Angler Legend
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Gratjärnen

humic brown forest lake · 61°N
Real lakereal shoreline13 species on recordsources & method
clarity 1.0 mmax depth 13 mpH 6.6eutrophic · humicstatus poorpaved road

Character of the water

Gratjärnen lies in central Sweden — a humic brown forest lake. The tea-stained, humic water hides the bottom within an arm's length. In summer a thermocline settles around 5 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 (13 m) with steep drops straight down from shore — the bottom falls away fast.

Permits & rules

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

Species in Gratjärnen

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.
elritsa fish
typically ~7 cm · can reach 12 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps elritsa moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
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.
grayling fish
typically ~30 cm · can reach 50 cm
Grayling grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
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.
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.
ruda fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 42 cm
Down on the bottom ruda sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.

Fishing Gratjärnen

Gratjärnen holds 13 species, with perch, pike and grayling at the top of the chain and björkna, bream and elritsa schooling beneath them. The modest depth keeps most of the fishing within reach of the bank.

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 Gratjärnen are alike.

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.
  • Stratified, oxygen-poor lakes push the fish up above the thermocline in summer.
  • Nutrient-rich lakes hold plenty of baitfish but often murky water.

The catch board

6 anglers · 12 catches
  1. 1Andreas Petterssontrout29 cm
  2. 2Fredrik Hedlundtrout28 cm
  3. 3Björn Falkroach15 cm
  4. 4Karin Johansennors11 cm
  5. 5Hanna Lindqvistnors9 cm
  6. 6Jukka Åbergelritsa6 cm
Species records here
trout28 cmFredrik Hedlund
roach15 cmBjörn Falk
nors11 cmKarin Johansen
elritsa6 cmJukka Åberg
The same water, for real