Matkajärvi

Character of the water

Matkajärvi lies in the cold north — a northern 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 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 (6 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Matkajärvi FVOF. Day permit ~100 kr · annual permit ~500 kr.

• Handheld tackle only. Respect the protected zones at the inlets and outlets.

Fishing Matkajärvi

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

Every session at Matkajärvi 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.