Locken
nutrient-rich lowland lake · 62°N
clarity 1.8 mmax depth 6 mpH 7.4eutrophicstatus unsatisfactorygravel road
Character of the water
Locken lies in central Sweden — a nutrient-rich lowland lake.
The surroundings
The lake lies half-remote, a fair way from the nearest road, tucked into woodland.
Moderately deep (6 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.
Permits & rules
Fishing permit required — Locken FVOF. Day permit ~140 kr · annual permit ~700 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 Locken
perch predatory fish
typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm
Perch grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
pike predatory fish
typically ~62 cm · can reach 120 cm
In the murky light, pike shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
zander predatory fish
typically ~50 cm · can reach 95 cm
In the murky light, zander 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.
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.
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.
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.
vendace whitefish
typically ~16 cm · can reach 28 cm
Vendace roams the open water after the feed — a moving target.
Fishing Locken
Locken holds 13 species, with perch, pike and zander at the top of the chain and id, roach and regnbåge schooling beneath them. The modest depth keeps most of the fishing within reach of the bank.
Whoever fishes Locken 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
- Nutrient-rich lakes hold plenty of baitfish but often murky water.
The catch board
- 1Elin Åbergpike49 cm
- 2Karin Ekzander40 cm
- 3Mats Åbergid32 cm
- 4Emil Vainioregnbåge29 cm
- 5Sören Häggwhitefish25 cm
- 6Karin Nilssonperch23 cm
Species records here
pike49 cmElin Åberg
zander40 cmKarin Ek
id32 cmMats Åberg
regnbåge29 cmEmil Vainio
whitefish25 cmSören Hägg
perch23 cmKarin Nilsson
The same water, for real