In this study, we examined colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption in the rivers and lakes of three different Arctic regions: Yamal Peninsula, Kola Peninsula and Lena River Delta. We applied two different methods. In the first one, water samples collected in expeditions were analyzed using the dual-beam spectrophotometer Specord 200 (Jena Analytic, Germany) at the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute. In the second one, we applied a remote
sensing-based CDOM algorithm (green and red band reflectance ratio). The results of the two methods were compared and a correlation between them was estimated. Moreover, we compared the CDOM absorption values in the three different Arctic regions.