Trout Species of Russia
How Many Salmonid Species are found in Russia?
Russia, and more specifically Eastern Siberia is where the original ancenstors of the Salmonid family began their story as the split from their common ancestor in the Esox (pike) family. The region is ripe with diversity withing the salmonid family as char, the pacific salmons, taimen, and lenok are all present. Russia is home to 21 to 23 species in the salmonid family. Atlantic Salmon and brown trout are found in the eastern part of the country with 2 species of taimen, all 7 of the Pacific Salmon Species (including Rainbow Trout), 2 lenok species, and the most diverse group consisting of 8-10 species of char in the far east.
Fishing the Trout, Salmon, and Char of Russia
Being familiar with each of the species is critical when targeting the trout and salmon streams of Russia. These fish share some habits but also carry uniqueness which makes them each a different puzzle to solve when trying to find them.
Brown Trout
One of the most popular gamefish in the world, Brown Trout, Salmo trutta, are known for their prowess as selective feeders and ravenous piscivores once they reach a certain size. These trout present a worthy challenge for even the best fly anglers. Brown Trout can be found in several streams in the eastern parts of the country. Stocking has also occurred in various regions during the Soviet era where stocks of brown trout continue to persist. While they aren't know to grow to the sizes as their Eurasian counterparts in these areas, brown trout can be abundant where they are found.
Atlantic Salmon
Salmo salar, the Atlantic Salmon are much more closely related to the Brown Trout than their Pacific Salmon cousins. Native to the tributary rivers and streams of the Russian North along the Kola Peninsula, historic populations within the Russia have dwindled at times but are currently strong with new protections and regulations. The Kola Peninsula is known as one of the best Atlantic Salmon fisheries in the world in terms of both numbers and size. You can read more about the Kola in this article on the best fishing in Russia.
Chinook (King) Salmon
King Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) are the true giants of the Pacific Salmon species. Historically documented to exceed 100 pounds they are force to be reckoned with on the water. King Salmon have the smallest range of the Pacific Salmons in Russia, only being found in a handful of streams on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
Coho (Silver) Salmon
The most pursued salmon species is the Silver or Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). Well known for their powerful fights and aerial acrobatics on the river as well as their affinity for flies and lures, they attract fly anglers from all over the world to their home streams. Like the Chum Salmon, Coho runs begin later in the summer and into fall across their range. Populations of native Coho exist from the Kamchatkan Peninsula southward to the Amur River and Sakhalin Island.
Pink Salmon
Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) , can be found in just about all of the salmon streams across the Pacific coast of Russia. These fish are numerous throughout this range and provide massive amounts of nutritional support to all of the streams in the area. Runs begin in July and can continue though early September. These fish will continue to chase down moving baits and streamers long after entering the rivers to spawn. They are a major food source for the anadromous char species and taimen species as well, providing both juvenile char with the excellent protein source of eggs and flesh during their spawn, and larger fish with larger meals as smolt upon returning to the sea.
Russian Salmon Species
Chum Salmon
Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) get the least amount of attention from local anglers as they are much less palatable than their cousins. A silver lining however, is they are one of the more aggressive salmon species once they hit the freshwater rivers when it comes to chasing flies and lures. The unique Calico pattern and gnarly look they display after reaching freshwater is unforgettable. The Chum have the largest range of all the Pacific Salmons and like the pink salmon can be found in nearly all of Russia's Pacific Salmon streams. Adults are quite aggressive as they move upriver to the small spring fed streams where they will spawn.
Sockeye Salmon
Sockeye or Red Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) are easily distinguish from their Pacific Salmon relatives once they hit fresh water with their fire engine red appearance and deep profiles. Runs of Sockeye occur sporadically throughout Kamchatka and the Northern Sea of Okhotsk. These fish tend to migrate up rivers and through lakes in the region where they spawn in the lakes tributary streams. They move quickly through the coastal river but will continue eating moving baits once they reach the lakes nearest their streams of origin.
Cherry Salmon
Cherry Salmon (Oncorhynchus masou) are the first runs of Pacific Salmon to enter the streams of Russia. Runs can begin as early as May in the streams from Kamchatcka the to southernmost reaches of the Sea of Okhotsk. These are the smallest of the Pacific Salmons with the largest individuals occasionally exceeding 5 pounds. Their fry remain abundant in their rivers of origin and provide an excellent food source for growing predators such as the Kundzha and Taimen.
Neiva Char
The Neiva Char can only be found in a few lakes in Russia's Far East. They are lake dwelling char that do not make their way to sea each year. They Neiva or Red Charr lives up to its name with it's bright red coloration for most of the year. Individuals feed on invertabrates within the lakes they inhabit as well as taking advantage of migratory sockeye salmon making their way in and out of the lakes. You can learn more about the Neiva Char in this article on The Best Fishing Magadan.
Russian Char Species
White Spotted Char (Kundzha)
The Kundzha is a voracious predator that can grow to impressive sizes throughout Russia's Pacific drainages. The largest individuals can exceed a meter long. After spending much of the summer in coastal estuaries fish will return to the rivers in mid to late August with many of the salmon. These char have a similar mentallity to the Bull Trout of North America. They are willing streamer eaters and some of the hardest fighters in the streams and rivers they inhabit.
