Identification - Tail spots are concentrated on the top of the tail. The interior of the mouth is usually gray or black, but the gums are whitish. The anal fin usually has 12 to 15 rays. Also, while on the line, coho often roll sideways, many times entangling themselves in the tackle.

Habits - In spring and summer, coho can be found in open waters near concentrations of alewives or smelt - usually within 10 miles of shore in the upper 20 to 40 feet. In August and September, they concentrate in schools near mouths of the parent streams. Sometime in September, they begin ascending the spawning streams in waves.