The river banks are varied with tundras, rock clamps, sandstone and limestone canyons up to 30 m high. Floodplain is covered with forests. The river length is 110 km.
The salmon herd of the Volonga is represented by the 2 biological groups – later run (summer) and early run (winter). Early run salmon prevails in quantity approx. 65%
Usually the summer run begins at the beginning of June and lasts till August. From the first days it’s possible to see big males and females that weigh more than 5-6kg. Closer to mid-summer period it’s mostly grilse time with small males in the river.
The massive run of the fall biological group starts at the end of August and end mid-November. During this period the individuals that spent 2 or more years in the sea prevail, they weigh 5kg and more. As in the other rivers in the east of the Atlantic salmon habitat, the herd numbers spawning in the Volonga range to 1000 – 2800 specimen.
The biggest salmon caught was 17 kg.
The trout herd of the Volonga is mainly represented by the migratory form that feeds in the Cheshskaya Bay in summer and returns for spawning and wintering to the river. The biggest trout caught was 7.2 kg.
Besides salmon and trout, depending on the season, one could see Arctic char, humpback, nelma, omul, pelyad and whitefish. The residents of the fish are big grayling, pike, perch and burbot. Lots of grayling, no one will be impressed if they catch grayling weighing more than 1 kilo.
«My first impression of the river was mixed. The Volonga at its whole length is rich in diversified fishing beats and it surprises with different landscapes. Every day on the river is a plunge into the new life story, where you face new, unusual fishing conditions in comparison with the previous day. Volonga has its own iconic locations where salmon gather every year and where every angler is trying to get to»
— Dmitry Barba
The salmon herd of the Volonga is represented by the two biological groups — later run (summer) and early run (winter). Early run salmon preveils in quantity approximatelly 65%
The trout population (Salmo trutta) of the river Volonga makes 2 forms – resident and migrating. These two subspecies really differ in appearance. The river form has a dark brown color and multiple spots on the body, it grows up to 3 kg.
It is believed that the size of the European Grayling (Thymallus thymallus) greatly depends on the living environment, in particular on the amount of Oxygen in the river, on the fooв reserves and on the absence of the big amount of predators.
Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) in Volonga river is represented only by a migrating form. It usually spawns in autumn-winter period. However, the biology of the population is not studied enough from the scientific point of view.
Resident forms of trout (Salmo trutta) in Volonga river are not very numerous in comparison with migrating form. It reaches the weigh up to 3 kg while the average weight is approximately 1 kg. The main habitats of trout are located in the upper and the middle currents of the river and also it its tributaries.
Humpback (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) is a migrating fish of salmonids. It’s easy to distinguish humpback from salmon or trout: it has a very thin caudal peduncle and numerous black quite big round-shaped spots on the body and on the caudal fin.