# Coho or Steelhead?



## TripleB1986 (Nov 1, 2019)

Ladies and gents, there has been some discussion on another board as to what species these fish are...so, COHO OR STEELHEAD, FOLKS?!


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## Aidan Zubak (Aug 30, 2020)

Definitely coho


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## Zkovach1175 (Mar 29, 2017)

Coho


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## nighttime (Nov 25, 2007)

I wish they planted coho in the Clinton, 10k???


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## SJC (Sep 3, 2002)

They don't clip coho...


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## nighttime (Nov 25, 2007)

Ok I’ll add to arguments, some spotting on lower tails point towards steelhead, although not completely clear as clipped fish has heavy clear spotting at top and not as clear on bottom. Anal fins point towards towards steel but hard to see in lowest point extends past base, also but again hard to tell from this picture. Usually get a some purple/pink reflections or that green back fresh chromer steel. Looks like young coho to me, not sure where general area they were caught?


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## nighttime (Nov 25, 2007)




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## SJC (Sep 3, 2002)

nighttime said:


> View attachment 593367


I think it would really be a stretch for clipped coho planted in Indiana to end up all the way in southern Lake Huron. Still possible, but not nearly as possible as catching a clipped steelhead since all coho stocked in Lake Huron were not clipped.
As far as I'm concerned the fish pictured are steelhead. Here's why besides the fact that, to me, they look like steelhead and not like coho: The length and shape of the anal fin is wrong for coho.

These are coho.
View media item 122915View media item 122917View media item 122913View media item 118341
These are steelhead.
View media item 122911View media item 122909View media item 116762View media item 119380Notice the difference in the length of the anal fins? It's pretty much a straight line from the tip of the fin to the base on steelhead. Chinook have the longest anal fin. Next is coho. Last is steelhead. Also, most coho the size of the fish pictured right now should be in spawn colors and the hens should be pretty ripe.


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## nighttime (Nov 25, 2007)

First glance I guessed steel but tail spotting is hard to tell also lack of over all spotting on top and thought maybe young ho’s which aren’t colored up this time of year. Also if caught in Huron I’d also highly doubt some would swim that far. All fish appear to be small in size not adults. Steelhead lowest spot of anal fins extends past base which is present. Not sure if coho get rays like one in picture also, call me human!!!!


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## gatorman841 (Mar 4, 2010)

Grab it by the tail


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## o_mykiss (May 21, 2013)

SJC said:


> I think it would really be a stretch for clipped coho planted in Indiana to end up all the way in southern Lake Huron. Still possible, but not nearly as possible as catching a clipped steelhead since all coho stocked in Lake Huron were not clipped.
> As far as I'm concerned the fish pictured are steelhead. Here's why besides the fact that, to me, they look like steelhead and not like coho: The length and shape of the anal fin is wrong for coho.


Not to mention that those Indiana clipped coho were the 2017 yearclass... so they're probably all dead by now. And so even IF coho stocked in Indiana made their way over to Huron (unlikely), and even IF they weren't dead by now (unlikely), they'd be WAY bigger than those picture.

Plus they wouldn't have tail spots radiating in a straight line, lol


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Those look like fresh chrome hen Steelhead to me, too. The heads look right for Steelhead.


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## TripleB1986 (Nov 1, 2019)

Not one of you has commentary about the color of their mouths? Quite surprising for this forum.


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## o_mykiss (May 21, 2013)

Not terribly surprising as there's no shot of the inside of the mouth


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## TripleB1986 (Nov 1, 2019)

o_mykiss said:


> Not terribly surprising as there's no shot of the inside of the mouth


You don’t see the black at the front of all those mouths?


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Whatever they are, the smallest one still has full rays in its tail. Really fresh fish, but I don't remember seeing that on Cohos. I've seen it on an awful lot of Steelhead, though. They lose the rays after a few days, to a week being in a river.


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## SJC (Sep 3, 2002)

TripleB1986 said:


> You don’t see the black at the front of all those mouths?


It doesn't matter. They have obviously been dead for a while. Fresh steelhead tend to loose color and sometimes get less steelhead looking.
View media item 123875I should know better by now than to get involved in fish identification discussions. It has always amazed me how many "seasoned" anglers don't know what they are catching. I have seen thousands of steelhead. Trust me when I say, the fish pictured in the OP are indeed rainbow trout/steelhead.


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

Using this guide, I'd think coho. The tail is pointed into a v shape rather than squared off and the silver is uninterrupted right up to the back fin.









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## nighttime (Nov 25, 2007)

I believe SJC is 100% correct on this one. Those are harbor fish. Middle one is clipped and if you turn in head dnr will clearly identify it as steelhead as there’s spotting on upper and lower tail.


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## piscatorial warrior (Sep 14, 2011)

gatorman841 said:


> Grab it by the tail


 if it collapses it's a yoyo.


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