What happens if king salmon fingerlings are kept in a pond? Will they grow into the same adult salmon as those in the ocean??

If they have the correct temps, D.O., etc., and are fed well they can. However their size can limit carrying capacity.

Salmon grown in freshwater can, as stated, grow similarly to their saltwater counterparts if given access to quality water and other needs. According to an aquaculture journal I found, however, ( Source ) pond-cultured salmon grow significantly smaller than saltwater counterparts. Maybe Cecil can prove us wrong on that accord someday .

Something else you may want to look into is the great lakes salmon fishery, where King (as well as Coho, Rainbow, Sockeye, Pink, and Atlantic) salmon were introduced into the vast "ponds" that are the great lakes, with excellent results. ( Story )

Agree with everything you're saying.

However it appears that the Pacific Salmon in the Great Lakes will always be little smaller than their Pacific Ocean counterparts probably due to an inferior and less numerous forage base in the Great Lakes. In fact some like the alwives and gizzard shad have a thiamise inhibitor. The pacific ocean forage base and the pacific salmon evolved together.

That said a coho was trapped in the Platte River in the early days of their introduction into the Great Lakes that would have been a world record.

On an interesting note my alma mater in Michigan, Alpena Community College, reared some salmon in a pond before planting them into Lake Huron. This was a year or two before I showed up. Anyway the article I found said they were the first to plant Lake Huron with Pacific Salmon.

I've long wondered why salmon haven't been introduced to the Colorado River below Lake Powell. The cold, clear water coming out of the lake have messed up the river for the native species, but seems like it might be ideal for salmon.

Hmmmm..... Sounds like this is really worth a try in my future 2-acre pond. Salmon is my favorite fish of all fish.

Why? Pretty much up to your state fish & game and they have to have reasons to justify it primarily economically, but also how it would effect the ecosystem.

There is a reservoir in either North Dakota or South Dakota that is planted with chinook salmon. Oahe?

Good luck finding salmon fingerlings or even getting the approval from your state if you found a source. The only route I know you could take is getting salmon eggs from Trout Lodge in Washington State. Not sure it they're coho or atlantic.

South Dakota has Chinook Salmon in Lake Oahe (Missouri River impoundment) and a Ladder and spawning station in Whitlock Bay. Rainbow Smelt were introduced prior to salmon as the forage base. Lake Oahe has maximum depth of 205 feet and is 370,000 acres. The record Chinook on Lake Oahe is 24 lbs 8 oz. Upstream in North Dakota on Lake Sakakawea there is also a fisheries department ran Chinook Salmon program. Rainbow Smelt and Sisco are the primary forage for salmon on Sakakawea. North Dakota record Chinook Salmon is 31 lbs and 2 oz. The size of these freshwater Chinook is well below record size Chinook returning from the ocean. These Chinook Salmon programs have been operating since the 1970's.

South Dakota is strongly considering adding Atlantic Salmon which appear to handle the warmer waters of South Dakota better and can switch to other prey if Rainbow Smelt numbers decline. Maybe Atlantic Salmon would be a better option for ponds if 200 feet of water in South Dakota doesn't stay cool enough. South Dakota has delayed its Atlantic salmon plans due to difficulty in obtaining eggs. They are now in negotiations with Chile to get Atlantic Salmon eggs. My geography must be off.

Of course you still need a coldwater habitat in a pond for any of the salmonids. Warmer water is a relative term.

South Dakota better be careful getting eggs from Chile. Chile has had serious disease issues with their pen raised salmon and continues to have issues.

I could raise landlocked salmon in my trout pond, but my DNR won't allow it as they fear disease issues even if the eggs or fish are tested negative for any pathogens. My pond water that overflows ends up in Lake Michigan. I was offered some from a closed system at Purdue and my IDNR contact said no.

The virus they fear is ISA (infectious salmon anemia).

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infectious_salmon_anemia_virus

I agree with your concern regarding sourcing from Chile. The South Dakota GFP has been working with US Fish and Wildlife for a source stock to begin their Atlantic Salmon. They have tried to source from New Hampshire and the U.K. with no success. A confirmation of your findings that getting fingerlings and getting them approved is difficult.

Joel,

Last I heard Michigan's DNR is stepping up the planting of Alantics in Lake Michigan Huron.I wonder if South Dakota's fish and game has contacted them?

http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2014/07/michigan_dnr_lake_huron_atlant.html

I like to tease the New Englanders on Myfishfinder.com about their landlocked salmon. They go bat sheet crazy about catching them, but most look like long skinny brown trout and I tell them so. I guess they can be quite acrobatic on hook and line though.