Experts Available 24/7
Licensed & Insured Guides
100% Weather Guarantee
Recently Booked Arctic Char Fishing Guides
Most Popular Types of Arctic Char Trips
“Our Damn Good Guides go above and beyond to provide you an incredible trip, and we’ve handpicked every single one. We’re passionate about the outdoors and about empowering people to find the perfect-match guide for the trip of a lifetime, every time.”
Jonathan and Attison | Co-founders | Austin, Texas
Choose your trip by skill level
More Arctic Char Fishing Guides
Everything to Know About Booking a fishing trip
What are the best arctic char fishing trips?
Our Damn Good Guides currently offer 4 arctic char trips, and the most popular trips are Naknek River All-Inclusive guided by James, Naknek River Camp Do-It-Yourself guided by James, and Alaska Float Fishing guided by Rene.
All guides on Captain Experiences are licensed, insured, and vetted by our team. You can access their reviews, click through trip photos, read bios to get to know them, and preview trip details like species, techniques, group sizes, boat specs and more.
Looking for kid friendly arctic char guides? Check out our beginner and family friendly arctic char guides.
What types of arctic char fishing trips are common?
River fishing is the most popular for arctic char.
The most common fishing techniques are fly fishing and sight casting.
How much does an arctic char fishing trip cost?
for arctic char prices can range anywhere from an affordable $3,495 to $3,000 and up, but the average price for a full day trip for arctic char is $14,590.
What month is best for arctic char fishing?
The most popular season for arctic char fishing is summer, and most anglers book their trips 136 days in advance.
Do I need a fishing license for arctic char and what are the bag limits for arctic char?
See here for more information on arctic char fishing licenses, arctic char bag limits, and fishing season regulations for arctic char. When in doubt, your fishing guide will always know the right arctic char rules and regulations.
What is an Arctic Char?
Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), also known as red charr and golden trout, is a cold, brackish water fish in the Salmonidae family that they share with salmon, trout, freshwater whitefishes, and graylings. They are known to be the northernmost fish found in freshwater, even residing in the Canadian Arctic. They are also known for being one of the rarest fish in Britain and Ireland.
Though the topside of a char is dark, depending on the time of year and the environment they are in, they can range from red to yellow, to white on their bellies. This variance caused differently colored fish to be labeled as different species until 1974 when it was discovered they’re all the same.
The best way to distinguish an arctic char from their cousin, the salmon, is to look at their sides. Arctic char will have light pink or white spots, while salmon will have dark spots.
How big do Arctic Char get?
There can be quite the variance in the size of arctic char due to not only environment size and food availability, but also due to the species' size dimorphism. Size dimorphism is when there are two different-sized forms of the same species, in this case, dwarf and giant. Dwarf char can be between seven ounces and five pounds, one ounce, and three inches long. Giant char typically weigh up to nine pounds and are 16 inches long on average.
Female and male arctic char can live up to 30 years after reaching maturity at four to ten and are typically the same size. Arctic char that migrate to the sea are usually larger than their land-locked brethren.
What's the biggest Arctic Char ever caught?
The IGFA world record is held by Jeffrey Ward who caught a 32 pound, nine-ounce gigantic arctic char out of Tree River, Canada in 1981. However, there have been unofficial reports of even larger ones caught out of Tree River, the biggest claiming to be over 34 pounds. There are rumors of even bigger monsters than that coming from Russia.
Where is the best place to catch Arctic Char?
Arctic char are considered to be circumpolar, which means they are situated around one of the Earth’s Poles, in this case, the North Pole. They can be found as far south as New Hampshire in the United States, and the Pyrenees in Europe, and as far north as Ellesmere Island in Canada. They are then spread around the globe in areas like Alaska, Russia, Iceland, and the Alps.
They are anadromous, unless completely landlocked, meaning they migrate from sea to freshwater to spawn. One in freshwater, they will stay in lakes or pools of the river over a gravel bottom. Those that are stuck inland, which are the majority, stick to cold rivers and lakes, including glacial lakes.
When should I catch Arctic Char?
The best time to fish for arctic char depends on the area you are in. If you are fishing along the migratory route of anadromous fishes, catching them on their way in to spawn is an excellent time, which will typically happen between May and July.
