Labrador Salmon Rivers
- an Introduction

Labrador, along with Ungava Bay in Québec, represents the most northerly area in North America for Atlantic salmon. The Fraser River (# 91 on the map) is considered to be the most northern Atlantic salmon river in Labrador, although Dr. Rex Porter-Department of Fisheries and Oceans, St. John's, Newfoundland-reports that DFO Fisheries Officers have observed salmon occasionally in a few rivers above the Fraser, as far as the North River which is about a third of the way between the Fraser River and Cape Chidley (the northern tip of Labrador). Cold hardy, anadromous Arctic Char, however, are found as far as Cape Chidley in all northern Labrador rivers.

The vast majority of the rivers in Labrador still lie in a pristine state, due mainly to the remoteness and low population density, which may account, in part, for the fact that Labrador is the only area in North America where no river - at least from the Fraser southward - has ever lost its salmon.

Another possible factor for the success of salmon in Labrador is the proximity of the feeding grounds off West Greenland (for 2 sea-year salmon), and the Labrador Sea (for 1 sea-year, i.e. grilse), resulting in fewer risks for migrating salmon. There is, however, a counterbalancing factor of juvenile salmon in northern Labradors requiring several summers of growth before they become smolt to begin the all-important migration to the sea.

Of the 91 rivers shown for Labrador, 28 are scheduled for salmon angling.