Gårdhån
nutrient-rich lowland lake · 61°N
clarity 1.4 mmax depth 4 mpH 7.4eutrophicstatus poorgravel road
Character of the water
Gårdhån lies in central Sweden — a nutrient-rich lowland lake.
The surroundings
The lake lies half-remote, a fair way from the nearest road, tucked into woodland.
Shallow throughout (max 4 m), with reeds and vegetation over large areas — water that warms fast in spring.
Permits & rules
Fishing permit required — Gårdhån FVOF. Day permit ~60 kr · annual permit ~300 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 Gårdhån
perch predatory fish
typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm
Perch grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
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.
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.
trout salmonids
typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm
In the murky light, trout shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
Arctic char salmonids
typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm
In the murky light, Arctic char shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
whitefish whitefish
typically ~30 cm · can reach 55 cm
Whitefish follows the schools through open water — here today, gone tomorrow.
vendace whitefish
typically ~16 cm · can reach 28 cm
Vendace roams the open water after the feed — a moving target.
stäm fish
typically ~16 cm · can reach 30 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps stäm moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
stensimpa fish
typically ~8 cm · can reach 15 cm
Down on the bottom stensimpa sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
Fishing Gårdhån
perch, pike and grayling sit at the top of the food chain in Gårdhån, carried by bream, elritsa and id. The nutrient-rich water means plenty of baitfish — and predators that grow fat on them.
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 Gårdhån are alike.
General rules of thumb for this kind of water
- Nutrient-rich lakes hold plenty of baitfish but often murky water.
The catch board
- 1Torbjörn Häggtrout28 cm
- 2Stefan ÅströmArctic char28 cm
- 3Roland Holmwhitefish27 cm
- 4Ole Brandtperch18 cm
- 5Rickard Åbergstäm13 cm
- 6Wolfgang Lindqvistelritsa6 cm
Species records here
trout28 cmTorbjörn Hägg
Arctic char28 cmStefan Åström
whitefish27 cmRoland Holm
perch18 cmOle Brandt
stäm13 cmRickard Åberg
elritsa6 cmWolfgang Lindqvist
The same water, for real
