Östersjön
humic brown forest lake · 60°N
clarity 1.2 mmax depth 9 mpH 5.9mesotrophic · humicstatus unsatisfactorygravel road
Character of the water
Östersjön lies in central Sweden — a humic brown forest lake. The tea-stained, humic water hides the bottom within an arm's length.
The surroundings
The lake lies half-remote, a fair way from the nearest road, tucked into woodland.
Moderately deep (9 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.
Permits & rules
Fishing permit required — Östersjön FVOF. Day permit ~140 kr · annual permit ~700 kr.
- Pike: keep at most one over 75 cm per day.
- Trout & Arctic char: protected during the autumn spawn · catch-and-release on certain stretches.
- Handheld tackle only. Respect the protected zones at the inlets and outlets.
Species in Östersjön
perch predatory fish
typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps perch moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
pike predatory fish
typically ~62 cm · can reach 120 cm
Pike hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.
ruffe perch family
typically ~12 cm · can reach 22 cm
Ruffe works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
burbot bottom fish
typically ~45 cm · can reach 90 cm
Down on the bottom burbot sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
roach coarse fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 32 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps roach moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
trout salmonids
typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm
Trout hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.
Fishing Östersjön
The species list of Östersjön runs to 6. The predators — perch, pike and burbot — hunt where the baitfish gather, and on a water this size you soon learn where it holds its fish.
The fishing here follows the water's own rhythm: dawn and dusk have their windows, fronts close and open them, and the season moves the fish. No two sessions at Östersjön are alike.
General rules of thumb for this kind of water
- Brown, humic water dampens the light — fishing can be good even in the middle of the day.
The catch board
- 1Sara Johansentrout40 cm
- 2Magnus Brandttrout29 cm
- 3Heike Dahlperch20 cm
- 4Ida Norénroach16 cm
- 5Elin Ekroach14 cm
- 6Astrid Hedlundruffe10 cm
Species records here
trout29 cmMagnus Brandt
perch20 cmHeike Dahl
roach14 cmElin Ek
ruffe10 cmAstrid Hedlund
The same water, for real
