Stora Gäddtjärnen

acidified brown forest lake · 61°N

Real lakereal shoreline13 species on recordsources & method →

clarity 1.2 mmax depth 3 mpH 4.6oligotrophic · humicstatus poorgravel road

Character of the water

Stora Gäddtjärnen lies in central Sweden — a 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.

Shallow throughout (max 3 m), with reeds and vegetation over large areas — water that warms fast in spring.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Stora Gäddtjärnen 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 Gäddtjärnen

perch predatory fish

typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm

The nutrient-rich water keeps perch moving constantly between the feeding grounds.

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 ~38 cm · can reach 65 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 ~12 cm · can reach 22 cm

Ruffe works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.

grayling fish

typically ~30 cm · can reach 50 cm

The nutrient-rich water keeps grayling moving constantly between the feeding grounds.

id fish

typically ~38 cm · can reach 75 cm

The nutrient-rich water keeps id moving constantly between the feeding grounds.

burbot bottom fish

typically ~45 cm · can reach 90 cm

Down on the bottom burbot sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.

roach coarse fish

typically ~18 cm · can reach 32 cm

The nutrient-rich water keeps roach moving constantly between the feeding grounds.

nors fish

typically ~12 cm · can reach 22 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.

ruda fish

typically ~18 cm · can reach 42 cm

Ruda works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.

Fishing Stora Gäddtjärnen

Stora Gäddtjärnen holds 13 species, with perch, pike and grayling at the top of the chain and björkna, bream and elritsa schooling beneath them. The modest depth keeps most of the fishing within reach of the bank.

Whoever fishes Stora Gäddtjärnen 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.
Acidified water yields few, hardy species.

The catch board

6 anglers · 12 catches

1Rickard Viklundburbot36 cm
2Heike Lindqvisttrout30 cm
3Astrid Hedlundtrout29 cm
4Axel Nieminenroach18 cm
5Rickard Lundbjörkna15 cm
6Per Fischerruffe10 cm

Species records here

burbot36 cmRickard Viklund

trout29 cmAstrid Hedlund

roach18 cmAxel Nieminen

björkna15 cmRickard Lund

ruffe10 cmPer Fischer

The same water, for real

This water's real catch reports — and the logbook for your own.Fångstrapport.sein Swedish

The real bite table for this water — for your next real session.Huggtabell.sein Swedish