Gruckhån

acidified forest lake · 61°N

Real lakereal shoreline14 species on recordsources & method →

clarity 7.0 mmax depth 5 mpH 5.4oligotrophicstatus unsatisfactorygravel road

Character of the water

Gruckhån lies in central Sweden — a acidified forest lake. The water is crystal-clear and the fish skittish in the sharp light. 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 — Gruckhån FVOF. Day permit ~120 kr · annual permit ~600 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 Gruckhån

perch predatory fish

typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm

Perch moves carefully in the clear water — small mouthfuls, many of them.

bream coarse fish

typically ~38 cm · can reach 65 cm

Bream lives down in the cool — the deep is its home ground all year.

elritsa fish

typically ~7 cm · can reach 12 cm

Here elritsa lives on the small stuff — and rewards those who fish small and fine.

pike predatory fish

typically ~62 cm · can reach 120 cm

In the clear water pike picks its moments — wary, but relentless once committed.

grayling fish

typically ~30 cm · can reach 50 cm

Grayling moves carefully in the clear water — small mouthfuls, many of them.

id fish

typically ~38 cm · can reach 75 cm

Id moves carefully in the clear water — small mouthfuls, many of them.

burbot bottom fish

typically ~45 cm · can reach 90 cm

Burbot holds the bottom even in clear water — shade and depth are its cover.

roach coarse fish

typically ~18 cm · can reach 32 cm

Roach moves carefully in the clear water — small mouthfuls, many of them.

trout salmonids

typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm

In the clear water trout picks its moments — wary, but relentless once committed.

Arctic char salmonids

typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm

In the clear water Arctic char picks its moments — wary, but relentless once committed.

whitefish whitefish

typically ~30 cm · can reach 55 cm

Whitefish holds in the open water column where light and temperature set the day.

vendace whitefish

typically ~16 cm · can reach 28 cm

Vendace cruises the open water — the depth it picks follows the light through the day.

stäm fish

typically ~16 cm · can reach 30 cm

Here stäm lives on the small stuff — and rewards those who fish small and fine.

stensimpa fish

typically ~8 cm · can reach 15 cm

Stensimpa lives down in the cool — the deep is its home ground all year.

Fishing Gruckhån

Gruckhån holds 14 species, with perch, pike and grayling at the top of the chain and bream, elritsa and id schooling beneath them. The modest depth keeps most of the fishing within reach of the bank.

Every session at Gruckhån 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

Clear water makes fish light-shy — dawn, dusk and night are usually best.
Acidified water yields few, hardy species.

The catch board

6 anglers · 12 catches

1Anna WagnerArctic char29 cm
2Karin Ekgrayling24 cm
3Jonas Häggwhitefish24 cm
4Roland Lundperch18 cm
5Petra Olofssonstäm13 cm
6Axel Månssonstensimpa6 cm

Species records here

Arctic char29 cmAnna Wagner

whitefish24 cmJonas Hägg

grayling24 cmKarin Ek

perch18 cmRoland Lund

stäm13 cmPetra Olofsson

stensimpa6 cmAxel Månsson

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