Gårtjärn
nutrient-rich lowland lake · 59°N
clarity 1.3 mmax depth 7 mpH 7.4eutrophicstatus poorgravel road
Character of the water
Gårtjärn 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 — Gårtjärn 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 Gårtjärn
perch predatory fish
typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm
Perch grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
björkna fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 35 cm
Down on the bottom björkna sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
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.
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.
trout salmonids
typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm
In the murky light, trout shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
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.
vendace whitefish
typically ~16 cm · can reach 28 cm
Vendace roams the open water after the feed — a moving target.
Fishing Gårtjärn
perch, pike and zander sit at the top of the food chain in Gårtjärn, carried by björkna, bream and ruffe. The nutrient-rich water means plenty of baitfish — and predators that grow fat on them.
Whoever fishes Gårtjärn 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
- 1Stefan Olofssonpike53 cm
- 2Stefan Brandtperch22 cm
- 3Henrik Nyströmperch19 cm
- 4Roland Olofssonsarv15 cm
- 5Anders Lindqvistruffe10 cm
- 6Sara Lehmannruffe10 cm
Species records here
pike53 cmStefan Olofsson
perch19 cmHenrik Nyström
sarv15 cmRoland Olofsson
ruffe10 cmSara Lehmann
The same water, for real
