Mackstatjärnen

Character of the water

Mackstatjärnen lies in central Sweden — a acidified brown forest lake. The tea-stained, humic water hides the bottom within an arm's length. In summer a thermocline settles around 5 m and splits the lake into two worlds. Acidification has thinned life down to the hardiest few.

The surroundings

The lake lies remote, ringed by forest and bog far from any road. Few find their way here — the water is untouched and the stock undisturbed.

Moderately deep (10 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Mackstatjärnen FVOF. Day permit ~140 kr · annual permit ~700 kr.

• Pike: keep at most one over 75 cm per day.
• Handheld tackle only. Respect the protected zones at the inlets and outlets.

Fishing Mackstatjärnen

perch and pike sit at the top of the food chain in Mackstatjärnen. The brown, humic water keeps visibility short — the fishing is more about vibration than sight.

Every session at Mackstatjärnen is fished in whatever conditions hold right then — the same pressure, wind and light as over the real water. What bites today isn't what bit the day before, and those who return learn the water for real.

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.
• Acidified water yields few, hardy species.