Kärkejaure

Character of the water

Kärkejaure lies in the cold north — a northern humic brown forest lake. 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.

Large and deep (28 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 — Kärkejaure 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.
• Handheld tackle only. Respect the protected zones at the inlets and outlets.

Fishing Kärkejaure

Kärkejaure holds 6 species, with perch, pike and zander at the top of the chain and roach and ruffe schooling beneath them. The depth gives the water two storeys — and the fish move between them with the season.

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 Kärkejaure are alike.

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