Following their movement, the next best time of the year will be to catch them during their spawn, which can be anywhere from autumn to winter. It will typically begin to happen once water temperatures reach around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, so be sure to check out the yearly patterns in the area you intend to fish.
How do you catch Arctic Char?
Fishing for arctic char is often compared to Atlantic salmon fishing. They tend to be fierce and sometimes acrobatic fighters and can be caught both conventionally and on the fly. No matter how you choose to fish, it is recommended you use bait that most similarly resembles the char’s natural diet of plankton, insect eggs, small fish, and crustaceans.
For fly fishing, bright-colored leech, streamer, and smolt imitations as well as beads work best with a plethora of dry flies. When spin casting, large baits with heavy spinners work best while using a large rod that can handle some fast spinning action.
Keep in mind that these guys tend to school, and can also be easily spooked even by your shadow. It is important to not cast too much in one spot and to watch your movement. For all of the specificity, it is recommended to use a guide, who will have the local knowledge and experience to give you the expertise you need to land a trophy arctic char.
Are Arctic Char good to eat? What are the best Arctic Char recipes?
Arctic char is considered excellent table fare and is often compared to having a taste somewhere in between trout and salmon. It has a naturally bright red to pale pink-colored flesh, which is caused by its diet of crustaceans like pink shrimp. Also, it is hard to overcook since it has a fatty texture that gives plenty of room for even the most inexperienced of cooks to nail it.
Some common ways to prepare arctic char is by baking, grilling, poaching, and pan-searing, which are similar methods that are often used with salmon or trout. They can also be paired with a variety of flavors like mustard, brown butter, shiitake, eggplant, salsa verde, and more.
They also have a skin perfect for creating a crisp-skinned dish. To do so, heat oil in a pan, then cook the fillet skin side down seasoned with salt and pepper. This technique will cook from the bottom up, keeping the flesh moist and making the skin crisp. Then simply serve with a lemon wedge or pair with mashed potatoes.
States
Cities
Other Fishing Species
Featured Cities
- Fishing Charters Near Me
- Aransas Pass Fishing Charters
- Austin Fishing Guides
- Biloxi Fishing Charters
- Cabo San Lucas Fishing Charters
- Cancun Fishing Charters
- Cape Coral Fishing Charters
- Charleston Fishing Charters
- Clearwater Fishing Charters
- Corpus Christi Fishing Charters
- Crystal River Fishing Charters
- Dauphin Island Fishing Charters
- Daytona Beach Fishing Charters
- Delray Beach Fishing Charters
- Destin Fishing Charters
- Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charters
- Fort Myers Fishing Charters
- Fort Walton Beach Fishing Charters
- Freeport Fishing Charters
- Galveston Fishing Charters
- Gulf Shores Fishing Charters
- Hilton Head Island Fishing Charters
- Islamorada Fishing Charters
- Jacksonville Fishing Charters
- Jupiter Fishing Charters
- Key Largo Fishing Charters
- Key West Fishing Charters
- Kona Fishing Charters
- Marathon Fishing Charters
- Marco Island Fishing Charters
- Miami Fishing Charters
- Naples Fishing Charters
- New Orleans Fishing Charters
- Orange Beach Fishing Charters
- Panama City Beach Fishing Charters
- Pensacola Fishing Charters
- Port Aransas Fishing Charters
- Port O'Connor Fishing Charters
- Rockport Fishing Charters
- San Diego Fishing Charters
- San Juan Fishing Charters
- Sarasota Fishing Charters
- South Padre Island Fishing Charters
- St. Augustine Fishing Charters
- St. Petersburg Fishing Charters
- Tampa Fishing Charters
- Tarpon Springs Fishing Charters
- Tulum Fishing Charters
- Venice Fishing Charters
- Virginia Beach Fishing Charters
- Wilmington Fishing Charters
Didn't Find What You Were Looking For?
Our guides are Damn Good Guides, which means they’re licensed, insured and vetted by our team of outdoor experts who know them on a first-name basis. We hand pick our Damn Good Guides, and our network spans all across the country and beyond.
The proof is in the pudding, and we’re incredibly proud of our 4.9 / 5 average review score. Hit the button below to see more trip options: