Arctic Char vs. Salmon: Looks, Taste, and Everything Else!

Oct 29, 2024 | 4 minute read Comments
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Reading Time: 4 minutes

Salmon and Char look pretty similar on paper. They’re both large, predatory salmonids. They both fight hard and taste great. In fact, they’re pretty much the same, right? Wrong. There are plenty of differences between the two species. With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of Arctic Char vs. Salmon, both as fish and as food.

Arctic Char vs. Salmon as Fish

A photo of a couple posing with their dog and a large Chinook Salmon on a boat during a cold fishing season

Let’s make something clear right off the bat: There are a lot of types of Salmon. It’s impossible to really talk about “Salmon” as a single fish, so we’ll focus on how they’re different to Arctic Char instead. This mainly comes down to where they live and what they look like. Confused by the difference between Salmon and Trout? We’ve got an article on that, too. Check it out!

Habitat

Char and Salmon share much of the same habitat, migrating between freshwater and saltwater in the northern reaches of North America, Russia, and Europe. The main difference is that Arctic Char are, well, Arctic. They live much further north, thriving well into the Arctic Circle where most Salmon species couldn’t survive.

The best places to fish for Salmon are Alaska, the west coast of Canada, and the Great Lakes. All these places are home to Pacific Salmon species like Chinook. Sadly, Atlantic Salmon are endangered in the wild, although you can find them in Quebec and Scandinavia. 

Want to target Char? You can pretty much go anywhere that’s cold enough. Northern Canada, Alaska, Norway, Sweden, and Russia are all great.

Looks

A useful photo of three Arctic Char at different stages of their spawning run that can be used for identifying them

Arctic Char are seriously beautiful fish. When they’re in the sea, they have a bright silvery hue that lights up in the sun and shines through the water. As they migrate upstream to spawn, their backs darken and their bellies turn deep red or bright orange. 

The problem is that the same can be said of Salmon. They’re silver most of the year and morph into a variety of weird and wonderful monsters when they spawn. So, how do you tell them apart?

The main ways to identify a Char are its spots and stripes. All Char species have light spots on their sides (usually pink or white, but sometimes bright red when they’re spawning). Salmon, on the other hand, will have dark spots if they have any at all. Another dead giveaway is that Char have a creamy white edging on their fins, which Salmon don’t.

Arctic Char vs. Salmon as Food

Anglers love talking about fish in terms of looks, habitat, and fighting spirit. For most people, though, the biggest question is, “Are they good to eat?” The answer is a resounding “Yes” for both fish, but they do taste different. 

Taste

A close-up photo of seasoned pieces of grilled Salmon being turned with metal tongs

Arctic Char is a delicious, mild fish that sits somewhere between Trout and Salmon, leaning toward Trout. It’s quite fatty, which makes it easy to cook, as it won’t go dry or tough unless you really overdo it. Char also has a very delicate skin that crisps up beautifully.

How does it compare to Salmon? Depends on the Salmon. If you know your fish, Char has about the same amount of fat as Sockeye – more than Atlantic Salmon, but less than Chinook. It also has slightly less protein than Chinook or Atlantic Salmon. It’s still rich in omega-3, though, making it a health food as well as a delicacy.

The real bonus with Char is that it’s cheap. This means that you can buy better quality fish for a lot less money than premium wild-caught Salmon would cost you.

Sustainability

An aerial view of an open-water Salmon farm in Norway engulfed in gorgeous blue water and surrounded by lush green mountains and hills during a bright day

This is where Char really shines. We’ve covered seafood sustainability in much more detail elsewhere if you’re interested. For now, let’s just say that both fish are usually farm-raised, but because Char can live in freshwater long-term, it’s much easier and more sustainable to farm.

Not all Salmon is farmed, mind you. Wild-caught Pacific Salmon arguably has even better eco credentials. However, it’s only available at certain times of year and is significantly more expensive, so it’s not always an option. Of course, the most sustainable (and fun) way to eat fish is to go out and catch it yourself!

Salmon and Char: Similar, but Not the Same

Salmon and Char are similar in many ways. They’re both predatory cold-water fish that taste great and look downright bizarre when they’re about to mate. Salmon have stolen the limelight, and most people have never heard of their northern cousins. However, Char are well worth trying and definitely worth catching.

What do you prefer, Salmon or Char? Have you caught either of them before? Drop us your stories, questions, and recipes in the comments below – we’d love to hear from you!

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Mark Jones

Jan 21, 2025

I live in Iceland and Arctic Char are found in all the rivers here. I have caught Arctic Char and it is a very strong and impressive fish to land. As for taste, I totally prefer Char to Salmon. They have a much better taste to me. We eat Char a lot here in Iceland and if you have never tried it before, I highly recommend finding it and giving it a go. You will not be disappointed. Great article as well.

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  • Marko

    Jan 22, 2025

    Hi Mark,

    Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! With rivers as pure as they are in Iceland, I 100% believe you that the fish taste amazing!

    Tight lines,

    Marko

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Melanie Hotti

Nov 13, 2024

Arctic Char has become one of my favorite all time meals!! We purchase it here in our small village (Port Stanley) in Southern Ontario from Steelhead Fisheries.
I just love everything about it!!
I prepare the fillet by rinsing, pat dry, spritz with lemon juice, spread 1/4-1/2 inch of mayo on fillet, season with salt, cracked black pepper and finely grated parmesan.
I have done this in the oven, bbq and air fryer. We try to have it once a week as it is so good!!
Arctic Char and Coho are a go to in our house!! 😋

Thanks for the read!

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  • Marko

    Nov 14, 2024

    Hi Melanie!

    Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and your recipe! We’re glad you enjoyed the article.

    Tight lines,

    Marko

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Barb Hoff

Mar 15, 2024

My store; Publix, stopped availability of Steelhead trout. To the major disappointment of my customers ! I immediately went towards Artic Char .A much better taste but more pricey. Same benefits NUTRITIONALLY per LURE as Steelhead with higher Omega 3 and vitamin E than Salmon.

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  • Mindy

    Sep 8, 2024

    Aldi Has excellent steelhead trout!

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