When it comes to fly fishing, two fish come to mind almost immediately: salmon and trout. These two are among the most popular game fish for anglers to catch. They are also in-demand among the general public all year long because both fish just so happens to be tasty and nutritious at the same time.
There are so many similarities between the two that many newbie anglers find it difficult to tell them apart. If you’re one of these newbies (or just someone interested in fish and sportfishing), this article is for you.
Trout vs Salmon Appearance: What Do They Look Like?
Salmon and trout come from the same fish family, so it’s natural that they would look similar to one another at first glance. But upon closer look, you would notice that the two do have a number of distinctive visual differences that set them apart from the other.
Trout are usually very heavily spotted, which is one of their defining features. Its tail is broad, and is square or convex in shape, while its whole body and head take on a more rounded appearance.
Salmon, in contrast to the rounder and thicker build of the trout, have a more slender and longer body shape. Their heads are also very angular in shape too. Some do have spots, but their spots are less prominent compared to the very noticeable spots on a trout.
Trout vs Salmon Sizes
In general, salmon are larger than trout. A typical, fully-grown trout measures 20 to 30 inches and can weigh around 8 to 10 pounds. Its salmon counterpart can grow from anywhere around 28 to 40 inches and potentially reach an overall weight near the range of 8 to 14 pounds. Of course, these figures will vary depending on the particular specie of fish involved. For example, Chinook salmon (also known as “king salmon”) can grow up to 60 inches and a whopping 120+ pounds. Lake trout are also known to occasionally reach up to 100 pounds with a length of around 50 inches.
Trout vs Salmon Differences: How to Tell Them Apart
A large sea trout can be easily misidentified as a salmon, while a small salmon can be misidentified as a trout. But aside from the visual differences that we’ve mentioned above, both fish have other distinctive bodily characteristics that are unique only to them. Examples are below:
How to Identify a Salmon
1. The maxilla (the bony plate usually found alongside a fish’s mouth) does not extend beyond the ear in a salmon.
2. A salmon’s tail is usually forked, and the thickness of the “wrist” of the tail is slender and narrow.
3. Has a smaller mouth with a sharper snout compared to trout.
4. Has a larger pectoral fin (i.e. the pair of fins that is situated on either side of a fish’s head).
5. You can easily pick up a salmon by its tail.
How to Identify a Trout
1. A trout’s maxilla extends beyond its eye.
2. Trout usually have broader tails than salmon.
3. Has a rounder and thicker snout compared to salmon.
4. Their tails are usually square or convex in shape.
5. It’s hard to pick up a trout by its tail because it usually slips through your hand.
Trout vs Salmon Meat Colour
Trout and salmon both have red or orange-tinged flesh. This is due to their diets; both fish feed on micro-algae called Haematococcus pluvialis which has a pigment called astaxanthin that colors it a blood red. This algae also contains a lot of carotene, which is the same stuff that makes carrots orange. Other sea creatures that feed on this algae like shrimp, lobsters, and crayfish also absorb and accumulate the red pigmentation.
The only noticeable difference in coloring between salmon and trout meat is that salmon has a richer and brighter orange color, while trout meat generally has a lighter color.
Trout vs Salmon Habitats: Where Can You Find Them?
Salmon are considered an “anadromous” fish- they live in both fresh and salt water, depending on their life stage. They hatch in freshwater (like rivers and lakes) and stay there for the first few months (or years, depending on the species) of their life. Once they are fully grown, they migrate to the ocean. They only move back to freshwater to lay their eggs when it is time to reproduce.
From the North Atlantic to the North Pacific oceans, you can find salmon anywhere. In fact, as one of the most farmed fish in the world, salmon populations have been introduced to a number of places that they are originally not local to.
Some of the best places in the world to catch salmon include the Great Lakes (New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio), Kola Peninsula in Russia, Norway, New Zealand, and Alaska.
Most trout are freshwater fish. They can be found in streams, lakes, and other bodies of freshwater in colder climates (50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit). However, some species of trout like the rainbow trout and steelhead are anadromous (i.e. they live both in fresh and salt water depending on their life stage).
A large majority of trout populations can be found in Europe, North America, and northern Asia.
Trout vs Salmon Fishing Techniques and Baits
Salmon are not an easy fish to catch- they’re pretty strong fighters, with high jawbones and claws that they would normally use to overpower and kill their prey. They are also equipped with a muscular swim bladder that helps them drive and glide forward in the water. Be prepared to expend a lot of energy reeling them in.
Temperature matters a lot in salmon fishing. These fish like cooler waters, so it’s best to fish in the early morning hours or late afternoon when they come up to the surface of the water for feeding.
On the other hand, trout is much easier to fish for. You can go “wading” for them, which is essentially the process of standing in the shallow part of a lake or river and then casting your line into the water. It’s probably one of the easiest ways of fishing out there. And unlike salmon, trout prefer warmer waters. You could try fishing when the weather is warmer (preferably near mid-day when the sun is out) so that they’re more likely to bite.
For bait, salmon prefer live bait such as roe (fish eggs), or cut bait which is usually a strip of fish meat. You could also use spinners and commercial or homemade fishing bait too.
Trout also like live bait like roe and worms. Some anglers use dough bait, which is a flour mixture kneaded onto ball shapes.
Trout vs Salmon Flavour and Taste
Trout meat has a very similar flavour profile to catfish meat. It is kind of bland with a faint gamey flavor to it. Overall, the taste is very mild, and the flesh itself is very delicate to the touch especially when cooked. Because of its neutral taste, trout goes well with a lot of ingredients and it can soak up any kind of seasoning or spices you put on it. It’s a very versatile fish for cooking.
Salmon does not have that much of a gamey flavor like trout. The taste can vary depending on the specific type of salmon and where the salmon was caught (fresh water or saltwater). However, salmon meat is noticeably “richer” in taste than trout. It has lots of fat content- as a general rule in cooking, the more fat a meat has, the more flavorful it is. Yet despite this richer and more robust flavor, it does not have that gamey aftertaste like trout has (which can be off-putting to some people). This is the reason why salmon is a very in-demand seafood in a lot of countries.
As for cooking, salmon meat is naturally flavorful on its own, so you don’t actually have to put that many seasonings and spices onto it. You want the natural taste of the salmon to shine through. Usually, people would add some of their favorite herbs for additional flavor, and maybe some butter. Salmon is best served baked, grilled, pan seared, or roasted.
Trout vs Salmon Nutrition – Which is Healthier?
None of the two is necessarily healthier than the other- they just have different nutritional content. However, salmon has more calorie content per gram of meat. For example, 100 grams of salmon has around 200 calories. So if you’re on a low calorie diet, trout meat is more preferable.
Both trout and salmon meat contains lot of protein. Salmon has around 20 grams of protein per 100 grams of meat, and it also has lots of minerals and vitamins that makes it a healthy addition to any diet.
Trout has 150 calories for every 100g of meat. It is also high in protein content, with 22g of protein per 100 grams. A great thing about trout is that it does not have significant levels of trans fat, and compared to salmon, is lower in calories too. It’s also an excellent source of vitamins A, D, C, and E.