Eggs

Eggs or Roe are the fully developed egg masses in a salmon’s ovaries, which have a shiny outer skin with a firm texture. Roe is typically orange in color and varies in size from a fifth to two fifths of an inch. They come in large sacks called skeins that are used to hold the eggs together while developing inside the female fish. Once the fish is ready to fertilize the eggs, the skein will break and the eggs will come out individually.

Roe contains many nutritional proteins and are a delicacy in many cultures. Much like chicken eggs, roe are un-fertilized until the fish swims upriver to spawn. Once the fish begin their spawning run, they typically become more aggressive and territorial, tempting them to attack their own eggs, making them solid bait for anglers.

Frequently Asked Questions about Eggs