Sautusjärvi

Character of the water

Sautusjärvi lies in the cold north — a northern acidified brown forest lake. The tea-stained, humic water hides the bottom within an arm's length. Acidification has thinned life down to the hardiest few.

The surroundings

The lake lies half-remote, a fair way from the nearest road, tucked into woodland.

Moderately deep (7 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Sautusjärvi 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.

Fishing Sautusjärvi

The species list of Sautusjärvi runs to 6. The predators — perch, pike and grayling — hunt where the baitfish gather, and on a water this size you soon learn where it holds its fish.

The fishing here follows the water's own rhythm: dawn and dusk have their windows, fronts close and open them, and the season moves the fish. No two sessions at Sautusjärvi are alike.

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.
• Acidified water yields few, hardy species.