Ältan
nutrient-rich lowland lake · 60°N
clarity 1.9 mmax depth 8 mpH 7.4eutrophicstatus unsatisfactorygravel road
Character of the water
Ältan lies in central Sweden — a nutrient-rich lowland lake.
The surroundings
The lake lies half-remote, a fair way from the nearest road, tucked into woodland.
Moderately deep (8 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.
Permits & rules
Fishing permit required — Ältan FVOF. Day permit ~60 kr · annual permit ~300 kr.
- Pike: keep at most one over 75 cm per day.
- Handheld tackle only. Respect the protected zones at the inlets and outlets.
Species in Ältan
perch predatory fish
typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm
Perch grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
pike predatory fish
typically ~62 cm · can reach 120 cm
In the murky light, pike shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
roach coarse fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 32 cm
Roach grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
bream coarse fish
typically ~38 cm · can reach 65 cm
Down on the bottom bream sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
Fishing Ältan
Ältan holds 4 species, with perch and pike at the top of the chain and roach and bream schooling beneath them. The modest depth keeps most of the fishing within reach of the bank.
Whoever fishes Ältan regularly builds something of their own: a log of what took, where and when. That's how the water gives up its patterns — cast by cast, never all at once.
General rules of thumb for this kind of water
- Nutrient-rich lakes hold plenty of baitfish but often murky water.
The catch board
- 1Tomas Wikströmpike63 cm
- 2Elin Nieminenpike59 cm
- 3Torbjörn Schmidtbream30 cm
- 4Sören Björkperch26 cm
- 5Sören Dahlperch19 cm
- 6Elin Ekroach14 cm
Species records here
pike59 cmElin Nieminen
bream30 cmTorbjörn Schmidt
perch26 cmSören Björk
roach14 cmElin Ek
The same water, for real
