Gårdtjärnen
nutrient-rich lowland lake · 62°N
clarity 2.3 mmax depth 7 mpH 7.4eutrophicstatus unsatisfactoryforest track · 22 min for the last stretch
Character of the water
Gårdtjärnen 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.
Moderately deep (7 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.
Permits & rules
Fishing permit required — Gårdtjärnen 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 Gårdtjärnen
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.
pike predatory fish
typically ~62 cm · can reach 120 cm
In the murky light, pike shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
ruffe perch family
typically ~12 cm · can reach 22 cm
Down on the bottom ruffe sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
zander predatory fish
typically ~50 cm · can reach 95 cm
In the murky light, zander shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
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.
nors fish
typically ~12 cm · can reach 22 cm
Nors roams the open water after the feed — a moving target.
Arctic char salmonids
typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm
In the murky light, Arctic char shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
ruda fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 42 cm
Down on the bottom ruda sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
sarv fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 38 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps sarv moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
whitefish whitefish
typically ~30 cm · can reach 55 cm
Whitefish follows the schools through open water — here today, gone tomorrow.
Fishing Gårdtjärnen
The species list of Gårdtjärnen runs to 13. 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.
Whoever fishes Gårdtjärnen 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
- Nutrient-rich lakes hold plenty of baitfish but often murky water.
The catch board
- 1Uwe Sundinid33 cm
- 2Björn Strandwhitefish24 cm
- 3Mats Nieminenruda17 cm
- 4Eva Viklundroach16 cm
- 5Jonas Krügernors10 cm
- 6Oskar Häggnors10 cm
Species records here
id33 cmUwe Sundin
whitefish24 cmBjörn Strand
ruda17 cmMats Nieminen
roach16 cmEva Viklund
nors10 cmOskar Hägg
The same water, for real
