.ATLANTIC SALMON

Salmo salar

Common names: Kennebec salmon, Sebago salmon, grilse, kelt

Like the Pacific salmon, Atlantic salmon are anadramous. They spawn in streams and return to the open lake (Landlocked) for 3-4 years to feed and mature. Unlike the Pacific salmon they do not necessarily die after spawning and may return to the stream in successive years to repeat this cycle.

Atlantic salmon are silver sided fish with dark spots, some "X" shaped, covering a light gray/green back, dorsal fin, and a comparatively smallish head. There are no spots on the slightly forked tail fin  and, the jaw usually extends to or slightly beyond the rear edge of the eye. As a rule Atlantic salmon, like steelhead, will respond with series of spectacular leaps when hooked. But, they are easily distinguished from somewhat less acrobatic steelhead by the lack of spots on the tail (See Rainbow).

More often anglers will tend to  confuse this species with lake run brown trout which are subject to less stringent regulatory constraints. Unlike Atlantic Salmon, the Brown trout's jaw extends  well past the rear edge of the eye.  Brown's also have stocky, squarish, un-forked tails with some spots on one or both lobes.  The "X" spots, which are more common on atlantics, are usually surrounded by a pale halo on browns (See Brown).