salmon shark
Lamna ditropis · Lamnidae · predator
Cold-water shark of the North Pacific, with records in Mexico. It can be dangerous, is caught on rod and line, and its flesh and fins are used.
Also called: tubarão-salmão, tiburón salmón, marrajo salmón, salmon shark
- maximum
- 305 cm
- record/max.
- 175.0 kg
- depth
- 0–152 m
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the salmon shark
who is the salmon shark
The salmon shark is a shark of the family Lamnidae, with a sturdy body. It reaches 305 cm and weighs up to 175 kg, and its common size is 180 cm. It lives in cold and temperate waters of the North Pacific, from the surface down to 152 m, and frequents the coast and open ocean. It feeds on fish. It is ovoviviparous, with up to 4 pups per litter, and lives up to 27 years. It is considered potentially dangerous, but rarely attacks people. It causes losses to commercial catches and fishing gear.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the salmon shark.
identification
Sturdy, fusiform body, with the first dorsal fin uniformly dark, without a pale tip. The belly is white with dark spots. Like other lamnids, it has a crescent-shaped tail. It lives in cold boreal and temperate waters of the North Pacific, which sets it apart from warm-water sharks.
where found
North Pacific, from Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk to southern California (USA) and Baja California, in Mexico. In Latin America it occurs only in Mexico.
Habitat: Coastal and pelagic waters of the North Pacific, from the surface down to 152 meters deep.
rules for the salmon shark
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Potentially dangerous shark: do not get close to the mouth or the fins, and release it with care and minimal handling.
in the kitchen
Eaten fresh, dried, salted or frozen; the fins are highly valued, and the flesh can be grilled or baked.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00933, b = 3.04; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Lamna ditropis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Lamna ditropisNames by country and language.
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: