Lusten
nutrient-rich lowland lake · 60°N
clarity 1.8 mmax depth 8 mpH 7.4eutrophicstatus unsatisfactorypaved road
Character of the water
Lusten lies in central Sweden — a nutrient-rich lowland lake.
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 (8 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.
Permits & rules
Fishing permit required — Lusten 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 Lusten
perch predatory fish
typically ~22 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.
björkna fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 35 cm
Björkna works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
bream coarse fish
typically ~38 cm · can reach 65 cm
Bream works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
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.
ruffe perch family
typically ~12 cm · can reach 22 cm
Ruffe works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
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.
salmon fish
typically ~65 cm · can reach 130 cm
In the murky light, salmon shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
löja fish
typically ~12 cm · can reach 20 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps löja moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
roach coarse fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 32 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps roach moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
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.
ruda fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 42 cm
Ruda works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
Fishing Lusten
The species list of Lusten runs to 13. The predators — perch, pike and burbot — hunt where the baitfish gather, and on a water this size you soon learn where it holds its fish.
Whoever fishes Lusten 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
- 1Magnus Forsbergburbot38 cm
- 2Karl Noréntrout28 cm
- 3Karin Weberperch19 cm
- 4Petra Brandtperch18 cm
- 5Jukka Fischerlöja10 cm
- 6Elin Hansenlöja9 cm
Species records here
burbot38 cmMagnus Forsberg
trout28 cmKarl Norén
perch19 cmKarin Weber
löja10 cmJukka Fischer
The same water, for real