Wild salmon is a hallmark of Alaska. The fat content and environment where it matured determine the flavor of Alaskan salmon. Alaska salmon is renowned for its exceptional flavor due to its pure water and abundance of natural foods.

While salmon can be caught in Alaska's beautiful waters all year, the fishing season heats up in Anchorage and southcentral Alaska in May when the prized King Salmon returns home to spawn in its glacier-fed freshwater streams.

You will also find the remaining four types of Pacific salmon-sockeye (coho), chum, and pink-in the area.

Many anglers now want to catch the "grand slam", which is a combination of all five species of salmon. It is easy to identify which species you are by matching your fingers to them.

Thumb-Chum salmon, (Dog). Mid-July to late august is the best time to fish for this fish. The perfect fish to smoke is the chum salmon, with its firm texture and sweet orange-pink color. They can grow up to 25 to 27 inches in length and average eight pounds in weight.

Pointer finger-Sockeye salmon (Red). Sockeye salmon is the second most common species of Alaskan salmon. They are usually available from late May through early June, or mid-July. As they travel upriver to spawn, this species changes from a silvery-colored salmon to a bright reddish-purple color. They average six pounds in weight and can grow up to three feet in length.

Middle finger-King salmon (Chinook). Mid-June to mid July is the best time to fish for king salmon. They are the largest salmon species in Alaska and are highly prized for their color and high oil content. The average weight is about 20 pounds, and the length ranges between 30 and 40 inches.

Ring finger-Silver salmon (Coho). Cohos are loved by locals for their orange-red flesh, firm texture, and delicate taste. They are best caught between August and September. Cohos are the second-largest of all the species. They average 12 pounds in weight and can be found between 25 and 35 inches long.

Pinky finger-Pink salmon, (Humpy). Millions of pinks can be seen swimming up streams and rivers to their spawning areas at the peak of their runs. The smallest and most common of all the species, pinks average between two and three pounds. Mid-July through late August is the best time to fish for pinks.

Are wild salmon from Alaska safe to eat?

The Alaskan salmon fishery has been one of the best-managed, sustainable, and safest in the world. As long as the salmon is wild-caught, it is almost always an ethical choice.

Does Alaskan salmon mean wild caught?

The difference is technically quite simple. The difference is very simple. Wild-caught salmon are caught in wild environments, while farm-raised salmon are raised in farms. However, the environment at a fish farm can be very different to that of the wild. These different environments have an unavoidable impact on fish.

Are wild Alaskan salmon truly wild?

Alaska bans fish farming. All Alaskan Salmon appropriately labeled (including Sockeye and King) are wild-caught salmon. Wild-caught Sockeye Salmon is my favorite salmon species. ... These should be purchased with an Alaskan or wild-caught label

Why is wild Alaskan salmon so costly?

Salmon is more expensive than it is because there is less supply than demand. Salmon is also more difficult to catch than other species. Wild salmon can be caught only by using a rod and reel, not nets.