Gunnarsbotjärnen

acidified brown forest lake · 61°N

Real lakereal shoreline13 species on recordsources & method →

clarity 1.7 mmax depth 6 mpH 5.2mesotrophic · humicstatus unsatisfactorypaved road

Character of the water

Gunnarsbotjärnen 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 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 (6 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Gunnarsbotjärnen 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 Gunnarsbotjärnen

perch predatory fish

typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm

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

ål fish

typically ~55 cm · can reach 110 cm

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

bream coarse fish

typically ~38 cm · can reach 65 cm

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

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.

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.

sutare fish

typically ~35 cm · can reach 60 cm

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

Fishing Gunnarsbotjärnen

Gunnarsbotjärnen holds 13 species, with perch, pike and burbot at the top of the chain and ål, bream and id schooling beneath them. The modest depth keeps most of the fishing within reach of the bank.

Every session at Gunnarsbotjärnen 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

1Karin Nyströmpike55 cm
2Heike Holmtrout29 cm
3Rickard Olofssonsutare29 cm
4Mikko Krügerwhitefish26 cm
5Karin Ekwhitefish25 cm
6Karin Erikssonruda15 cm

Species records here

pike55 cmKarin Nyström

trout29 cmHeike Holm

sutare29 cmRickard Olofsson

whitefish25 cmKarin Ek

ruda15 cmKarin Eriksson

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