Alaska Silver Salmon FishingAdvice on identifying and fishing for Alaska silver salmon a.k.a. coho salmonAlso see Alaska salmon fishing, Alaska red salmon fishing and Alaska king salmon fishing
Alaska silver salmon fishing has it's rewards. Though not quite as rich as the meat of king salmon or red salmon, the flesh of the coho is delicious and full of flavor. Whether grilled, smoked, pan fried or canned, silver salmon is a great fish for eating. Silver salmon are some of the most plentiful sport fish in Alaska and can be found in thousands of streams and rivers across the state. Alaska silver salmon fishing in fresh water is usually done using spinning gear. Coho are drawn to shiny, flashy lures. A
lure with the color combination of gold and silver paired with
bright colors will be the most successful. Bait using salmon
roe is also known to be highly productive, but is illegal in some
areas. Herring is very popular for silver salmon fishing in
saltwater. How To Identify Species While Fishing For Silver Salmon In Alaska
Similar in appearance to small king salmon, silvers can be further identified by a smaller tail that has spots on the upper lobe only, and of course the absence of the black gum line that are characteristic of kings.
Prime Spots For Alaska Silver Salmon FishingLocations in the Southeast for Silver Salmon FishingSkagway and Haines : Lutak Inlet, Chilkat, Chilkoot RiversSitka and Petersburg: Lower Stephens Passage, Stikine, Sitka, Ernest, Frederick Sounds, Wrangell Narrows, Blind Slough, Sumner Straits, Upper Clarence, Duncan Canal, Petersburg, Anan, Kadake, Thoms, Sitkoh Creeks, Salmon Bay, Eva, Petersburg, Red Lake Systems, Kadashan, Kah Sheets, Harding Rivers, Stikine River System Klawock, Prince of Wales: Gulf of Esquibel, Bucareli Bay Juneau: Icy Strait, Stephens Passage, Lynn Canal, Klage Bay, Sweetwater Lake Systems, Cross Sound, Favorite, Saginaw Channels Yakutat: Lost, Doame, Kiklukh, Tawah, Situk Rivers, Yakutat Bay Ketchikan and Prince of Wales: Bucareli Bay, Clarence Strait, Gulf of Esquibel, Revillagigedo Channel, Salmon Bay, Ketchikan Creeks, Yes Bay, Behm Canal, Wilson, Klawock, Naha, Kegan River Systems, Gravina Island Fishing Spots for Silver Salmon in the Northwest Seward Peninsula: Nome, Fish-Niukluk, Sinuk Rivers Norton Sound: Shaktoolik, Kwiniuk, Unalakleet, Inglutalik, Tubutulik, Ungalik Rivers South Central Silver Salmon Fishing Spots Lower Cook Inlet: Chakachatna, McArthur River Systems, Crescent, Beluga, Amakdedori, Kameshak Rivers, Silver Salmon, Polly Creeks Shelikof Strait: Big, Swikshak Rivers Afognak, Kodiak and Shuyak Islands: Carry Inlet, Ugak, Neketa, Shuyak Bays, Deadman, Portage, Roslyn Creek Systems, Pauls Creek System, Red, Saltery, Karluk, Dog Salmon, Afognak, Pasagshak Rivers, Malina, Olga, Little River Lake Systems, Chiniak Bay Streams Upper Cook Inlet: Wasilla, Jim, Fish Creeks, Lewis, Theodore Rivers, Little Susitna Wrangell Mountains: Tonsina River System, Strelna Lake Kenai: Russian, Anchor, Swanson, Moose, Kenai Rivers, Kachemak Bay, English Bay, Ninilchik, Kasilof Rivers, Crooked, Deep Creeks, Engineer, Upper Jean, Centennial, Union, Stormy Lakes Anchorage: Campbell, Bird, Ship Creeks, Twenty Mile River System Chugach and Prince William Sound: Passage Canal, Orca Inlet, Resurrection Bay, Valdez Arm Susitna: Lake, Willow, Sheep, Montana, Alexander, Peters Creeks, Talkeetna, Chulitna, Deshka, Talachulitna Rivers Mat-Su Valley: Wolf, Memory, Loon, Finger, Matanuska Lakes South west locations for Silver Salmon FishingAlaska Peninsula: King Salmon, Egegik, Ugashik River Systems, Nelson Lagoon, Meshnik, Ilnik, Chignik Rivers, Mortensen Lagoon, Lefthand Bay, Volcano River, Russell Creek, Beaver River Bristol Bay: Wood, Togiak, Nushagak-Mulchatna, Alagnak, Naknek River Systems Lower Yukon: Andreafsky, Anvik Rivers Kuskokwim: Arolik, Aniak, Goodnews, Kanektok, Kisaralik, Holitna Rivers Interior spots for Silver Salmon Fishing Upper Tanana:
Seventeen Mile Slough, Nenana-Clear Creek, Delta Clearwater River
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The late summer
arrival of Alaska's silver salmon, also known as the coho salmon, signals
the height of the 
A
medium sized salmon,
the typical weight for silvers is around 6 to 9
pounds with larger fish reaching
weights of 20 pounds upwards.
Coho salmon are identified by metallic silver sides,
grayish blue or dark green backs, white bellies, and black
markings irregularly scattered on their top sides. 
During
spawning season, silver salmon become deep red on the sides with
dark green to black coloring on the head and back. They also
grow larger teeth and jaws. As with many salmon species, coho
males typically develop a more dramatic spawning appearance than
females do.