It lives in the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, in Scotland, in Scandinavia, and in the Great Lakes of the Alps.
It spawns in fresh water and populations can be lacustrine, riverine or anadromous, where they return from the ocean to their fresh water birth rivers to spawn. The Arctic char is closely related to both salmon and lake trout, and has many characteristics of both.
The fish is highly variable in colour, depending on the time of year and the environmental conditions. Individual fish can weigh up to 20 lb (9.1 kg). Generally found species are between 2 and 5 lb (0.91 and 2.27 kg). It has an olive green back with clear spots, and fins with a white rim on the front. In the males, during the reproductive period, the lower fins and the belly become red.
The char is carnivore and feeds on fish (predominantly minnows), insects, crustaceans, larvae and invertebrates.