Angler Legend
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Mellsjön

humic brown tarn · 63°N
Real lakereal shoreline13 species on recordsources & method
clarity 1.1 mmax depth 3 mpH 5.6oligotrophic · humicstatus unsatisfactoryforest track · 22 min for the last stretch

Character of the water

Mellsjön lies in central Sweden — a humic brown tarn. The tea-stained, humic water hides the bottom within an arm's length.

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.

Shallow throughout (max 3 m), with reeds and vegetation over large areas — water that warms fast in spring.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Mellsjön FVOF. Day permit ~60 kr · annual permit ~300 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 Mellsjön

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.
elritsa fish
typically ~7 cm · can reach 12 cm
Elritsa grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
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.
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.
Arctic char salmonids
typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm
Arctic char hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.
whitefish whitefish
typically ~30 cm · can reach 55 cm
Whitefish roams the open water after the feed — a moving target.
stensimpa fish
typically ~8 cm · can reach 15 cm
Stensimpa works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.

Fishing Mellsjön

Mellsjön holds 13 species, with perch, pike and grayling at the top of the chain and ål, elritsa and id schooling beneath them. The modest depth keeps most of the fishing within reach of the bank.

Whoever fishes Mellsjön 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

  • Brown, humic water dampens the light — fishing can be good even in the middle of the day.

The catch board

6 anglers · 12 catches
  1. 1Sabine Vainioburbot42 cm
  2. 2Jukka Weberid32 cm
  3. 3Petra Brandtid31 cm
  4. 4Astrid Viklundid30 cm
  5. 5Magnus Raskwhitefish27 cm
  6. 6Ole Weberstensimpa8 cm
Species records here
burbot42 cmSabine Vainio
id31 cmPetra Brandt
whitefish27 cmMagnus Rask
stensimpa8 cmOle Weber
The same water, for real