Oxtjärnen

Character of the water

Oxtjärnen lies in central Sweden — a humic brown forest lake. The tea-stained, humic water hides the bottom within an arm's length. In summer a thermocline settles around 9 m and splits the lake into two worlds.

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.

A small but surprisingly deep pocket (22 m) with steep drops straight down from shore — the bottom falls away fast.

Permits & rules

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

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

Fishing Oxtjärnen

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

Whoever fishes Oxtjärnen 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.
• Stratified, oxygen-poor lakes push the fish up above the thermocline in summer.
• Nutrient-rich lakes hold plenty of baitfish but often murky water.