Angler Legend
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Stora Erstjärnen

humic brown tarn · 61°N
Real lakereal shoreline13 species on recordsources & method
clarity 1.8 mmax depth 5 mpH 6.1eutrophic · humicstatus unsatisfactorygravel road

Character of the water

Stora Erstjärnen 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 half-remote, a fair way from the nearest road, tucked into woodland.

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

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Stora Erstjärnen FVOF. Day permit ~140 kr · annual permit ~700 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 Stora Erstjärnen

perch predatory fish
typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm
Perch grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
björkna fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 35 cm
Down on the bottom björkna sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
bream coarse fish
typically ~38 cm · can reach 65 cm
Down on the bottom bream sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
elritsa fish
typically ~7 cm · can reach 12 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps elritsa moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
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.
grayling fish
typically ~30 cm · can reach 50 cm
Grayling grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
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.
nors fish
typically ~12 cm · can reach 22 cm
Nors roams the open water after the feed — a moving target.
trout salmonids
typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm
In the murky light, trout 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.

Fishing Stora Erstjärnen

The species list of Stora Erstjärnen runs to 13. 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.

Every session at Stora Erstjärnen 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.
  • Nutrient-rich lakes hold plenty of baitfish but often murky water.

The catch board

6 anglers · 12 catches
  1. 1Oskar Hedlundbream32 cm
  2. 2Uwe Vainioid30 cm
  3. 3Hanna Lindqvisttrout30 cm
  4. 4Stefan Ekperch19 cm
  5. 5Jukka Schmidtruda15 cm
  6. 6Jukka Fischernors10 cm
Species records here
bream32 cmOskar Hedlund
trout30 cmHanna Lindqvist
id30 cmUwe Vainio
perch19 cmStefan Ek
ruda15 cmJukka Schmidt
nors10 cmJukka Fischer
The same water, for real