ARCTIC CHAR  (Salvelinus alpinus)

Color:	Orange to yellow sides, spots, darker olive on top, pale belly	Arctic Char are close cousins to the Dolly Varden, but the two are not be confused.  Char, unlike Dollies, are usually larger and have a darker body color accented with fluorescent orange and white markings.  The range of Char also extends to the far north slope of the Brooks Range; where they frequently reach sizes of 15 pounds or more.
Size:	Varies greatly by population Anadromous 1 - 6 lbs, 8 - 22 inches, up to 15+ lbs
Method:	Spinners, spoons, streamers, dry flies
Gear:	Light- or medium-action spinning and fly rods
Range:	Freshwater type found from north slope to southern Interior Anadromous found from Aleutians to Southeast
Season:	Year-round, peak May to October
Taste:	Excellent, pink meat
Record:	19 lbs.12.5oz., Noatak River, by Ken Ubben, 1991
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Appearance

The body of a Char is a dark greenish-brown color dotted with small whitish-yellow or brownish-orange spots.  Their body color darkens to olive along the top and lightens closer to the belly. External factors such as habitat, diet and time of year greatly determines their coloration.  Colors can range from orange, red, yellow, brown, or gold.  Some will display more fluorescent orange and red colors than others, particularly along the fins.  During spawning, the overall color of the Char becomes its most vibrant.

The difference between Arctic Char and Dolly Varden continues when comparing body color and shape.  Dollies tend to be more silver than Char.  Also, not only is the head and nose of a Char shorter, but their tail is more deeply forked and narrower at the base.

Location

The largest populations of Char are found in the sub-arctic rivers and lakes across the north slope of the Brooks Range.  Only one lake on the southern slope of the Brooks Range has a strong population, Walker Lake.  However, they can also be found farther south in cold water lakes of the Kigluaik Mountains, Kuskokwim Mountains, Alaska Peninsula, Kenai Peninsula and Kodiak Island.  A small Interior population also lives near Denali Park.  Yet, Char populations that boast the largest in size and number are found on the north slope of the Brooks Range.

Diet

Char eat insects, crustaceans, snails, mollusks and smaller fish, such as salmon fry.  They have also been observed eating younger Char.    

Angling Method

Light- to medium-action spinning and fly rods offer the most excitement.  Char will readily take conventional tackle such as spinners, spoons, streamers and dry flies.  Lake trolling with a boat is a productive means of working the most water.  Most Char will feed in shallower water and not routinely stay in deeper water, as some lake trout populations do.  In winter, ice fishing with jigs or bait works.

Life History

There has been little research done on Alaska’s Char.  There are two different types of Char that sometimes coincide in the same lakes, “normal” and dwarf.”  The names are derived from the different sizes, habitat and diet of the two fish.  Accordingly, the dwarf type has a slower growth rate and reaches smaller sizes than the normal type.

Spawning takes place in lakes between the fall months of August and October.  Most Char are ready to spawn between six to nine years and individuals usually spawn only every other year.  Eggs are fertilized and deposited over jumbles of substrate or shoals of gravel.  Spawning sites are also chosen based on water depth; thick ice can freeze to the bottom in shallower portions of lakes.

The correlation between a Char’s age and size varies greatly between lakes.  Many Char in northern lakes can reach over 10 pounds, while a Char in another lake will only reach three pounds after a longer lifespan.  Habitat size and the food available are two major external factors.

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