Smoking Fish 101

05/20/2026

Hi everyone, it’s time for a photo contest! This round will be for freshwater species only, and runs through until June 19th. Prizes are huge. First place prize even includes a guided day fishing with a Bassmaster Classic Elite Series Classic Champion. Details on how to enter will be in the comments below. Think whitefish, lake trout, northern pike, freshwater salmon, someone has to have a good smoked walleye and crappie recipe out there. This pic is of Georgian Bay King Salmon - so delicious! Good luck in the contest!

05/17/2026

Anyone heading to the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago this week should definitely stop in and check out the Stagionello booth. Let them know Smoking Fish 101 sent you.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1DCLFiN9xP/?mibextid=wwXIfr

05/08/2026

“4 cups brown sugar, 1 cup kosher salt… how long do I let it sit? How long in the Big Chief?”

If it’s been years since you last smoked fish, these are exactly the questions that can make you second guess yourself. 🔥🐟

One of the biggest mistakes people make is using a cure recipe without adjusting for:
• Fish thickness
• Fillet size
• Salt type
• Desired texture
• Smoking method

That’s exactly why we built the Smoking Fish 101 Cure Calculator.

Instead of guessing, the calculator helps members dial in:
✅ Cure ratios
✅ Cure times
✅ Drying/pellicle guidance
✅ Smoking timelines
✅ Fish thickness adjustments

Whether you’re firing up a Big Chief for the first time in 15 years or smoking every weekend, it takes a lot of the uncertainty out of the process.

Check out the Cure Calculator here:

https://www.smokingfish101.com/cure-calculator

Who here still uses a Big Chief? 👇

Photo and question submitted by Smoking Fish 101 group member Lloyd Mcdaniels.

04/16/2026

We just finished building a Smoking Fish temperature standard for the site.

This is based on how people actually smoke fish-not just BBQ temps.

It covers:
• Real smoking temps
• Internal temp targets
• Cold vs hot smoking
• Wood choices

You can view it here: https://www.smokingfish101.com/temperature-chart

Curious if this lines up with how you've been doing it.

Master the craft of smoking fish. Guides, recipes, techniques, and gear reviews from a community of 195,000+ fish smokers.

04/11/2026

Just added wild sockeye salmon to the marketplace-and this timing worked out pretty well.

The vendor is running a 25% off sale this weekend + free shipping, so it’s actually a solid time to stock up.

If you’ve never worked with sockeye before, it’s one of the best fish you can smoke-firmer texture, deeper flavor than Atlantic.

We’re still dialing in parts of the site, but the product itself checks out.

Link below 👇

Master the craft of smoking fish. Guides, recipes, techniques, and gear reviews from a community of 195,000+ fish smokers.

03/30/2026

This might be the best glaze I’ll ever put on smoked salmon.

And I didn’t buy it…

I made the maple syrup myself from scratch.

03/29/2026

I made my own maple syrup from scratch… just to glaze some smoked salmon.

Worth it?

Full video on YouTube 👇

03/28/2026

Most people are smoking fish at the wrong temperature.

This is hot-smoked fish.

Good color, clean finish, and that texture comes from controlling the process - not guessing.

Running 90-130°F might feel “traditional”…
but it’s also where things can go sideways fast if you’re not dialed in.

I bring mine up to 145°F to finish. Every time.

You get great texture - and you know it’s safe.

02/13/2026

Respect for the Craft

One of the best parts of building Smoking Fish 101 is seeing how many different paths people take into this craft.

Some learned from:
• parents
• grandparents
• commercial smokehouses
• fishing lodges
• processing plants
• traditional methods
• regional techniques
• trial and error
• mentorship
• necessity

Some are:
• professionals
• chefs
• guides
• processors
• smokehouse owners
• backyard smokers
• hobbyists
• learners
• first-timers

Different skill levels.
Different backgrounds.
Different setups.
Different goals.

Same foundation:
respect for the craft.

This group works because people are willing to:
• share knowledge
• show mistakes
• ask questions
• teach others
• respect tradition
• value process
• take safety seriously
• care about quality

That’s what keeps this space real.

Not ego.
Not hype.
Not shortcuts.
Not trends.
Not noise.

Just people trying to do it properly.

That’s the culture.

02/08/2026

Cold Smoking Fish. The Basics Everyone Should Know

Cold smoking fish isn’t cooking, it’s controlled preservation and flavour infusion.

Here are the fundamentals that matter:

Temperature
Cold smoking happens below 85f / 29c
Ideal range is 65-70f/18-25c
If the fish cooks, it’s not cold smoking anymore.

Curing is mandatory
Salt (and often sugar) comes first.
Curing:
Draws out moisture
Firms the flesh
Improves safety
Builds flavour
Allows smoke to pe*****te properly

No cure = unsafe cold smoking.

Pellicle formation
After curing, the fish must air-dry until the surface becomes tacky. This sticky layer is called the pellicle, and it’s what the smoke sticks to.

Clean smoke only
Cold smoke should be:
Light
Clean
Blue/transparent
Never thick or white

Good woods: alder, apple, cherry, maple
Bad woods: pine, spruce, treated lumber

Time
Cold smoking isn’t rushed
6-12 hrs = light smoke
12-24 hrs = medium smoke profile
24+ hrs = heavy traditional smoke

The truth
Cold smoking is salting, drying, and smoke without heat.

Done right, you get:
Silky texture
Clean smoke flavour
Beautiful colour
Long slicing structure
True artisan product

This is tradition, technique, and science working together. Not shortcuts.

02/06/2026

Love seeing this.

This is one of our recent photo contest winners sharing their prize.

Smoking Fish 101 exists because of the members — the craft, the learning, the technique, and the community itself.

Appreciate everyone who contributes, participates, and helps keep the quality of this group high. 👏