The Best Fish for Smoking (and the Ones to Skip)

The short answer

• Best for beginners: salmon and trout. They're easy to find, forgiving and taste great with mild smoke.
• Hardest to mess up: black cod (sablefish). It's so rich it stays moist even if you go a little long.
• Best bold flavor: mackerel and bluefish.
• Best for dip: whitefish, trout and mackerel.
• Skip or save for later: very lean, thin fish like tilapia, flounder and sole.

New to all of this? Start with how to smoke fish, which covers brining, the pellicle and the safe 145°F finish.

Why fat matters

Fat does two things in the smoker. It keeps the flesh moist during a long, low cook. It also grabs onto smoke flavor, so oily fish taste smokier than lean fish smoked for the same time.

Lean fish have very little fat to protect them. They go from done to dry quickly, and the flesh can flake apart on the grate. You can still smoke them, but brine them well, keep the heat low and watch the thermometer closely.

Firmness matters too. Firm, meaty fish like tuna, sturgeon and mahi-mahi hold together on the grate. Soft, thin fillets tend to break.

Fish-by-fish chart

"Best style" means the way the fish is most often smoked. Hot-smoked fish is fully cooked to 145°F. For what the other styles mean, see hot vs. cold smoking fish.

The top picks

Salmon. The most popular fish to smoke, and for good reason. King salmon is the richest and most forgiving. Sockeye and coho are leaner, so pull them right at 145°F. Pink and chum are lean and work best as salmon jerky, dip or salmon candy. Start with our hot-smoked salmon.

Trout. Small, mild and quick to smoke. Fillets are often done in under two hours. Whole trout look great on a platter. See smoked trout.

Black cod (sablefish). Sometimes sold as butterfish. It has so much fat that it stays silky even after a long smoke. It's pricier than most fish, but it's the easiest to get right. See smoked black cod.

Mackerel. Strong and oily, with a flavor that stands up to oak. It's a great value and makes a rich spread. See smoked mackerel.

Whitefish. A Great Lakes classic. Smoke it whole or as fillets, then flake it into smoked whitefish dip.

Good choices with a little extra care

Tuna. Firm steaks hold together well, but tuna is lean and can dry out. Brine it, smoke it low and pull it at 145°F. See smoked tuna.

Catfish. Mild and meaty, and it takes stronger woods like hickory and pecan better than most fish. A Cajun rub is a natural match. See smoked catfish.

Bluefish, herring and sardines. All three are oily and strongly flavored. They're best eaten soon after smoking, since their fat can turn "fishy" with time. Fresh is everything with these.

Mullet. A Gulf Coast favorite, usually split and smoked skin side down. It's rich and pairs well with oak.

Sturgeon. Dense and meaty, almost like pork. It smokes well in thick chunks.

Carp. Rich and underrated, but full of small bones. Smoking softens the meat and makes it easier to pick the bones out.

Halibut and mahi-mahi. Both are lean. They work, but brine them well, keep the smoker low and check the temperature early. They're good flaked into dip.

Fish to skip (or save for later)

• Tilapia, flounder and sole. Thin, lean and soft. They dry out or fall apart before they pick up much smoke. Bake or pan-fry them instead.
• Cod and haddock. Very lean and flaky. They're often cold-smoked by commercial smokehouses, but on a home smoker they tend to dry out.
• Any fish that isn't fresh. Smoking won't fix fish that smells sour or "off." If you wouldn't cook it, don't smoke it.

Safety notes for specific fish

Tuna, mackerel, bluefish, herring, sardines and mahi-mahi can build up histamine if they sit warm after being caught. That can cause scombroid poisoning, and cooking or smoking won't destroy it. Buy from a seller you trust and keep these fish cold, 40°F or below, the whole time.

Wild fish can carry parasites. Hot smoking to 145°F kills them. If you plan to eat a fish raw, cold-smoked or cured without cooking (like lox or gravlax), it needs to be frozen first. FDA guidance is -4°F or colder for 7 days, or -31°F for 15 hours. Many home freezers don't get that cold, which is one more reason we suggest sticking with hot smoking.

A note on shellfish

Shellfish smoke quickly and take smoke well. Use a mild wood like apple or alder and a smoker around 225–250°F.

Try smoked shrimp, smoked scallops or smoked lobster tails.

Matching wood to fish

Mild woods like alder, apple and cherry suit most fish. Save oak and hickory for strong, oily fish and catfish, and use them lightly. Skip mesquite, which can taste bitter on fish. Our wood pairing chart has more options.