Age Your Atlantic Salmon!

Each year, student hatchery employees and volunteers clip the same fin on the entire soon to be released year class of fish. Our fish travel all over the Great Lakes region and beyond. This fin-clipping process allows anglers to determine the ages of fish when they are caught, as well as when captured at our annual fall broodstock collection.

  • Year Stocked
  • 2017
  • 2018
  • 2019
  • 2020
  • 2021
  • Fin Clip
  • Left-pelvic
  • Left-ventral
  • Right-pelvic
  • Right-ventral
  • Left-pelvic
  • Age
  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1

Special Notes

  • Fish are held at the CFRE Fish Hatchery for approximately 1 year prior to release.
  • When looking at which fin is clipped, hold the fish as if you are saddling it to ride it. This will help you determine the fish’s right vs left sides.

Pictured at right: Atlantic Salmon caught with right-pectoral fin clips

ATS Fin-Clips

Special thanks to LSSU student anglers for providing example pictures of Atlantic Salmon fin clips. Discover more at our Great Lakes Discovery Center, openingย soon!