Arctic Char Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Char-family body with light-colored spots (pink, cream, or pale yellow) scattered on a darker body - the reverse of trout, which show dark spots on a pale body
• No spots on the dorsal fin
• White leading edges on the pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins
• Coloration ranges from bright silver in sea-run fish to olive-brown with a brilliant orange or red belly in spawning adults
• Deeply forked tail, more so than brook trout

Common look-alikes

• Brook trout: shows wavy, worm-like vermiculations across the back, which Arctic char completely lacks
• Dolly Varden: nearly identical in pattern; Arctic char typically shows fewer, larger, more evenly round pale spots and a deeper tail fork, though range is the most reliable distinguishing factor since the two rarely overlap
• Lake trout: has pale spots too, but on a much less deeply forked tail and a more mottled, less contrasted body

Where you'll see one

Arctic char inhabit cold lakes, rivers, and coastal seas across the circumpolar Arctic, including northern Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia, Iceland, and Siberia, with both landlocked and sea-run populations.