Gnien
humic brown forest lake · 60°N
clarity 1.2 mmax depth 9 mpH 6.6eutrophic · humicstatus poorforest track · 22 min for the last stretch
Character of the water
Gnien lies in central Sweden — a humic brown forest lake. The tea-stained, humic water hides the bottom within an arm's length.
The surroundings
The lake lies half-remote, a fair way from the nearest road, tucked into woodland.
Moderately deep (9 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.
Permits & rules
Fishing permit required — Gnien 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 Gnien
perch predatory fish
typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm
Perch grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
ål fish
typically ~55 cm · can reach 110 cm
Ål works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
asp fish
typically ~48 cm · can reach 90 cm
In the murky light, asp shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
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.
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.
trout salmonids
typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm
In the murky light, trout shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
regnbåge fish
typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm
Regnbåge 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
Down on the bottom ruda sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
sutare fish
typically ~35 cm · can reach 60 cm
Down on the bottom sutare sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
Fishing Gnien
perch, pike and zander sit at the top of the food chain in Gnien, carried by ål, asp and bream. The brown, humic water keeps visibility short — the fishing is more about vibration than sight.
Whoever fishes Gnien 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.
- Nutrient-rich lakes hold plenty of baitfish but often murky water.
The catch board
- 1Ida Norénburbot46 cm
- 2Björn Norénål44 cm
- 3Torbjörn Petterssonzander43 cm
- 4Uwe Weberburbot38 cm
- 5Elin Hedlundtrout28 cm
- 6Torbjörn Karlssonroach14 cm
Species records here
burbot46 cmIda Norén
ål44 cmBjörn Norén
zander43 cmTorbjörn Pettersson
trout28 cmElin Hedlund
roach14 cmTorbjörn Karlsson
The same water, for real
