Gärdsjön

mesotrophic stratified lake · 61°N

Real lakereal shorelinemeasured max depth 25 m14 species on recordsources & method →

clarity 2.9 mmax depth 25 mpH 7.0mesotrophicstatus goodgravel road

Character of the water

Gärdsjön lies in central Sweden — a mesotrophic stratified lake. In summer a thermocline settles around 8 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 (25 m) with steep drops straight down from shore — the bottom falls away fast.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Gärdsjön 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 Gärdsjön

perch predatory fish

typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm

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

björkna fish

typically ~18 cm · can reach 35 cm

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

bream coarse fish

typically ~38 cm · can reach 65 cm

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

elritsa fish

typically ~7 cm · can reach 12 cm

Here elritsa lives on the small stuff — and rewards those who fish small and fine.

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.

grayling fish

typically ~30 cm · can reach 50 cm

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

id fish

typically ~38 cm · can reach 75 cm

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

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.

nors fish

typically ~12 cm · can reach 22 cm

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

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.

ruda fish

typically ~18 cm · can reach 42 cm

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

Fishing Gärdsjön

Gärdsjön holds 14 species, with perch, pike and grayling at the top of the chain and björkna, bream and elritsa schooling beneath them. The depth gives the water two storeys — and the fish move between them with the season.

Every session at Gärdsjön 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

In deep, oxygenated lakes the predators seek cool depth in summer, shallower in spring and autumn.

The catch board

6 anglers · 12 catches

1Hanna Strandpike53 cm
2Kjell Olofssonburbot41 cm
3Jürgen Hansentrout29 cm
4Kjell Hedlundruda16 cm
5Eva Sandströmbjörkna14 cm
6Magnus Hedlundruffe10 cm

Species records here

pike53 cmHanna Strand

burbot41 cmKjell Olofsson

trout29 cmJürgen Hansen

ruda16 cmKjell Hedlund

björkna14 cmEva Sandström

ruffe10 cmMagnus Hedlund

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