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Hemsjön

northern nutrient-rich lowland lake · 65°N
Real lakereal shoreline16 species on recordsources & method
clarity 2.2 mmax depth 10 mpH 7.4eutrophicstatus poorpaved road

Character of the water

Hemsjön lies in the cold north — a northern nutrient-rich lowland lake. In summer a thermocline settles around 8 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 (10 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Hemsjön 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 Hemsjön

perch predatory fish
typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm
Perch grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
elritsa fish
typically ~7 cm · can reach 12 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps elritsa moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
pike predatory fish
typically ~62 cm · can reach 120 cm
In the murky light, pike shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
grayling fish
typically ~30 cm · can reach 50 cm
Grayling grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
havsoring-baltic fish
typically ~25 cm · can reach 50 cm
Havsoring-baltic 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.
salmon fish
typically ~65 cm · can reach 130 cm
Salmon hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.
löja fish
typically ~12 cm · can reach 20 cm
Löja grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
roach coarse fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 32 cm
Roach grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
trout salmonids
typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm
In the murky light, trout shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
regnbåge fish
typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm
Regnbåge hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.
Arctic char salmonids
typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm
In the murky light, Arctic char shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
whitefish whitefish
typically ~30 cm · can reach 55 cm
Whitefish follows the schools through open water — here today, gone tomorrow.
vendace whitefish
typically ~16 cm · can reach 28 cm
Vendace roams the open water after the feed — a moving target.
stäm fish
typically ~16 cm · can reach 30 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps stäm moving constantly between the feeding grounds.

Fishing Hemsjön

The species list of Hemsjön runs to 16. 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 Hemsjön are alike.

General rules of thumb for this kind of water

  • Stratified, oxygen-poor lakes push the fish up above the thermocline in summer.
  • Nutrient-rich lakes hold plenty of baitfish but often murky water.

The catch board

6 anglers · 12 catches
  1. 1Magnus Hedlundsalmon76 cm
  2. 2Erik SchmidtArctic char28 cm
  3. 3Roland Lundhavsoring-baltic22 cm
  4. 4Anders Månssonhavsoring-baltic21 cm
  5. 5Bjørn Ekroach16 cm
  6. 6Ida Raskvendace13 cm
Species records here
salmon76 cmMagnus Hedlund
Arctic char28 cmErik Schmidt
havsoring-baltic21 cmAnders Månsson
roach16 cmBjørn Ek
vendace13 cmIda Rask
The same water, for real