Daily feed (cool water)

0.70% of body weight per day

Max stocking density

50 g per litre of system water

A 12000g adult eats about 132.0 g of feed per day at optimum temperature. For a roster of 10 fish at adult size, that's around 1320 g of feed daily.

Legality

Aquaculture and possession rules vary by jurisdiction and change over time. This table reflects regulations as of the verified date on each row. Verify with your local fisheries or wildlife authority before stocking.

Jurisdictions not listed here default to "check local regulations". A non-listing is not a green light; rules in your specific county or municipality may apply.

Habitat and origin

Native to Pacific coast rivers from central California north through British Columbia, Alaska, and across to Japan and Siberia. The species (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) is the largest Pacific salmon, with exceptional wild specimens exceeding 60 kg (though most adults are 5–25 kg). Called king salmon in Alaska and tyee in British Columbia, chinook are anadromous: juveniles rear in freshwater rivers and streams for 3-18 months before migrating to the ocean, where they spend 2-6 years before returning to their natal river to spawn and die (semelparous lifecycle, unlike Atlantic salmon which can survive spawning). The flesh is the highest in fat content among Pacific salmon species, deep red-orange in color, and considered the premium salmon product for both commercial and sport fisheries. Wild chinook populations have declined severely across much of their range due to dam construction, habitat degradation, and ocean condition changes; multiple runs are listed as threatened or endangered under the US Endangered Species Act. Aquaculture of chinook is established primarily in New Zealand (where stocks were introduced in the early 1900s) and in small-scale operations in British Columbia.

Climate and outdoor ponds

Climate classification

cold-water (cool water required, dies in heat)

Outdoor pond zones (USDA)

3 to 7 (winter low around -40°C or warmer)

Heating in a temperate climate

Not required (handles seasonal cool periods)

Cooling in a temperate climate

Required if your summer water temperatures exceed the upper tolerance

Zone bounds reflect year-round outdoor pond viability with no active heating. Anywhere outside the bounded zone, the species can still be kept in an indoor heated tank or a seasonally-managed system. Verify your specific microclimate, as a sheltered yard zone can run a half-zone warmer than the regional rating.

Care notes

Not a practical species for home aquaponics, included for completeness. Chinook salmon require cold water (8–14°C), very high dissolved oxygen (above 8 mg/L), and pristine water quality. Growth in freshwater is inherently limited: the juvenile (parr) phase produces a fish of only 5–15 g before the animal's biology signals smoltification and the drive to migrate to saltwater. Growing chinook past the smolt stage in freshwater is possible but fights the species' physiology; most land-based operations focus on smolt production with marine net-pen grow-out. New Zealand produces chinook in both sea cages and freshwater raceways (about 15,000 tonnes annually). FCR in marine culture is 1.3-1.7 on high-fat salmon pellet. For freshwater aquaponics, rainbow trout, arctic char, or land-based Atlantic salmon RAS are far more practical options. Chinook fingerlings are rarely available to non-commercial buyers due to conservation protections on most wild stocks. Regulations are strict: culture permits require compliance with genetic management protocols to prevent impacts on wild populations.

Further reading

• Aquaponics water chemistry: balancing pH for fish and plants
• Fish for aquaponics: tilapia vs everything else