The Pacific Northwest and its waters, reaching into BC and Alaska, are home to a number of native salmonid species—coastal cutties, steelhead, salmon, and several char species. Of these, the char often gets the least recognition. The three species found here are bull trout, Dolly Varden, and Arctic char. These three species have strikingly similar colors and can often overlap in range. To the untrained eye, it may be hard to identify just what you’re looking at in your net. So follow along as we break down the differences between these three species.
What is a Char?
A char is a group of fish in the salmonid family, also including trout and salmon. In North America, the char family consists of brook trout, bull trout, dolly varden, and Arctic char. The easiest way to determine if you’ve caught a trout or a char is to look at the spots. Trout will have a light body with dark spots, while char will have a dark body with light spots. This holds true across all char species.
Bull Trout
Bull trout were once believed to be the same species as Dolly Varden. That is, until genetic work revealed they were two different species, despite their similar appearances. Bull trout are actually more closely related to white spotted char, or kundzu, a species found in eastern Asia. A quick glance at Dollies and bulls reveals why it took so long to distinguish between the two species. On appearance alone, they look nearly identical, with pale yellowish spots on a darker body. However, there are a few key differences anglers can rely on to distinguish between the two species.
For starters, bull trout grow to substantially larger sizes than Dolly Varden. Some bulls can reach sizes of up to 20 pounds, dwarfing that of Dollies. In addition, bull trout feature a longer and flatter head than Dolly Varden. When bull trout spawn, they’ll display an orangeish belly coloration paired with a deep greenish-yellow back. Bull trout are found throughout the PNW, BC, and in inland waters in Idaho and Montana.
Dolly Varden
Dolly Varden are a char species found along coastal areas in the PNW, BC, and Alaska. While their appearance leads people to believe they are related to bull trout, genetically they are more closely related to Arctic char. Dollies have a greenish colored body, with light spots, and a slightly forked tail. Along their coastal range, Dolly Varden can be found in rivers, streams, lakes, and nearby coastal waters.
It’s also worth noting that there are two different species of Dolly Varden that anglers may encounter. These two strains, the Northern and Southern forms, look nearly identical, with the distinguishing factor being the number of vertebrae. The Northern form will grow significantly larger than the southern form as well.
When Dollies begin to spawn, anglers can easily identify them. Males grow an aggressive kype jaw, with a dark red underbelly, blueish-green side with red spots. While other char species color up during spawning, the distinct, vibrant red and green hues are unique to the Dolly Varden.
Arctic Char
The Arctic char is one of the lesser-known and targeted char species in North America. This is likely due to its geographic distribution, which spans the northernmost Arctic regions. In Alaska, Arctic char can be found in various lakes, never making the journey to the sea like Dollies and Bull Trout. However, sea-run populations exist throughout parts of northern Canada.
To differentiate an Arctic char from a Dolly Varden, there are a few key giveaways. The first is the shape of the tail. Dollies will have a slightly forked tail, often appearing more squared off. Arctic char, on the other hand, have a noticeably forked tail. The next key difference is spotting. Arctic char have fewer and larger spots compared to Dollies. When Arctic char are spawning, their underbellies turn a hue of orange, not the red or pink that Dollies get.
