Hjälptjärnen

humic brown tarn · 61°N

Real lakereal shoreline13 species on recordsources & method →

clarity 1.6 mmax depth 4 mpH 6.1mesotrophic · humicstatus goodpaved road

Character of the water

Hjälptjärnen lies in central Sweden — a humic brown tarn. The tea-stained, humic water hides the bottom within an arm's length.

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 4 m), with reeds and vegetation over large areas — water that warms fast in spring.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Hjälptjärnen 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 Hjälptjärnen

perch predatory fish

typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm

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

bream coarse fish

typically ~38 cm · can reach 65 cm

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

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.

nors fish

typically ~12 cm · can reach 22 cm

Nors follows the schools through open water — here today, gone tomorrow.

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.

Fishing Hjälptjärnen

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

Whoever fishes Hjälptjärnen regularly builds something of their own: a log of what took, where and when. That's how the water gives up its patterns — cast by cast, never all at once.

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.

The catch board

6 anglers · 12 catches

1Wolfgang Brandtburbot36 cm
2Björn Falktrout33 cm
3Erik Schmidtregnbåge31 cm
4Heike Lindqvisttrout30 cm
5Uwe Vainiograyling26 cm
6Roland Lundroach14 cm

Species records here

burbot36 cmWolfgang Brandt

trout33 cmBjörn Falk

regnbåge31 cmErik Schmidt

grayling26 cmUwe Vainio

roach14 cmRoland Lund

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