Chum Salmon are found along the northwest coast of North America from the Sacramento River in California to the Mackenzie River in Canada’s Yukon Territory. They are also found in abundance in Japan and fished in Russia as far north as the Bering Sea.

They have the largest natural range of any Pacific salmon as you can see from the distribution map. Chum Salmon also have the longest migrations going far up the Yukon River. They also travel deep into the Amur River basin in Asia.

They also migrate up the Mackenzie River, which is several thousand miles. It is no wonder that they all die after spawning. It is a common myth that all salmon die after spawning but this is untrue, a small percentage of some species do survive spawning.

All Chum Salmon die After Spawning

Anywhere from 20 to four percent of some species survive to spawn again. However, while we tried to find research that the Chum survived to spawn another year, everything we found indicated that they all die.

Chum Salmon enter fresh water later than all other salmon varieties, spawning in late fall. The fry emerge in the spring and immediately head for the sea. After about three or four years, they return as adults to spawn.

Landlocked Salmon

Unlike other salmon varieties, there are no landlocked Chum Salmon populations. When it comes to sport angling, there are many other salmon species that are preferred over Chum Salmon. The Great Lakes have been populated Sockeye Salmon, Chinook and even Coho. Their flesh is much better tasting and are preferred over Chum Salmon.

Chum Salmon in China

In China, Chum Salmon has become popular in recent years. Importation of Chum Salmon from Canada has tripled in five years. While there is no chum population in China, it has become a very popular fish.

Chum Fishing in Russia

The Kola Peninsula is a top draw for Chum Salmon fisherman in Russia. The Ponoi river has grown from an unknown to being recognized as one of the great Salmon rivers in the world today. The Peninsula is consistent across a long season, large and improving runs.

Throughout the 1990s, regional government worked hard to make this the exciting fishery it is today. The Kola Peninsula is well recommended.