Saltwater Fish Identification
Last Updated: June 18, 2026
Lingcod
Body dark brown, grey or green with mottling on sides. A single long fin on back with only one notch. Large mouth with large teeth. Can reach 5' in length.
Pacific Cod
Brown to grey body with lighter mottling. Three fins on back and a large “whisker” under lower jaw. Also called true cod and grey cod.
Walleye Pollock
Body brown with mottling, usually with several stripes along the body. Three fins on back. The “whisker” under lower jaw is absent or very small. Large eye with small pupil.
Kelp Greenling (female)
Size: up to 21"
Color: small, reddish-brown to golden spots on a gray to brown body.
Look for: yellowish orange fins.
Kelp Greenling (male)
Size: up to 21"
Color: gray to brownish-olive, with irregular blue spots on the front half of their bodies
Look for: eyelike spot at the end of the soft dorsal fin, just in front of the tail.
Cabezon
Body olive green to grey with lighter mottling. Two fins on back. Skin flap between nostrils. Small teeth.
Pacific Hake
Body dark or silver grey becoming silvery below. Two fins on back, the second being deeply notched. Black inside mouth. Large mouth with sharp teeth. Also called whiting.
Dogfish Shark
Dark brown upper body with white belly, white spots sometimes on upper body. Single prominent spines in front of each dorsal fin. Lacks an anal fin.
Halibut
Size: up to 6'
Color: white on one side; brown-gray on the other.
Look for: large mouth and eyes on right side of body. Three points on tail.
Sixgill Shark
Size: up to 15'
Color: dark brown or gray.
Look for: one fin on back situated towards tail. Six gill slits on each side of head.
NOTE:
Sixgill Shark may not be removed from the water.
Pile Perch
Size: up to 17"
Color: dusky to silvery gray, with dark bar in middle of body.
Look for: deeply forked tail and dark spot on gill cover.
Rock Sole
Size: up to 23"
Color: white on one side; top of body brown to green, small mouth.
Look for: right-eyed fish, lateral line arches above the pectoral fin.
Sanddab
Size: up to 16"
Color: one side is off-white; other side is brown with mottling.
Look for: left-eyed fish, squared caudal fin.
Striped Perch
Size: up to 15"
Color: blue and yellow stripes on side of body.
Look for: bright color pattern.
Longfin Smelt
Silvery fish 4-5 inches in length. Long pectoral fins.
Pacific Herring
Size: up to 10"
Color: silver with dark blue-green back.
Look for: deeply forked tail and lack of adipose fin.
Shiner Perch
Size: up to 8"
Color: greenish back with silvery sides.
Look for: forked tail and 3 broad yellow vertical bars.
Eulachon (Columbia River smelt)
Size: up to 12"
Color: bluish on upper half with silvery white sides and belly.
Look for: grooves on gill cover, skinny head, speckled tail.
Surf Smelt
Size: up to 10"
Color: silver with a stripe along the side.
Look for: small adipose fin and stripe on the side.
