Splatoon 4 Salmon Run Tips — Boss Salmonids, Cohock Charge & How to Reach Profreshional

Salmon Run is Splatoon's horde mode and it's the best mode in the game that nobody talks about enough. Three waves of Salmonids, random weapons, increasingly chaotic conditions. I've played hundreds of shifts across all three Splatoon games and here's what I've learned about surviving and thriving.

Let's start with the bosses because knowing how to kill each one efficiently is what separates Profreshional players from the rest. The Steelhead lobs explosive balloons. To kill it, you need to shoot the balloon when it's inflated. The timing is everything, shoot too early and the balloon isn't vulnerable, shoot too late and the bomb drops on your team. The balloon has about 500 HP. Rollers and Splatlings are great against Steelheads because they can sustain damage on the balloon window. Don't waste specials on a single Steelhead. They're slow and predictable.

The Steel Eel is a long train of ink that follows the player it's targeting. The head is the weak point, one direct hit kills the entire chain. If you're being chased, don't run in a straight line, lead the Steel Eel into teammate fire. If you're the shooter, aim for the head. Splat Bombs are effective if you can land one near the head. The Steel Eel body blocks ink, so it can trap teammates in corners. Watch for that.

The Flyfish is the most annoying boss in Salmon Run. It has two missile launchers. You need to hit both launchers with bombs to kill it, each launcher takes one Splat Bomb or similar explosive. You can also use specials like Booyah Bomb or Killer Wail to destroy both launchers at once. The key to Flyfish is not ignoring it. A Flyfish left alive can wipe your entire team with the homing missiles. If you're the closest player, deal with it first.

The Scrapper has a shield that blocks frontal damage. It charges at players and leaves ink trails. You need to hit the pilot behind the shield. The easiest way is to let it charge, then dodge and shoot the exposed pilot from the side or back. One Splat Bomb near the back will also kill it. Scrappers are more of a nuisance than a threat if you handle them promptly.

The Maws burrows underground and lunges up when it reaches a player. Throw a Splat Bomb into its mouth when it lunges for an instant kill. If you don't have a bomb, shoot it while dodging. Maws will chase the closest player, so use that to your advantage by kiting it away from teammates.

The Stinger fires rapid ink shots from a tall tower. You need to shoot the small pots at the top, all four of them. Each pot destroyed narrows the fire. The Stinger is dangerous at range because its shots are accurate and fast. Kill it quickly if it's targeting you. Use a long-range weapon if you have one. If all four of you ignore the Stinger, someone will die.

The Fish Stick creates a tall pillar of ink that spawns Smallfry. Climb the pillar to destroy the top. Someone should always clear Fish Sticks because Smallfry can overrun a position fast.

Now for wave strategies. In wave 1 and 2, conserve your specials unless the team is in real trouble. Wave 3 is where you use everything. The most common reason teams fail wave 3 is that everyone died holding their special for the perfect moment. Use your special early in wave 3. The earlier you use it, the sooner you start charging the next one.

Cohock Charge waves are special. Huge golden Cohocks appear that drop massive eggs. The strategy shifts to using the cannon. One player on the cannon, the rest lure Cohocks into cannon range. The cannon shots pierce through multiple Cohocks, so line them up. In the glowfly rush, everyone should stick together on high ground. The glowflies target one player, that player should stay in front while others shoot over their head. If someone runs away alone, they die and the rush collapses.

Climbing the ranks: Go-Getter is about individual competence. Learn to kill each boss type without dying. Overachiever tests your situational awareness, you need to watch teammate positions and cover gaps. Profreshional is where teamwork matters, coordinate special usage, share egg collection duties, and never let anyone stray too far. The hardest transition is from Overachiever to Profreshional because the game suddenly expects you to play as a team. Use This Way! and Booyah! to communicate. When someone says This Way, they're not asking, they're telling you where to go.