Hornsjön
humic brown forest lake · 62°N
Real lakereal shorelinemeasured max depth 25 m18 species on recordsizes from survey fishingsources & method →
clarity 2.3 mmax depth 25 mpH 6.1mesotrophic · humicstatus goodgravel road
Character of the water
Hornsjön lies in central Sweden — a humic brown forest lake. The tea-stained, humic water hides the bottom within an arm's length.
The surroundings
The lake lies half-remote, a fair way from the nearest road, tucked into woodland.
Large and deep (25 m): a central basin ringed by drop-offs and shallow bays around the edges — varied bottom with many spots to read.
Permits & rules
Fishing permit required — Hornsjön FVOF. Day permit ~100 kr · annual permit ~500 kr.
- Zander: minimum size 45 cm · protected during the spawn (Apr–May).
- 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 Hornsjön
perch predatory fish
typically ~19 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 ~22 cm · can reach 63 cm
Bream works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
pike predatory fish
typically ~49 cm · can reach 90 cm
Pike hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.
ruffe perch family
typically ~8 cm · can reach 10 cm
Ruffe works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
zander predatory fish
typically ~41 cm · can reach 44 cm
Zander 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 ~35 cm · can reach 61 cm
Down on the bottom burbot sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
löja fish
typically ~12 cm · can reach 16 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps löja moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
roach coarse fish
typically ~12 cm · can reach 32 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps roach moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
nors fish
typically ~9 cm · can reach 16 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.
sarv fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 38 cm
Sarv grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
whitefish whitefish
typically ~30 cm · can reach 55 cm
Whitefish roams the open water after the feed — a moving target.
vendace whitefish
typically ~16 cm · can reach 28 cm
Vendace follows the schools through open water — here today, gone tomorrow.
Fishing Hornsjön
perch, pike and zander sit at the top of the food chain in Hornsjön, carried by ål, bream and ruffe. The brown, humic water keeps visibility short — the fishing is more about vibration than sight.
Whoever fishes Hornsjön 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.
- In deep, oxygenated lakes the predators seek cool depth in summer, shallower in spring and autumn.
The catch board
- 1Hanna Viklundtrout28 cm
- 2Björn NorénArctic char28 cm
- 3Astrid Nieminenwhitefish25 cm
- 4Sara Holmsarv15 cm
- 5Per Nieminenroach12 cm
- 6Emil Wagnerruffe6 cm
Species records here
Arctic char28 cmBjörn Norén
trout28 cmHanna Viklund
whitefish25 cmAstrid Nieminen
sarv15 cmSara Holm
roach12 cmPer Nieminen
ruffe6 cmEmil Wagner
The same water, for real
