Species guide
Arctic char fishing
Salvelinus alpinus
The fish of the mountain lakes, and the second most common freshwater fish in Norway after trout.
- Size
- Typically 20-30 cm. In waters with little competition it can reach 2-3 kg. The largest form, the deep-water char of Randsfjorden, can reach 10 kg. In deep water there are dwarf forms down to 1-4 grams.
- Where it lives
- Widespread throughout Norway. It is also found on Bjørnøya and Svalbard, where it is the only freshwater fish that reproduces.
- Best time
- Morning and evening, June to September, and through the ice in winter.
How to tell it apart
Light spots on a dark background, the opposite of the trout’s dark spots on a light background. A white leading edge on the pectoral, pelvic and anal fins is the surest sign. In spawning dress the belly turns deep red to orange, and the male is then one of the most beautiful fish in the country.
Where it holds
Requires cool, clean water and tolerates pollution poorly. Lives primarily in lakes, less in running water. It usually holds deeper than trout, and moves towards shore and shallow water at first light and dusk. Dwarf forms live at 150-350 metres depth.
The season
Ice-out to June
Char move shallow just after the ice goes, and this is often the best period of the year from shore. Fish along edges and on shallows where the sun has warmed the water.
July to August
Warm surface water pushes char deeper. Fish early and late, and further out. This is the period where a boat, an otter board or trolling really pays.
September to October
Char gather to spawn and move shallow again, in full spawning dress. Many waters are closed in this period, and spawning fish should be left alone in any case.
Winter, through the ice
Char are the classic ice-fishing fish. They stay active under the ice all winter and take small jigs and mormyshka willingly.
See the season month by month for every species, in the lowlands and in the mountains.
Gear
Ultralight, 3-12 g
Small spoons and spinners on a light rod. Char have a smaller mouth than trout, so go down in size. 0.18-0.22 mm line handles most of it.
Lure guideClass 4-6
Good fishing at first light and dusk when the char are shallow. Small, dark wet flies and nymphs, and a small streamer when they are chasing fry.
Fly guideWorm, deep
Effective when char hold deep in summer. Worm on or just above the bottom, with enough weight to get there. Check that bait fishing is allowed in the water.
GearBaits and lures
- Small spoons 5-12 g
- Red and natural colours. Char respond strikingly often to red, more than the other species.
- Spinner size 0-2
- Silver in clear mountain water, copper when it is stained.
- Mormyshka
- Through the ice, ideally with a maggot or piece of worm on the hook.
- Small jigging lure
- Ice fishing. 5-15 grams is enough in most mountain lakes.
Spawning and diet
Spawning
Mainly in autumn, on gravel and stone in the lake, often on shallows near shore.
Diet
Normal forms live on zooplankton and bottom fauna along the shore. Deep-water forms take bottom fauna, and the largest forms are cannibalistic and live on other fish.
Rules
Applies to all inland fish
- There is no longer a national minimum size for inland fish. Minimum and maximum sizes, daily bag limits and closed seasons are set locally, and two waters in the same municipality can have different rules.
- You need a fishing card from the rights holder wherever one is sold. The card is an agreement with the landowner, not a state fee.
- Children under 16 fish free with rod and hand line from 1 January to 20 August, except in watercourses with anadromous salmonids. This follows from section 18 of the Norwegian salmon and inland fish act.
- The state fishing fee does not apply to inland fish. It covers only salmon, sea trout and sea char.
- Releasing fish or moving live fish between waters is prohibited. Spreading species to new watercourses is one of the biggest threats to Norwegian fish stocks.
Specific to arctic char
- Char are protected during the autumn spawning season in many waters. The closed season is set locally.
- Char need cold water and are considered one of the species that will lose most in a warming climate. In several waters the stock is already under pressure, and local quotas can be strict for that reason.
- In overpopulated mountain lakes char are often small and thin, and there taking small fish helps the stock rather than harming it.
All of the above is advisory. The rules are set locally and do change, so always confirm with the rights holder or an official source before you fish.
Waters holding arctic char
Municipalities
Common questions
What is the difference between Arctic char and brown trout?
- Char have light spots on a dark background, trout have dark spots on a light background. The surest sign is the white leading edge on the pectoral, pelvic and anal fins, which trout lack. In autumn spawning dress the char’s belly turns deep red to orange. Char also need colder, cleaner water, and hold deeper more often.
When is the best time to fish for Arctic char?
- Right after ice-out, when char move shallow and are easy to reach from shore. That is often the best period of the year. In summer warm surface water pushes them deeper, and then you need a boat, an otter board or trolling. In autumn they move shallow again to spawn, but are protected in many waters then. In winter they are one of the best ice-fishing fish.Ice fishing: safe ice and gear
Which colour works best for Arctic char?
- Red works strikingly often for char, more than for the other species, and natural colours are a safe starting point otherwise. Go down in size compared with what you use for trout: char have a smaller mouth. Small spoons of 5 to 12 grams and spinners in size 0 to 2 cover most mountain lake fishing.
Sources