Angler Legend
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Dalkarlen

humic brown forest lake · 60°N
Real lakereal shoreline14 species on recordsources & method
clarity 0.8 mmax depth 7 mpH 5.9oligotrophic · humicstatus unsatisfactoryforest track · 22 min for the last stretch

Character of the water

Dalkarlen 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 remote, ringed by forest and bog far from any road. Few find their way here — the water is untouched and the stock undisturbed.

Moderately deep (7 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.

Permits & rules

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

  • Zander: minimum size 45 cm · protected during the spawn (Apr–May).
  • 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 Dalkarlen

perch predatory fish
typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm
Perch grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
björkna fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 35 cm
Down on the bottom björkna sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
bream coarse fish
typically ~38 cm · can reach 65 cm
Down on the bottom bream sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
elritsa fish
typically ~7 cm · can reach 12 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps elritsa moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
pike predatory fish
typically ~62 cm · can reach 120 cm
In the murky light, pike shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
ruffe perch family
typically ~12 cm · can reach 22 cm
Down on the bottom ruffe sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
zander predatory fish
typically ~50 cm · can reach 95 cm
In the murky light, zander shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
grayling fish
typically ~30 cm · can reach 50 cm
Grayling grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
id fish
typically ~38 cm · can reach 75 cm
Id grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
burbot bottom fish
typically ~45 cm · can reach 90 cm
Burbot works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
roach coarse fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 32 cm
Roach grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
nors fish
typically ~12 cm · can reach 22 cm
Nors roams the open water after the feed — a moving target.
trout salmonids
typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm
In the murky light, trout shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
ruda fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 42 cm
Down on the bottom ruda sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.

Fishing Dalkarlen

Dalkarlen holds 14 species, with perch, pike and zander at the top of the chain and björkna, bream and elritsa schooling beneath them. The modest depth keeps most of the fishing within reach of the bank.

Every session at Dalkarlen 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

  • Brown, humic water dampens the light — fishing can be good even in the middle of the day.

The catch board

6 anglers · 12 catches
  1. 1Stefan Olofssonburbot41 cm
  2. 2Fredrik Erikssonid38 cm
  3. 3Tomas Lindqvistid32 cm
  4. 4Torbjörn Petterssonruda17 cm
  5. 5Stefan Ekruda15 cm
  6. 6Linnea Björkroach15 cm
Species records here
burbot41 cmStefan Olofsson
id38 cmFredrik Eriksson
ruda17 cmTorbjörn Pettersson
roach15 cmLinnea Björk
The same water, for real