Atlantic Salmon

Salmo salarSalmonidae

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Public Domain · Image source

Quick facts

Length50–100 cm

Weight2–12 kg

Water typeAnadromous

Common in IcelandYes

NativeYes

Commercial speciesNo

Game fishYes

Best timeSummer and autumn in rivers.

About Atlantic Salmon

Atlantic salmon spend part of their lives in freshwater and part at sea. They hatch in Icelandic rivers, migrate to the ocean and later return to freshwater to spawn.

Habitat

Rivers, estuaries and the North Atlantic.

Diet

Aquatic insects and small animals as juveniles; fish and other marine prey after migration to sea.

Spawning season

Autumn

Spawning habitat

Rivers and streams.

Distribution around Iceland

Accessible rivers around Iceland and the North Atlantic.