Gåstjärnen

Character of the water

Gåstjärnen lies in the cold north — a northern clear oligotrophic forest lake. The water is crystal-clear and the fish skittish in the sharp light. In summer a thermocline settles around 9 m and splits the lake into two worlds.

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 (15 m) with steep drops straight down from shore — the bottom falls away fast.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Gåstjärnen FVOF. Day permit ~80 kr · annual permit ~400 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.

Fishing Gåstjärnen

perch, pike and trout sit at the top of the food chain in Gåstjärnen, carried by roach and whitefish. The clearer water makes the fish wary — and rewards a careful presentation.

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 Gåstjärnen are alike.

General rules of thumb for this kind of water

• Clear water makes fish light-shy — dawn, dusk and night are usually best.
• In deep, oxygenated lakes the predators seek cool depth in summer, shallower in spring and autumn.