Flen
southern humic brown forest lake · 57°N
Real lakereal shorelinemeasured max depth 16 m12 species on recordsizes from survey fishingreal water chemistrysources & method →
clarity 3.7 mmax depth 16 mpH 7.0mesotrophic · humicstatus goodgravel road
Character of the water
Flen lies in the south — a southern 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 (16 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.
Permits & rules
Fishing permit required — Flen FVOF. Day permit ~60 kr · annual permit ~300 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 Flen
perch predatory fish
typically ~14 cm · can reach 49 cm
Perch grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
ål fish
typically ~55 cm · can reach 110 cm
Ål works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
bream coarse fish
typically ~36 cm · can reach 59 cm
Down on the bottom bream sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
pike predatory fish
typically ~61 cm · can reach 79 cm
In the murky light, pike shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
zander predatory fish
typically ~27 cm · can reach 43 cm
In the murky light, zander shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
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 ~19 cm · can reach 27 cm
Roach grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
trout salmonids
typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm
In the murky light, trout shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
sarv fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 38 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps sarv moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
whitefish whitefish
typically ~27 cm · can reach 37 cm
Whitefish follows the schools through open water — here today, gone tomorrow.
vendace whitefish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 21 cm
Vendace roams the open water after the feed — a moving target.
sutare fish
typically ~35 cm · can reach 60 cm
Down on the bottom sutare sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
Fishing Flen
perch, pike and zander sit at the top of the food chain in Flen, carried by ål, bream and roach. The brown, humic water keeps visibility short — the fishing is more about vibration than sight.
Whoever fishes Flen 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
- Brown, humic water dampens the light — fishing can be good even in the middle of the day.
- In deep, oxygenated lakes the predators seek cool depth in summer, shallower in spring and autumn.
The catch board
- 1Karin Nilssonburbot36 cm
- 2Mikko Brandtbream29 cm
- 3Wolfgang Olofssonzander24 cm
- 4Mats Vainiosarv15 cm
- 5Astrid Holmperch15 cm
- 6Sören Dahlsarv14 cm
Species records here
burbot36 cmKarin Nilsson
bream29 cmMikko Brandt
zander24 cmWolfgang Olofsson
sarv15 cmMats Vainio
perch15 cmAstrid Holm
The same water, for real
