Angler Legend
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Nässmälingen

humic brown tarn · 61°N
Real lakereal shoreline12 species on recordreal water chemistrysources & method
clarity 3.6 mmax depth 5 mpH 7.6oligotrophic · humicstatus moderatepaved road

Character of the water

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

Moderately deep (5 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.

Permits & rules

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

perch predatory fish
typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm
Perch grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
bream coarse fish
typically ~38 cm · can reach 65 cm
Down on the bottom bream sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
pike predatory fish
typically ~62 cm · can reach 120 cm
In the murky light, pike shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
ruffe perch family
typically ~12 cm · can reach 22 cm
Down on the bottom ruffe sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
zander predatory fish
typically ~50 cm · can reach 95 cm
In the murky light, zander shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
id fish
typically ~38 cm · can reach 75 cm
Id grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
burbot bottom fish
typically ~45 cm · can reach 90 cm
Burbot works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
roach coarse fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 32 cm
Roach grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
Arctic char salmonids
typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm
In the murky light, Arctic char shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
ruda fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 42 cm
Down on the bottom ruda sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
whitefish whitefish
typically ~30 cm · can reach 55 cm
Whitefish follows the schools through open water — here today, gone tomorrow.
vendace whitefish
typically ~16 cm · can reach 28 cm
Vendace roams the open water after the feed — a moving target.

Fishing Nässmälingen

The species list of Nässmälingen runs to 12. The predators — perch, pike and zander — hunt where the baitfish gather, and on a water this size you soon learn where it holds its fish.

Every session at Nässmälingen 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.
  • Stratified, oxygen-poor lakes push the fish up above the thermocline in summer.

The catch board

6 anglers · 12 catches
  1. 1Per Häggpike59 cm
  2. 2Maria Holmpike49 cm
  3. 3Lars Johansenburbot38 cm
  4. 4Stefan Karlssonburbot37 cm
  5. 5Eva Bakkebream30 cm
  6. 6Björn Strandperch19 cm
Species records here
pike49 cmMaria Holm
burbot38 cmLars Johansen
bream30 cmEva Bakke
perch19 cmBjörn Strand
The same water, for real