Gruvsjön

Character of the water

Gruvsjön lies in central Sweden — a clear oligotrophic forest lake. The water is crystal-clear and the fish skittish in the sharp light. In summer a thermocline settles around 7 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.

Moderately deep (11 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Gruvsjön FVOF. Day permit ~60 kr · annual permit ~300 kr.

• Pike: keep at most one over 75 cm per day.
• Handheld tackle only. Respect the protected zones at the inlets and outlets.

Fishing Gruvsjön

Gruvsjön holds 5 species, with perch and pike at the top of the chain and ruffe, roach and vendace 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 Gruvsjön are alike.

General rules of thumb for this kind of water

• Clear water makes fish light-shy — dawn, dusk and night are usually best.
• Stratified, oxygen-poor lakes push the fish up above the thermocline in summer.