This species is listed as Least Concern in view of the large extent of occurrence (EOO), large number of subpopulations, large population size, and lack of major threats. The population trend over the past 10 years or three generations is uncertain but likely relatively stable, or the species may be declining but not fast enough to qualify for any of the threatened categories under Criterion A (reduction in population size).

This species occurs in Arctic and Pacific drainages from the western shore of Hudson Bay to Alaska and northern British Columbia; Arctic and Atlantic drainages from Labrador to north-western Connecticut and west through St. Lawrence-Great Lakes basin (absent from Lake Erie); and Arctic drainages of Asia (Page and Burr 1991).

In rivers of Arctic Siberia it is found from Yenissei (only in Lower Yenissei with tributaries) to Kolyma inclusive, also Chukoka, northern Kamchatka and north-western Sea of Okhotsk rivers (Penzhina and Talovka, Nayakhan, Urak, Okhota, Kukhtuy, Ul'beya, Inya). It is absent from the Ob' and the left-bank tributaries of the Yenisei, and not reported from the Yenisei Gulf. It is rare in the lower mainstream of the Yenisei Valek, and also not numerous in the right tributaries of this river; absent from the basin of Lake Taimyr; not abundant in the Katanga; and only common in upper reaches of the Kheta and Bol'shaya Balakhnya rivers (Popov et al. 2015). It also occurs in the lakes Leprindokan, Maloye Leprindo and Bolshoye Leprindo, which are isolated and not connected to Vitim (Lena system, Transbaikalian) at present (Popov 2016). It is found both in the north-western (Penzhina, Talovka) and north-eastern (Apuka, Pakhach, Vyvenka, Karaga, Rusakova, Hailulya, Ozernaya-eastern) rivers of the Kamchatka Peninsula (Tokranov 2019).

This species is represented by a large number of subpopulations. Total adult population size is unknown but relatively large. The population trend over the past 10 years or three generations is uncertain but likely relatively stable or slowly declining. It is relatively numerous in the Penzhina and Talovka rivers. Chereshnev (2008) reported this species as stable in Russia, and since the state of the environment in Chukotka is favourable, the number is mainly determined by natural causes. Koval et al. (2015) reported it as abundant in rivers of the Sea of Okhotsk.

This is a freshwater rheophilic species (Koval et al. 2015).

This species occurs in shallower parts of deep lakes in southern North America, and rivers or streams in northern North America. It is rarely found in brackish water. It usually occurs at depths of less than 50 m in the Great Lakes. It spawns in gravelly shallows of lakes, at river mouths, and occasionally in rivers. It moves into shallower waters to spawn in lakes, and may move from lakes to spawn in rivers.

In Russia, it occurs from the estuarine region up to the upper river reaches, including major and minor tributaries (Koval et al. 2015). Here, it prefers fast, clean and cold water. It usually inhabits the upper parts of rivers from the foothills to their sources, as well as mountain and floodplain lakes of glacial or tectonic origin. The first descending larvae appear in the middle reaches of the Anadyr River in early June with the beginning of a sharp rise in water, usually 5-10 days later than other whitefish larvae. In years with a high spring flood, a significant part of larvae are spread over the vast floodplain system between the rivers Anadyr and Main. Young-of-the-year in the floodplain are kept mainly in the riparian shallows of the main channel and large channels, and unlike other whitefish do not enter into lakes. Closer to autumn, young fish begin to migrate upstream the river, concentrating in the deep middle reaches for wintering. Later on, they make very short seasonal feeding migrations, mainly to the upper reaches of rivers. During the spring flood, they often enter the ducts and oxbows, from where they are the first among other fish to come out when the water level drops. In September, mature fish make a pre-spawning migration to the upper parts of the river, the length of which, according to the marking, does not exceed 50-70 km. The maximum size is 46.2 cm and wight 1,040 g. The age limit is 13+ years. This species feeds exclusively of benthic organisms: chironomid larvae dominate (less of other diptera larvae), with small molluscs, water mites, oligohetes, small sculpins (25-50 mm long) periodically found. In autumn, it usually consumes keta and whitefish eggs, and in early summer the eggs of grayling. Male sexual maturity in the Anadyr and White Rivers is reached on the sixth to seventh year of life with a body length of 28.0-29.0 cm and a mass of 200-210 g, whereas this is reached for females on the seventh or eighth year of life with a length of 30.0 cm and a mass of 240-250 g. Spawning occurs in autumn (late September to early October) at water temperature +1-4º C. Spawning grounds are located in the channel part of the upper course of the rivers on gravel and sandy substrates at flow velocities of at least 0.3-0.5 m/s (Chereshnev 2008).

Localized threats may exist, but on a range-wide scale no major threats are known. In Russia, since the state of the environment in Chukotka is favourable, the population size is mainly determined by natural causes (Chereshnev 2008).

This species has some fishery value but is not commonly included in fisheries statistics. Ecological confinement to hard-to-reach mountain and foothill parts of rivers, which are remote from settlements, allows only consumer catches of this species in limited amounts (Chereshnev 2008).

Currently, this species is of relatively low conservation concern and does not require significant additional protection or major management, monitoring, or research action. In Russia, the remoteness and inaccessibility of habitats, together with the satisfactory condition of water bodies, make it unnecessary to introduce special protection measures for its populations (Chereshnev 2008).