Övre Valsan

clear oligotrophic deep lake · 61°N

Real lakereal shorelinemeasured max depth 32 m10 species on recordreal water chemistrysources & method →

clarity 6.9 mmax depth 32 mpH 6.8oligotrophicstatus goodforest track · 22 min for the last stretch

Character of the water

Övre Valsan lies in central Sweden — a clear oligotrophic deep lake. The water is crystal-clear and the fish skittish in the sharp light.

The surroundings

The lake lies half-remote, a fair way from the nearest road, tucked into woodland.

Large and deep (32 m): a central basin ringed by drop-offs and shallow bays around the edges — varied bottom with many spots to read.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Övre Valsan 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 Övre Valsan

perch predatory fish

typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm

Perch moves carefully in the clear water — small mouthfuls, many of them.

bream coarse fish

typically ~38 cm · can reach 65 cm

Bream lives down in the cool — the deep is its home ground all year.

pike predatory fish

typically ~62 cm · can reach 120 cm

In the clear water pike picks its moments — wary, but relentless once committed.

ruffe perch family

typically ~12 cm · can reach 22 cm

Ruffe lives down in the cool — the deep is its home ground all year.

burbot bottom fish

typically ~45 cm · can reach 90 cm

Burbot holds the bottom even in clear water — shade and depth are its cover.

roach coarse fish

typically ~18 cm · can reach 32 cm

Roach moves carefully in the clear water — small mouthfuls, many of them.

trout salmonids

typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm

In the clear water trout picks its moments — wary, but relentless once committed.

Arctic char salmonids

typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm

In the clear water Arctic char picks its moments — wary, but relentless once committed.

whitefish whitefish

typically ~30 cm · can reach 55 cm

Whitefish holds in the open water column where light and temperature set the day.

vendace whitefish

typically ~16 cm · can reach 28 cm

Vendace cruises the open water — the depth it picks follows the light through the day.

Fishing Övre Valsan

The species list of Övre Valsan runs to 10. 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.

Every session at Övre Valsan is fished in whatever conditions hold right then — the same pressure, wind and light as over the real water. What bites today isn't what bit the day before, and those who return learn the water for real.

General rules of thumb for this kind of water

Clear water makes fish light-shy — dawn, dusk and night are usually best.
In deep, oxygenated lakes the predators seek cool depth in summer, shallower in spring and autumn.

The catch board

6 anglers · 12 catches

1Uwe Nilssonpike52 cm
2Jürgen Dahlburbot43 cm
3Stefan Ekburbot41 cm
4Mikko Brandtbream30 cm
5Wolfgang LindqvistArctic char30 cm
6Astrid Viklundroach16 cm

Species records here

pike52 cmUwe Nilsson

burbot41 cmStefan Ek

Arctic char30 cmWolfgang Lindqvist

bream30 cmMikko Brandt

roach16 cmAstrid Viklund

The same water, for real

This water's real catch reports — and the logbook for your own.Fångstrapport.sein Swedish

The real bite table for this water — for your next real session.Huggtabell.sein Swedish