Angler Legend
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Handstjärnen

nutrient-rich lowland lake · 61°N
Real lakereal shoreline11 species on recordsources & method
clarity 2.8 mmax depth 3 mpH 7.4eutrophicstatus unsatisfactorypaved road

Character of the water

Handstjärnen lies in central Sweden — a nutrient-rich lowland lake.

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.

Shallow throughout (max 3 m), with reeds and vegetation over large areas — water that warms fast in spring.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Handstjärnen FVOF. Day permit ~80 kr · annual permit ~400 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 Handstjärnen

perch predatory fish
typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm
Perch grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
bream coarse fish
typically ~38 cm · can reach 65 cm
Down on the bottom bream sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
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.
Arctic char salmonids
typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm
In the murky light, Arctic char 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.
whitefish whitefish
typically ~30 cm · can reach 55 cm
Whitefish follows the schools through open water — here today, gone tomorrow.

Fishing Handstjärnen

The species list of Handstjärnen runs to 11. The predators — perch, pike and grayling — hunt where the baitfish gather, and on a water this size you soon learn where it holds its fish.

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 Handstjärnen are alike.

General rules of thumb for this kind of water

  • Nutrient-rich lakes hold plenty of baitfish but often murky water.

The catch board

6 anglers · 12 catches
  1. 1Jukka ÅbergArctic char39 cm
  2. 2Per Krügerburbot37 cm
  3. 3Uwe Weberbream33 cm
  4. 4Sabine Schmidtwhitefish29 cm
  5. 5Rickard Åberggrayling23 cm
  6. 6Emil Weberruda16 cm
Species records here
Arctic char39 cmJukka Åberg
burbot37 cmPer Krüger
bream33 cmUwe Weber
whitefish29 cmSabine Schmidt
grayling23 cmRickard Åberg
ruda16 cmEmil Weber
The same water, for real