Freshwater Chinook King Salmon original artwork of fish in freshwater / spawning phase of their life. Nature, wildlife, fisherman & chefs will enjoy our original fish series of steelhead & salmon. Prints & gifts. Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. It is a Pacific Ocean salmon and is variously known as the king salmon, tyee salmon, Columbia River salmon, black salmon, chub salmon, hook bill salmon, winter salmon, Spring Salmon, Quinnat Salmon and blackmouth. Chinook Salmon are typically divided into "races" with "spring chinook", "summer chinook", and "fall chinook" being most common. Races are determined by the timing of adult entry into fresh water. A "winter chinook" run is recognized in the Sacramento River.