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Atlantic salmon breed in the rivers of: Western Europe from Northern Portugal north to Norway, Iceland, Greenland, and the east coast of North America from Connecticut in the United States north to northern Labrador and Arctic Canada. Atlantic salmon which have escaped from the aquaculture industry have also been found breeding in rivers tributary to the Pacific Ocean in British Columbia on Canada's west coast. The species constructs a nest or "redd" in the gravel bed of a stream. This involves a female creating a powerful downdraught of water with her tail near the gravel, to thus excavate a depression. After she and a male fish have respectively shed eggs and milt (sperm) upstream of the depression, the female again uses her tail, this time to shift gravel so as to cover up the eggs and milt which have lodged in the depression. At sea, the species is found mainly in the waters off Greenland and in migrations to and from its natal streams. Until the early 1800s, Atlantic salmon were native to the waters of central New York. When dams were constructed on the Oswego River their spawning areas were cut off and they went extinct in the area.

Unlike the various Pacific salmon species, the Atlantic salmon is iteroparous, which means the fish does not automatically die after spawning, and may recondition themselves, return to the sea to repeat the migration and spawning pattern several times. Nevertheless, migration and spawning exact an enormous physiological toll on the individual fish, such that repeat spawners are by far the exception rather than the norm.

In its natal streams, Atlantic salmon are considered a prized recreational fish, pursued by avid fly anglers during its annual runs. At one time, the species supported an important commercial fishery and a supplemental food fishery. However, the wild Atlantic salmon fishery is commercially dead; after extensive habitat damage and overfishing, wild fish make up only 0.5% of the Atlantic salmon available in world fish markets. The rest are farmed, predominantly from aquaculture in Norway, Chile, Canada, the UK, Faroe Islands, Russia and Tasmania in Australia. Sport fishing communities, mainly from Iceland and Scandinavia, have joined in the North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NASF) to buy away commercial quotas in an effort to save the wild species of Salmo salar.

In the 1950s it was discovered that salmon from rivers in the US and Canada, as well as from Europe, gathered in the sea around Greenland and the Faroe Islands. A massive commercial fishing industry was established, taking salmon in drift nets. After an initial series of record annual catches, the numbers crashed: between 1979 and 1990, catches fell from four million to 700,000.

Currently, overfishing, habitat loss and aquacultured salmon escapes are the greatest threats to natural Atlantic salmon populations.

The first laws regarding the Atlantic salmon were started nearly 800 years ago. Edward I instituted a penalty for collecting salmon during certain times of the year. His son Edward II continued, regulating the construction of weirs. Enforcement was overseen by those appointed by the Justices of the Peace. Because of confusing laws, and the fact that the appointed conservators had little power, most laws were barely enforced.

Based upon this, in 1860 a Royal Commission was appointed to thoroughly investigate the Atlantic Salmon and the laws governing the species. The results caused the 1861 Salmon Fisheries Act. The Salmon Fisheries Act placed control of enforcing the laws under the Home Office's control. Control however was later taken from the Home Office, and transferred to the Board of Trade and then later to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Another act was later passed in 1865 that imposed charges to fish and catch limits. It also caused the formation of local boards that had jurisdiction over a certain river. The next significant act was passed in 1907 which allowed board to charge 'duties' to catch other freshwater fish, including trout.

Despite legislation, board decreased until in 1948 the River Boards Act gave authority of all freshwater fish and also the prevention of pollution to one board per river. In total it created 32 boards altogether.

In 1974, all the 32 boards were reduced to 10 regional water authorities (RWAs). Although only the Northumbrian, Welsh, north west and south west RWA's had considerable salmon population, all ten also cared for trout and freshwater eels.

The Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act was passed in 1975. Among other things, it regulated fishing licences, fishing seasons, size limits, and banned obstructing the salmon's migratory paths.