Gåstjärnen

Character of the water

Gåstjärnen lies in central Sweden — a acidified brown forest lake. The tea-stained, humic water hides the bottom within an arm's length. In summer a thermocline settles around 8 m and splits the lake into two worlds. Acidification has thinned life down to the hardiest few.

The surroundings

The lake sits close to town with a road right up to it — easy to reach, but hard-fished and exposed to nutrient runoff from the buildings and fields all around.

A small but surprisingly deep pocket (12 m) with steep drops straight down from shore — the bottom falls away fast.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Gåstjärnen FVOF. Day permit ~60 kr · annual permit ~300 kr.

• Handheld tackle only. Respect the protected zones at the inlets and outlets.

Fishing Gåstjärnen

perch sit at the top of the food chain in Gåstjärnen. The brown, humic water keeps visibility short — the fishing is more about vibration than sight.

Whoever fishes Gåstjärnen 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

• Brown, humic water dampens the light — fishing can be good even in the middle of the day.
• Acidified water yields few, hardy species.