Gartstjärnen

acidified brown forest lake · 62°N

Real lakereal shoreline13 species on recordsources & method →

clarity 0.9 mmax depth 5 mpH 5.5oligotrophic · humicstatus poorforest track · 22 min for the last stretch

Fish Gartstjärnen Buy forecast

Character of the water

Gartstjärnen lies in central Sweden — a acidified brown forest lake. The tea-stained, humic water hides the bottom within an arm's length. Acidification has thinned life down to the hardiest few.

The surroundings

The lake lies half-remote, a fair way from the nearest road, tucked into woodland.

Moderately deep (5 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Gartstjärnen FVOF. Day permit ~100 kr · annual permit ~500 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 Gartstjärnen

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.

zander predatory fish

typically ~50 cm · can reach 95 cm

Zander hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.

grayling fish

typically ~30 cm · can reach 50 cm

The nutrient-rich water keeps grayling moving constantly between the feeding grounds.

id fish

typically ~38 cm · can reach 75 cm

The nutrient-rich water keeps id moving constantly between the feeding grounds.

burbot bottom fish

typically ~45 cm · can reach 90 cm

Down on the bottom burbot sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.

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.

ruda fish

typically ~18 cm · can reach 42 cm

Ruda works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.

whitefish whitefish

typically ~30 cm · can reach 55 cm

Whitefish roams the open water after the feed — a moving target.

vendace whitefish

typically ~16 cm · can reach 28 cm

Vendace follows the schools through open water — here today, gone tomorrow.

Fishing Gartstjärnen

The species list of Gartstjärnen 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.

Every session at Gartstjärnen is fished in whatever conditions hold right then — the same pressure, wind and light as over the real water. What bites today isn't what bit the day before, and those who return learn the water for real.

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.

The catch board

6 anglers · 12 catches

1Axel Nieminenpike50 cm
2Heike Häggzander40 cm
3Petra EkArctic char31 cm
4Astrid HäggArctic char30 cm
5Erik Sandströmtrout29 cm
6Ole Hedlundroach17 cm

Species records here

pike50 cmAxel Nieminen

zander40 cmHeike Hägg

Arctic char30 cmAstrid Hägg

trout29 cmErik Sandström

roach17 cmOle Hedlund

The same water, for real

This water's real catch reports — and the logbook for your own.Fångstrapport.sein Swedish

The real bite table for this water — for your next real session.Huggtabell.sein Swedish