Angler Legend
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Håtjärnen

acidified brown forest lake · 63°N
Real lakereal shoreline13 species on recordsources & method
clarity 1.6 mmax depth 12 mpH 4.6oligotrophic · humicstatus unsatisfactorypaved road

Character of the water

Håtjärnen lies in central Sweden — a acidified brown forest lake. The tea-stained, humic water hides the bottom within an arm's length. In summer a thermocline settles around 6 m and splits the lake into two worlds. 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.

A small but surprisingly deep pocket (12 m) with steep drops straight down from shore — the bottom falls away fast.

Permits & rules

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

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.
elritsa fish
typically ~7 cm · can reach 12 cm
Elritsa grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
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.
grayling fish
typically ~30 cm · can reach 50 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps grayling moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
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.
whitefish whitefish
typically ~30 cm · can reach 55 cm
Whitefish roams the open water after the feed — a moving target.
stensimpa fish
typically ~8 cm · can reach 15 cm
Stensimpa works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.

Fishing Håtjärnen

perch, pike and grayling sit at the top of the food chain in Håtjärnen, carried by ål, elritsa and id. The brown, humic water keeps visibility short — the fishing is more about vibration than sight.

Every session at Håtjärnen 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
  1. 1Torbjörn Brandtpike51 cm
  2. 2Kjell KrügerArctic char33 cm
  3. 3Heike Dahlregnbåge31 cm
  4. 4Stefan Wikströmgrayling25 cm
  5. 5Linnea Fischerwhitefish25 cm
  6. 6Torbjörn Karlssonperch19 cm
Species records here
pike51 cmTorbjörn Brandt
Arctic char33 cmKjell Krüger
regnbåge31 cmHeike Dahl
whitefish25 cmLinnea Fischer
grayling25 cmStefan Wikström
perch19 cmTorbjörn Karlsson
The same water, for real