Pink Salmon can be found in the ocean for their entire life with the exception of when they hatch from their eggs and when they return to their birth river to spawn and die.

Ocean Preferences

While in the ocean, they can be found as deep as 200 feet but quite often stay around 60 to 30 feet deep. Their actual depth depends on the current, the location of fish and the time of year.

Pink Salmon like all other Pacific Salmon, travel large parts of the ocean before returning to the shores and bays prior to migration. However, some Pink Salmon stay close to their shores if there is ample food to sustain them.

Pink Salmon Habitat

Pink Salmon habitat requirements include cool, clean water. Vegetation is not critical to Pink Salmon, though they are often found close to it as it offers protection and most importantly, bait fish seek cover from vegetation. Areas of the ocean cause stress on Pink Salmon and their numbers there are usually much reduced.

Deep Water Fishing Tips

Deep water fishing techniques differ from freshwater and are based on casting techniques.

When a Pink Salmon strikes your lure, set the hook sharply then relax but keep the rod tip up. Reel in the Pink Salmon slowly but steadily. When the Pink Salmon makes a run, keep the tip up and let it go for a bit while keeping up resistance.

Your drag should be sufficient enough to let the salmon make a run with some effort. Reel it in even when it makes a run or the hook may come loose.

Pink Salmon Predators

Pink Salmon may be the top of the food chain in rivers and streams, but they are far from the top in the ocean. In the ocean, they are hunted by sharks, Pacific halibut and humpback whales.

However, they are also hunted while they are found in rivers and streams, though not from the water but by external land or air based predators including wolves, bears, river otters and bald eagles. Salmon will also eat them, but only in the pre spawning phase.