How long does cooked salmon last?

Checked 24 Oct 20263 official publishers, 4 sources

Cooked: 3-4 days in the fridge and 1-2 months in the freezer for best quality.

Storage times for cooked salmon by state and place
State	Counter	Fridge 40 °F	Freezer 0 °F
Cooked	2 hours max CDC	3-4 days safety FDA FoodKeeper	1-2 months best quality FoodKeeper Sources disagree: 4-6 months FDA

Times assume continuous refrigeration at 40 °F or below. When in doubt, throw it out. Freezer times are for quality: “Because freezing 0° F (-18° C) keeps food safe indefinitely, the following recommended storage times are for quality only.” FDA

Signs it has gone bad

“If you smell sour, rancid, or fishy odors in raw or cooked seafood, do not eat it.” FDA
“If you smell either a fleeting or persistent ammonia odor in cooked seafood, do not eat it.” FDA

Sources compared

Source	State	Counter	Fridge	Freezer
USDA FSIS (FoodKeeper) 2018	Cooked	-	3-4 days	1-2 months
FDA 2018	Cooked	-	3-4 days	4-6 months
CDC 2025	Cooked	2 hours	-	-

A dash means that source gives no time for that place.

What the sources say

FoodKeeper covers cooked salmon under its entry for all cooked fish: 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and 1 to 2 months in the freezer.¹

The FDA storage chart agrees on 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator for cooked fish but lists 4 to 6 months in the freezer, so the shorter FoodKeeper freezer time is shown first.²¹

The FDA chart explains that its freezer times are for quality only, because freezing at 0 °F keeps food safe indefinitely.²

The FDA advice on seafood says not to eat cooked seafood that smells sour, rancid or fishy, or that gives off any ammonia odor, even a fleeting one.⁴

Those odors become stronger after cooking, according to the same FDA page.⁴

Rules that apply here

The 2-hour rule Fridge and freezer temperature Freezing and refreezing Reheating to 165 °F

Salmon Cooked shrimp Cooked chicken

Sources

USDA FoodKeeper data v128, product 148: Cooked fish, all. USDA FSIS (FoodKeeper). Dated 2018-09-06. Checked 2026-10-24. Cooked fish, all. Refrigerate: 3-4 Days; Freeze: 1-2 Months
REFRIGERATOR & FREEZER STORAGE CHART. FDA. Dated 2018-03-01. Checked 2026-10-24. Cooked fish 3 - 4 days 4 - 6 months
Preventing Food Poisoning | Food Safety | CDC. CDC. Dated 2025-11-24. Checked 2026-10-24. Never leave perishable food out for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if exposed to temperatures above 90°F).
Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely | FDA. FDA. Dated 2024-03-05. Checked 2026-10-24. If you smell sour, rancid, or fishy odors in raw or cooked seafood, do not eat it.If you smell either a fleeting or persistent ammonia odor in cooked seafood, do not eat it.