Billingen

clear oligotrophic forest lake · 61°N

Real lakereal shorelinemeasured max depth 18 m10 species on recordsources & method →

clarity 6.5 mmax depth 18 mpH 6.7oligotrophicstatus goodgravel road

Character of the water

Billingen lies in central Sweden — a clear oligotrophic forest lake. The water is crystal-clear and the fish skittish in the sharp light. In summer a thermocline settles around 7 m and splits the lake into two worlds.

The surroundings

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

A small but surprisingly deep pocket (18 m) with steep drops straight down from shore — the bottom falls away fast.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Billingen FVOF. Day permit ~100 kr · annual permit ~500 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 Billingen

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 Billingen

Billingen holds 10 species, with perch, pike and burbot at the top of the chain and bream, ruffe and roach schooling beneath them. The depth gives the water two storeys — and the fish move between them with the season.

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 Billingen are alike.

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

1Sören Häggbream32 cm
2Sören Lundbream31 cm
3Gustav Viklundwhitefish27 cm
4Torbjörn Häggperch20 cm
5Karin Nilssonperch19 cm
6Hanna Johansenperch18 cm

Species records here

bream32 cmSören Hägg

whitefish27 cmGustav Viklund

perch20 cmTorbjörn Hägg

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