Dolly Varden Char are not trout. To tell a char from a trout, look at their spots, char have light spots on a dark body, while trout have dark spots on a light body.
Dolly Varden usually spent a portion of their lives at sea, but some may choose to remain in freshwater if they have access to a large, productive lake or river, in which they may grow to a similar size as sea-run Dolly Varden. While in the ocean and for a short time after entering freshwater, sea-run Dolly Varden are silver with a faint green sheen overlain with light orange spots. Once they reach freshwater, this silvery appearance transitions into greenish-brown with dark orange to red spots.
There are several types of Dolly Varden that exist. Some reside in their natal drainage for about three years, before migrating out to sea to feed for the summer. Others never leave the streams, rivers, and lakes where they hatched. Some of these fish remain small like the ones that live in streams while others can grow quite large, l used to fish them in the Horsefly/Likely area east of Williams Lake when l lived there, some of the fish we caught were upwards of 8 kilos.
As spawning season approaches, males become brilliantly coloured with red, black, and white bellies, black gill covers, orange to red spots, and orange and black fins with a white leading edge. Males also develop a strong hooked jaw. Spawning occurs in the fall in headwater streams where the females bury their eggs in the gravel. Fry emerge in May or June. They remain in their freshwater drainage for about three years before undertaking their first migration out to sea. In the fall, they return to freshwater. Some never go to sea and remain in freshwater their whole lives.