Maine's Native Relic Arctic Char

by Isaac Niblack

Deep in the glacial ponds of northwoods Maine swims a fish that traces its lineage back to the last ice age.  Abandoned by the retreating Laurentide ice sheets, Arctic Char, also commonly called Blueback or Sunapee Trout, still inhabit a small number of remote ponds throughout the state.  

Known as a ‘relic’ fish - a living throughline to a previous geological and hydrological epoch - the arctic charr holds a special place in the psyche of anglers as a fish from a bygone era. 

In my circle, fishing for the blueback at the end of open water season is a yearly tradition.  Late September in the northwoods is beautiful - the changing colors, quiet sunrise on glassy pristine ponds, the camaraderie of moose hunting camps alongside the opening of partridge season, and of course, spawning season for trout and char.

With the fish still deep in the water column or on rocky shoals, the most effective technique in reaching them utilizes a full-sink line. Plumbing the deep ponds is a patient anglers’ game, but I have always found the slow, methodical questioning of sub surface fishing to be meditative.  Some of the fun is not knowing if you are hooked into a brookie or a char until it hits the side of the boat! 

So how can I be sure that I am looking at an Arctic Char?

And speaking of the difference between those two, I have found that identification of char can be confusing at first glance.  During much of the year they resemble brook trout, although they grow much slower and usually reach smaller sizes.  Their bright spawning colors make them very distinct in the fall, but the rest of the year, they can closely resemble a pale brookie.  Due to the regulations from Inland Fisheries and Wildlife which lump bag and size limits for char and brook trout together, it also makes me wonder how many are erroneously creeled during the season without proper identification. 

Some of these ponds are not very restrictive in their fishing laws!

There are a few distinct characteristics of an arctic char that make it distinguishable from brook trout. The first is the lack of vermiculation on their backs.  

Char in Maine can have pink spots, clear lateral lines, and appear green along their backs, but they will never have those lines all over their backs like brook trout. Next you will notice they have a forked tail and their spots lack the brookie’s distinct blue halo.  Sometimes that can be subtle, but brook trout have more of a canoe paddle shape to their tail that is unlike char (or their cousin the togue).  There is a reason that brook trout are called squaretails!

Where can I fish for Arctic Char in Maine? 

Bluebacks are confirmed in 14 ponds in Maine, with a possible 15th to be determined.  Of these, eleven are native populations, two are introduced populations, and one, Floods Pond, is closed to fishing entirely, reserved for research into these incredible fish. Part of the charm and difficulty is in reaching these fisheries in the first place - it takes a long drive or a float plane trip to deliver you to the doorstep. But I have always found that the effort is worth it to interact with this special fish.   

What time of year is best to fish for Arctic Char in Maine?

There are two times of year that present the best window to catch arctic char in Maine.  The first is in late May or early June during ice out. The relatively unified water temperatures and the sudden availability of more forage means the char will aggressively pursue flies much closer to the surface than during the rest of the year.  The second, and my personal favorite, time to pursue these rare fish is during their spawning run in late September.  Similar to lake trout, they spawn on gravelly shoals in the ponds rather than running streams.  This means that they come from the deeper springs and thermoclines to shelves and drops that are more in reach of our sinking lines.  It’s during this time of year that you might also catch that trademark traffic cone color of orange lighting up these fish.  

What flies should I use for Arctic Char? 

Arctic Char are primarily piscivorous, meaning they prefer to prey upon smaller fish in the ponds.  That being said, they are not going to turn down an easy meal if there is an abundance of aquatic insects hatching.  However, most of the year they cruise the thermocline that forms at 20-30 feet making those windows even narrower for themselves.  In order to maximize your opportunities, it’s best to pair your setup with the aforementioned full sinking line. The first fly I grab is a classic golden retriever, the second is its white crystal variant, and the third is our yellow variant. Cycling these colors has yielded the vast majority of my char to hand.  If they are keyed into the small hatches, you would be hard pressed to find a better midge option than our articulated emerger, or even a griffith’s gnat on the surface. And as the local anglers know, you can never go wrong with a maple syrup in your box either.  

If you would like to join in this northwoods tradition for a bucket list fish, send an email our way!