Ältasjön
nutrient-rich lowland lake · 59°N
Real lakereal shorelinemeasured max depth 5 m10 species on recordsizes from survey fishingreal water chemistrysources & method →
clarity 1.6 mmax depth 5 mpH 7.6eutrophicstatus unsatisfactoryforest track · 22 min for the last stretch
Character of the water
Ältasjön 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 (5 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.
Permits & rules
Fishing permit required — Ältasjön FVOF. Day permit ~140 kr · annual permit ~700 kr.
- Zander: minimum size 45 cm · protected during the spawn (Apr–May).
- Pike: keep at most one over 75 cm per day.
- Handheld tackle only. Respect the protected zones at the inlets and outlets.
Species in Ältasjön
perch predatory fish
typically ~9 cm · can reach 40 cm
Perch grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
björkna fish
typically ~15 cm · can reach 50 cm
Down on the bottom björkna sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
bream coarse fish
typically ~19 cm · can reach 55 cm
Down on the bottom bream sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
pike predatory fish
typically ~53 cm · can reach 83 cm
In the murky light, pike shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
ruffe perch family
typically ~11 cm · can reach 16 cm
Down on the bottom ruffe sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
zander predatory fish
typically ~51 cm · can reach 60 cm
In the murky light, zander shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
roach coarse fish
typically ~10 cm · can reach 31 cm
Roach grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
ruda fish
typically ~37 cm · can reach 37 cm
Down on the bottom ruda sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
sarv fish
typically ~13 cm · can reach 23 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps sarv moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
sutare fish
typically ~47 cm · can reach 51 cm
Down on the bottom sutare sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
Fishing Ältasjön
Ältasjön holds 10 species, with perch, pike and zander at the top of the chain and björkna, bream and ruffe schooling beneath them. The modest depth keeps most of the fishing within reach of the bank.
Whoever fishes Ältasjön 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
- 1Per Sundinruda30 cm
- 2Jukka Fischerbream19 cm
- 3Torbjörn Brandtbream18 cm
- 4Stefan Brandtbream16 cm
- 5Karl Petterssonbjörkna14 cm
- 6Jukka Korhonenperch9 cm
Species records here
ruda30 cmPer Sundin
bream19 cmJukka Fischer
björkna14 cmKarl Pettersson
perch9 cmJukka Korhonen
The same water, for real
