Pink Salmon

{
  "id": "f0fed42c-1ba4-43a0-90ab-831097116bd8",
  "commonName": "Pink Salmon",
  "scientificName": "Oncorhynchus gorbuscha",
  "slug": "pink-salmon",
  "category": "anadromous",
  "aliases": [
    "humpback salmon",
    "humpies",
    "pinks",
    "humpy",
    "Humpy",
    "Humpback Salmon",
    "Gorbie",
    "Humpie",
    "Pink",
    "Autumn Salmon",
    "Odd-year Pink"
  ],
  "description": "The Pink Salmon is the smallest and most abundant of the Pacific salmon species, a silvery missile built for speed and sheer numbers. Averaging between 3 to or 5 pounds at maturity, with exceptional specimens reaching up to 12 pounds, they are easily distinguished by their very fine scales and deeply forked tail. In the ocean phase, they sport a classic steel-blue back and silver sides. Upon entering freshwater to spawn, males undergo a dramatic transformation: they develop a pronounced hump behind the head—giving rise to their common nickname—along with a dark, blotchy back and a reddish wash on the sides. Females remain more subtly colored, with a dusky olive-green hue. Their small size is belied by a pure, athletic silhouette, unmistakable once you've held one.\n\nTo find them, think 'Pacific Rim' and 'biennial boom.' Pink Salmon have the shortest ocean life cycle of any salmon—just two years—leading to massive, predictable runs in odd-numbered years in most systems, though some rivers see consistent annual runs. They thrive in coastal environments from northern California up through Alaska, across the Bering Sea to Russia and Japan, and are particularly legendary in the tidal rivers and bays of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia. Anglers target them in saltwater near river mouths, in the brackish estuaries, and up into the freshwater streams themselves, often in astonishing densities that can turn the water silver with their presence.\n\nAnglers book trips for the Pink Salmon not for solitary trophy pursuit, but for the spectacle, the sheer fun, and the relentless action. They are voracious, aggressive biters in salt and brackish water, readily taking flies and lures, making them a perfect species for light-tackle enthusiasts and fly fishers seeking high numbers. Their fight is surprisingly spirited for their size—a hard, dogged run with plenty of headshakes. This makes them an ideal 'gateway' salmon for anglers new to the genre or a fantastic filler species on a multi-species trip, providing non-stop action between encounters with larger kings or silvers. While their flesh is milder than other salmon, it is excellent when fresh, and the cultural experience of being immersed in one of nature's great migratory pulses is a reward in itself.",
  "imageUrl": "https://media.meridiaoutdoors.com/media/species/pink-salmon/main.webp",
  "hero": {
    "blurhash": "UpQchyoft8xakCWBofof_Nt7jYof?Ht7RjWB",
    "altText": "Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) watercolor",
    "caption": "The Pink Salmon is the smallest and most abundant of the Pacific salmon species, a silvery missile built for speed and sheer numbers.",
    "width": 2400,
    "height": 1340
  },
  "phases": [
    {
      "id": "ddd98977-1e78-4b08-9b91-7031133afcf3",
      "name": "Ocean Adult",
      "slug": "ocean-adult",
      "description": "This is the mature Pink Salmon in its prime, living an athletic, pelagic life in the North Pacific. It is a schooling fish built for speed and distance, feeding voraciously to fuel its imminent, fateful migration back to its natal stream.",
      "appearance": "A sleek, streamlined fish with a classic salmonid silhouette and a deeply forked tail. The back is a bright, metallic steel-blue that transitions to brilliant, reflective silver on the sides and belly. The entire body is covered in very fine, loose scales. There is no spotting on the back or tail. Fins are generally dark or dusky. The mouth is white inside. Typical size is 3-5 pounds, with a torpedo-like body shape optimized for ocean travel.",
      "triggers": null,
      "habitat": "Open ocean and coastal saltwater of the North Pacific, from northern California to Alaska and across to Asia. They school in the upper water column.",
      "anglersNote": "The primary phase targeted by saltwater and estuary anglers. Fish are aggressive, silvery, and in peak physical condition, offering a spirited fight on light tackle.",
      "displayOrder": 0,
      "imageUrl": null,
      "media": null
    },
    {
      "id": "b7d3a179-4606-4658-8c00-ef3c81e5024e",
      "name": "Spawning Male",
      "slug": "spawning-male",
      "description": "Having entered freshwater, the male Pink Salmon undergoes one of the most dramatic morphological changes of any salmon. Its body transforms for competition and reproduction, developing the iconic hump that gives the species its common name of 'Humpy.'",
      "appearance": "The most distinguishing feature is a massive, pronounced hump or kype that develops behind the head, anterior to the dorsal fin. The body color shifts dramatically: the back becomes a dark olive-brown to almost black, often with large, irregular blotches. The sides develop a strong, blotchy reddish or pinkish wash. The jaw elongates and hooks, forming a pronounced kype. The belly may remain a dull white or gray. The sleek ocean shape is completely lost, replaced by a distorted, hunched profile.",
      "triggers": "Entry into freshwater, triggered by hormonal changes preparing for spawning.",
      "habitat": "Freshwater streams and rivers, in shallow riffles and runs near spawning gravels.",
      "anglersNote": "Fish are often caught in rivers but are post-spawn or actively spawning; they are typically not prized for table fare at this stage, though they can still be aggressive biters.",
      "displayOrder": 1,
      "imageUrl": null,
      "media": null
    },
    {
      "id": "2a7baf2b-00ef-4eef-a51c-cc5be3e9ef33",
      "name": "Spawning Female",
      "slug": "spawning-female",
      "description": "The female enters freshwater to deposit her eggs. While her transformation is less grotesque than the male's, she undergoes significant color change and her body shape adapts for egg carrying and redd digging.",
      "appearance": "No hump develops. The body color shifts from ocean silver to a more uniform, dull olive-green or dusky gray-brown on the back and sides, with a pale belly. Dark, horizontal oval blotches (parr marks) often reappear along the lateral line. The body becomes deeper and more robust compared to her ocean phase, but remains more streamlined than the spawning male. The jaw may show slight hooking but nothing as extreme as the male. Fins often appear dark and worn.",
      "triggers": "Entry into freshwater, triggered by hormonal changes preparing for spawning.",
      "habitat": "Freshwater streams and rivers, focusing on clean gravel substrates where she will dig her redd (nest).",
      "anglersNote": "Anglers should practice careful catch-and-release if encountered on spawning beds to protect the future broodstock, as they are critical for the continuation of the run.",
      "displayOrder": 2,
      "imageUrl": null,
      "media": null
    }
  ],
  "contentUpdatedAt": "2026-05-09T22:30:08.491Z"
}

[
  {
    "slug": "bristol-bay-ak",
    "name": "Bristol Bay",
    "type": "region_colloquial",
    "stateProvince": "AK",
    "availableMonths": null,
    "peakMonths": [
      6,
      7,
      8,
      9
    ]
  }
]

[]

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  "title": null,
  "description": "Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), also known as humpies, are the smallest Pacific salmon. Find out where and when to catch these abundant, fast-biting fish.",
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