Mellingstjärnen

Character of the water

Mellingstjärnen lies in central Sweden — a clear oligotrophic forest lake. The water is crystal-clear and the fish skittish in the sharp light. In summer a thermocline settles around 6 m and splits the lake into two worlds.

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.

A small but surprisingly deep pocket (12 m) with steep drops straight down from shore — the bottom falls away fast.

Permits & rules

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

Fishing Mellingstjärnen

The species list of Mellingstjärnen runs to 4. The predators — perch, pike and trout — hunt where the baitfish gather, and on a water this size you soon learn where it holds its fish.

Whoever fishes Mellingstjärnen 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

• Clear water makes fish light-shy — dawn, dusk and night are usually best.