Södra Barken
humic brown tarn · 60°N
Real lakereal shoreline24 species on recordsizes from survey fishingreal water chemistrysources & method →
clarity 3.4 mmax depth 2 mpH 6.9mesotrophic · humicstatus goodpaved road
Character of the water
Södra Barken 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 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.
Shallow throughout (max 2 m), with reeds and vegetation over large areas — water that warms fast in spring.
Permits & rules
Fishing permit required — Södra Barken 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 Södra Barken
perch predatory fish
typically ~22 cm · can reach 37 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.
asp fish
typically ~48 cm · can reach 90 cm
Asp hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.
björkna fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 35 cm
Björkna works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
bream coarse fish
typically ~32 cm · can reach 34 cm
Bream works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
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.
ruffe perch family
typically ~10 cm · can reach 14 cm
Ruffe works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
zander predatory fish
typically ~17 cm · can reach 17 cm
Zander hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.
id fish
typically ~38 cm · can reach 75 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps id moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
karp fish
typically ~45 cm · can reach 95 cm
Karp works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
burbot bottom fish
typically ~49 cm · can reach 61 cm
Down on the bottom burbot sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
salmon fish
typically ~65 cm · can reach 130 cm
In the murky light, salmon shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
löja fish
typically ~12 cm · can reach 20 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps löja moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
roach coarse fish
typically ~21 cm · can reach 29 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps roach moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
nors fish
typically ~17 cm · can reach 17 cm
Nors follows the schools through open water — here today, gone tomorrow.
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.
ruda fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 42 cm
Ruda works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
sarv fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 18 cm
Sarv grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
whitefish whitefish
typically ~30 cm · can reach 55 cm
Whitefish roams the open water after the feed — a moving target.
vendace whitefish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 21 cm
Vendace follows the schools through open water — here today, gone tomorrow.
stäm fish
typically ~16 cm · can reach 30 cm
Stäm grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
Fishing Södra Barken
The species list of Södra Barken runs to 24. The predators — perch, pike and zander — hunt where the baitfish gather, and on a water this size every bay becomes its own fishery.
Every session at Södra Barken 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.
The catch board
- 1Hanna Johansenid33 cm
- 2Karin Nilssontrout30 cm
- 3Henrik Nyströmbream26 cm
- 4Fredrik Erikssonsarv14 cm
- 5Erik Rasksarv14 cm
- 6Ole Krügerruffe8 cm
Species records here
id33 cmHanna Johansen
trout30 cmKarin Nilsson
bream26 cmHenrik Nyström
sarv14 cmErik Rask
ruffe8 cmOle Krüger
The same water, for real
