Gässlingen

humic brown tarn · 61°N

Real lakereal shorelinemeasured max depth 4 m11 species on recordsources & method →

clarity 1.2 mmax depth 4 mpH 5.9mesotrophic · humicstatus unsatisfactorygravel road

Character of the water

Gässlingen lies in central Sweden — a humic brown tarn. 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 (4 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Gässlingen FVOF. Day permit ~140 kr · annual permit ~700 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 Gässlingen

perch predatory fish

typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm

The nutrient-rich water keeps perch moving constantly between the feeding grounds.

asp fish

typically ~48 cm · can reach 90 cm

Asp hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.

bream coarse fish

typically ~38 cm · can reach 65 cm

Bream works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.

pike predatory fish

typically ~62 cm · can reach 120 cm

Pike hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.

zander predatory fish

typically ~50 cm · can reach 95 cm

Zander hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.

grayling fish

typically ~30 cm · can reach 50 cm

The nutrient-rich water keeps grayling moving constantly between the feeding grounds.

burbot bottom fish

typically ~45 cm · can reach 90 cm

Down on the bottom burbot sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.

trout salmonids

typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm

Trout hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.

regnbåge fish

typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm

In the murky light, regnbåge shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.

Arctic char salmonids

typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm

Arctic char hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.

whitefish whitefish

typically ~30 cm · can reach 55 cm

Whitefish roams the open water after the feed — a moving target.

Fishing Gässlingen

The species list of Gässlingen runs to 11. The predators — perch, pike and zander — hunt where the baitfish gather, and on a water this size you soon learn where it holds its fish.

Every session at Gässlingen 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

1Gustav Viklundzander47 cm
2Ida Raskregnbåge31 cm
3Heike HolmArctic char29 cm
4Andreas Petterssontrout28 cm
5Magnus Brandtgrayling24 cm
6Björn Strandwhitefish24 cm

Species records here

zander47 cmGustav Viklund

regnbåge31 cmIda Rask

Arctic char29 cmHeike Holm

trout28 cmAndreas Pettersson

whitefish24 cmBjörn Strand

grayling24 cmMagnus Brandt

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