Species profile
Arctic Char
Salvelinus alpinus
Identify Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) from a photo: try it free in your browser, or get unlimited IDs, no sign-up, with the CatchRules app. Plus current fishing rules across 9 jurisdictions.
At a glance
Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species regulated in 11 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
The strictest bag limit is 1 (Nunavut); the most generous is 20 (Federal Waters (DFO)).
Confirmed by 110 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Alaska, Nunavut, and Quebec the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Arctic char is the most northerly distributed freshwater fish species in the world.
- Some populations migrate between freshwater and the ocean like salmon, a strategy called anadromy.
- They can live over 30 years in cold Arctic lakes with extremely short growing seasons.
- Arctic char flesh ranges from pale pink to deep orange, similar to salmon.
- Landlocked char populations in some Arctic lakes have been isolated since the last ice age.
Where Arctic Char are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Arctic Char
Background
Arctic char or Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) is a cold-water fish in the family Salmonidae, native to alpine lakes and arctic and subarctic coastal waters. Its distribution is circumpolar. It spawns in fresh water and populations can be lacustrine, riverine or anadromous, where they return from the ocean to their fresh water birth rivers to spawn. No other freshwater fish is found as far…
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Arctic Char article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other bony fish on CatchRules
Frequently asked questions
What is Arctic Char?
Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species regulated in 11 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
What is the scientific name for Arctic Char?
Arctic Char is Salvelinus alpinus.
Is Arctic Char regulated for fishing?
Yes — Arctic Char has fishing regulations in 9 U.S. states and/or Canadian provinces tracked by CatchRules. See the "Jurisdictions with rules" section above for the binding-source links.
How can I identify Arctic Char?
Take a photo with the free CatchRules app for iPhone or Android — on-device identification recognizes Arctic Char along with ~1,500 other species. No sign-up, unlimited use.
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.