Mörttjärnen
nutrient-rich lowland lake · 61°N
clarity 1.5 mmax depth 5 mpH 7.4eutrophicstatus poorgravel road
Character of the water
Mörttjärnen 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 (5 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.
Permits & rules
Fishing permit required — Mörttjärnen 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 Mörttjärnen
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.
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.
zander predatory fish
typically ~50 cm · can reach 95 cm
Zander 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.
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.
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 Mörttjärnen
perch, pike and zander sit at the top of the food chain in Mörttjärnen, carried by ål, bream and id. The nutrient-rich water means plenty of baitfish — and predators that grow fat on them.
Whoever fishes Mörttjärnen 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 Forsbergzander40 cm
- 2Henrik Ektrout32 cm
- 3Emil Strandid31 cm
- 4Linnea Vogelperch18 cm
- 5Kjell Sjöbergperch18 cm
- 6Elin Hedlundvendace14 cm
Species records here
zander40 cmMagnus Forsberg
trout32 cmHenrik Ek
id31 cmEmil Strand
perch18 cmLinnea Vogel
vendace14 cmElin Hedlund
The same water, for real
