Chum Salmon
CHUM SALMON
Background
The Coquille River basin is on the extreme southern edge of the range of distribution for chum salmon, and because of unknown limiting factors, chum salmon may never have been more that an occasional vistor in the basin. From 1928 to 1949, with the exception of two years, the commercial catch of chum salmon was never higher than 51 pounds. During this period the catch ranged from zero(for 13 year no chum salmon were landed) to 51 pounds. The two exceptions were in 1928, when 3,608 pounds were landed, and in 1931 there were 323 pounds of chum salmon landed. There are no recorded chum salmon landings prior to 1928 (cleaver 1951). At the same time, even until the 1950s, the chum salmon catch was high in streams of the north coast of Oregon, particularly Tilamook Bay. No chum slmon were ever raised or release from hatcheries on the Coquille River.
Juveniles rear for a very short time (1 to 4 weeks) in fresh and estuarine waters before migrating to the ocean in spring. They have a wider ranging ocean distribution than other Pacific salmon. In the ocean, chum salmon feed on planktonic food sources. Chum salmon return to spawn primarily as 3 and 4-year-old fish, and occasionally as 5-year-old fish. Chum salmon return to the Coquille River basin from October through January (Cleaver 1951). The spawning distribution of chum salmon includes tidewater areas.