Arctic Grayling
Thymallus arcticus. Silvery to light purple sides with a bluish-white belly and a relatively slender body.
Photos
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Identification
- Silvery to light purple sides with a bluish-white belly and a relatively slender body.
- Long, high, sail-like dorsal fin brilliantly colored with shades of pink, green, and purple.
- Typically around 13 inches long in most fisheries, though fish up to 30 inches are recorded elsewhere in its range.
Depth by season
| Season | Depth | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | – | In rivers, fish migrate upstream toward spawning areas in late spring; lake-specific patterns aren't well documented. |
| Summer | – | In rivers, fish hold on the upstream feeding areas they reached in late spring before dropping back downstream in early fall. |
| Fall | – | In rivers, fish migrate back toward overwintering pools; lake-specific patterns aren't well documented. |
| Winter | – | Fish feed minimally and conserve energy, holding in lakes or the deeper, slow-current pools of rivers. |
Top lures
- Small dry fly (Adams or mosquito pattern) (fly , gray/brown): Cast to rising fish during insect hatches on high lakes and streams.
- Small inline spinner (spinner , silver/gold): Cast and retrieve in lakes and slow stream pools.
- Small spoon (spoon , silver/gold): Cast and retrieve over deeper water in high lakes.
Top baits
- Worm: Small hook with a light split shot, drifted through pools or still-fished in high lakes.
- Salmon eggs: Small hook under light weight, drifted through pools where grayling hold.
Line & tackle
- Rod power: Ultra-light spinning or light fly rod, matched to a fish that runs about 10 to 12 inches at spawning size and tops out near 5 pounds
Stocked behavior
Arctic grayling are one of the species Utah stocks by aircraft into remote high lakes, arriving as 1-3 inch fingerlings rather than catchable-size fish. These plants need a full growing season or more before reaching catchable size, and settle into the same clear, cold habitat wild grayling use rather than schooling near a release point.
Common mistakes
- Throwing bulky offerings; grayling live on drifting mayflies, caddis and stoneflies, and most spawning fish run 10 to 12 inches.
- Fishing fast and deep through a hatch; drifting aquatic insects are the grayling's primary food all summer.
- Confusing grayling with small trout at a glance instead of checking for the tall, sail-like dorsal fin.
State records
| State | Weight | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | 1 lb. 12 oz. | Terry J. Fieldsted | Big Dog Lake, South Slope Uintas | 1998 |
Source: Utah's official record page , accessed 2026-09-19.
Best time to fish Arctic Grayling
Computed from every real stocking date on record, not a general seasonal guess.
Utah
Most commonly stocked in September in Utah, based on 33 stocking events on record.
Where it's stocked
5 locations shown. Click a pin for details.
Utah
Sources
- identification (accessed 2026-09-18)
- identification (accessed 2026-09-18)
- depth_by_season (accessed 2026-09-18)
- stocked_behaviour (accessed 2026-09-18)
- top_lures (accessed 2026-09-19)
- top_lures (accessed 2026-09-19)
- top_baits (accessed 2026-09-19)
- top_baits (accessed 2026-09-19)
- line_and_tackle (accessed 2026-09-19)
- common_mistakes (accessed 2026-09-19)
- common_mistakes (accessed 2026-09-19)
- depth_by_season (accessed 2026-09-19)