Features: These fish are silver when young, but darken and develop black spots on their tails and backs as they age. In fresh water, the males are red on their sides and develop a hump on their backs earning this species the common name humpback salmon. Females in fresh water are green on the sides with dark bars. Pink salmon are an average of 20- to 25-inches long and rarely weigh over 5 pounds. 

Habitat: Pink salmon spawn on odd numbered years and do so very close to saltwater, never going very far upriver. In fact, some pink salmon will spawn in inter-tidal zones. They require gravel to spawn, so too much silt caused by dredging or erosion can cause problems for pinks. 

Techniques: Pink salmon can be caught using small spinners, spoons, and fly tackle. However, in Oregon they are almost always encountered while fishing for other salmon.