53-Year-Old Coho Record Finally Beaten, Twice

A Minnesota State coho salmon record has been broken after an incredible 53 years. Over the Labor Day weekend, not one but two coho salmons that weighed over 10 pounds were caught. The catches were made in Lake Superior near Duluth. One catch was made by David Cichosz, aged 54, who was fishing from a charter boat. His fish was 10.92 pounds and 29 inches long. The previously held record set in 1970 was a 10.38-pound fish.

However, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources which publishes record catches, is in the process of overhauling the state records. All records before 1980 will now be categorized as historic and not as certified. This means that another huge catch from earlier that weekend – a 10.06-pound coho, would also have been a record breaker even if it was just for a day or so. That fish was caught by 7-year-old Walter Taylor of Stillwater, Minnesota.

Lake Superior is experiencing a season of large salmon. It is thought that this has been caused by an increase in their food supply, namely cisco which are also sometimes called lake herring. In previous years, coho salmon averaging between 2 and 4 pounds have been caught. Over this summer, however, their weights have been rising. The record could likely be broken again before long.

How Big Do Lake Superior Salmon Get?

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, there are three species of Pacific salmon living in Lake Superior. They have been introduced in the past few decades and are now reproducing naturally within the lake. The largest of the species is the chinook salmon which is also sometimes called the King salmon. It is not unusual for these to grow over 10 pounds but most catches from Lake Superior average around three or four pounds. The coho salmon featured in this news story is also sometimes called the silver salmon and is smaller. Smaller still is the pink salmon.

Do Salmon Stay in Lake Superior?

The normal lifecycle for Pacific salmon is to live most of their lives in the sea. At the end of their lifecycle, they move into rivers and travel upstream to reach the areas where they were born. Therefore, they move from saltwater to freshwater for spawning.

The salmon in Lake Superior are a little different because they do not live in salt water at all. They live most of their life in the lake, but in the fall they swim upriver to spawn. After spawning the fish will die but their offspring will eventually head back downstream to re-populate the lake.