Stone Char or White Char
The Stone Char and White Char are likely members of the same species, or both subspecies of the Dolly Varden. The White and Stone Char are both year long freshwater residents whereas dolly varden more typically spend their springs and summers in saltwater estuaries. These char can be found in several lakes across eastern Russia as well as areas of the upper Kamchatka River.
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Smaller in size than many of the other char, they are still heavily predatorial. Eels, sticklebacks and any other small fish that cross their paths will become an easy meal. The individuals in this picture were found in Lake Chistoe to the east of Magadan, Russia.
Dolly Varden
Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) are found in the coastal rivers of the north Pacific. Many of these char's lives revolve around the salmon runs with exception to the native Dollies of Japan. Anadromous Char will move out into the coastal estuaries to feed for several months in late winter and spring before returning to freshwater streams to follow the salmon runs inland to feed on roe (salmon eggs), and deteriorating salmon flesh in the rivers. Other individuals will remain in freshwater lakes and headwater streams year round while populations of smolt and other small fish are abundant. Their dynamic life history strategies have made them an incredibly successful species throughout the Russian East. Many fly anglers include Dolly Varden as a bucket list species due to their extravagant colors during the fall months.
Arctic Char
Arctic Char are limited to the northernmost Arctic Ocean Drainages. This is where they spend much of the winter and spring before returning to their rivers of origin to spawn. Much like the Dolly Varden, they are know for their brilliant patterns and coloration prior to the spawn. Wild and native populations are typically anadromous ​though some landlocked populations do exist in larger lake systems.
Boganid Char
Found only in 3 or 4 lakes across Chukotka, north of the Arctic circle, the Boganid Char is the top predator in each of the lakes it inhabits as well as their tributary streams.
Yellowmouth Char
The Yellowmouth Char can only be found in one drainage in all of Russia and for the world for that matter. This is the Yama River just east of Magadan. Yellowmouth Char are closely related to Dolly Varden but don't quite reach the upper end sizes of the Dolly. Their migratory patterns are similar in the Yama River but are still outnumber by their more prolific cousins.
Longfin and Smallmouth Char
The Longfin and Smallmouth Char can only be found in lake Elgygytyn of Northern Chukotka. These char live in the depths of the lake rarely if ever moving into the shallows. The Longfin (top) lives in the deepest part of the lake while the smallmouth (2 bottom) still spend much of their lives deeper than 50 meters.
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These char feed on various plankton in the lake. They survive in temperatures that rarely exceed 35 degrees F.
Sakhalin Taimen
The Sakhalin Taimen is the oldest living member of the Salmonid family. It is the supreme predator in any body of water it calls home. It is the only anadromous taimen that visits saltwater estuaries after its spring time spawn. These fish feed on anything with a pulse in the waters they live in. Eels, smolt, full size salmon, char, grayling, and suckers all make the list for potential meals.
Russian Taimen Species
Siberian Taimen
Russia's Amur and Tugur Rivers are world renown for these giant freshwater predators. The siberian taimen are known for eating meals as large as full sized Chum Salmon. They garner attention from anglers all over the world. You can learn more about the Siberian Taimen in this article on the best fishing in Russia.
Sharp Snouted Lenok
The Sharp Snouted Lenok is only found in Southernmost Siberia in the drainages around Lake Baikal to the Mongolian border. Lenoks are some of the oldest members of the salmonid family and still display some of their archaic traits. They are optimistic feeders who will take advantage of insect hatches, small fishes, frogs, and mice as potential meals.
Blunt Snouted Lenok
The Blunt Snouted Lenok or Amur Trout is the largest lenok species. It can be found in southern Siberia as well as a handful of streams on Sakhalin Island. Despite its Grayling-like mouth, the Amur Trout still predates on many of the small fishes, mice, and other critters found in its home waters.
Russian Lenok Species
Rainbow Trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss, or the Rainbow Trout is native to the streams and rivers of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East. Though the peninsula is comparable in size to the state of California, the range of the Rainbow Trout is relatively small here compared to the amount of potential waters that it would find suitable for it to inhabit.
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Anadromous rainbow trout are referred to as Steelhead which make their way to the ocean to take advantage of larger food resources and return to their rivers of birth to reproduce much like their salmon cousins. Unlike salmon, these steelhead can survive their spawning events and return to the sea and these streams each year. Both Anadromous and river dwelling individuals can be found on the Kamchatkan Peninsula.
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Rainbow trout are pioneers of any cold water stream they find their way into. Taking full advantage of all water types from the most turbulent rivers or cascading creeks to slower, stagnant waters, they can outcompete many of their salmonid cousins. Their aggressive behavior allows the to be easy targets for anglers looking to learn more about how and where to find trout.
Learn more about the trout species of the planet in our articles on Trout Species of the World, Trout Fishing Southern Europe, Trout Fishing Ireland, Trout Fishing Morocco, Trout Species of Patagonia, Trout Fishing Turkey, Trout Fishing Japan, Trout of Mongolia and Trout of North America. Our detailed articles on What Do Trout Eat, Fly Fishing a Hatch, and Fly Fishing Streamers will give you a great idea on how to target each of these species.