Gårdsjön
humic brown forest lake · 62°N
clarity 2.4 mmax depth 8 mpH 6.1mesotrophic · humicstatus goodforest track · 22 min for the last stretch
Character of the water
Gårdsjön 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 half-remote, a fair way from the nearest road, tucked into woodland.
Moderately deep (8 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.
Permits & rules
Fishing permit required — Gårdsjön 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 Gårdsjön
perch predatory fish
typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps perch moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
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.
roach coarse fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 32 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps roach moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
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.
Fishing Gårdsjön
The species list of Gårdsjön runs to 6. The predators — perch, pike and trout — hunt where the baitfish gather, and on a water this size you soon learn where it holds its fish.
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 Gårdsjön are alike.
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
- 1Jukka Åbergtrout40 cm
- 2Lars Webertrout31 cm
- 3Astrid Hedlundtrout30 cm
- 4Wolfgang Brandttrout29 cm
- 5Sören Månssonperch19 cm
- 6Oskar Norénperch18 cm
Species records here
trout29 cmWolfgang Brandt
perch18 cmOskar Norén
The same water, for real
