Stora Häggeloken

Character of the water

Stora Häggeloken 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 6 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 (15 m) with steep drops straight down from shore — the bottom falls away fast.

Permits & rules

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

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

Fishing Stora Häggeloken

The species list of Stora Häggeloken runs to 4. The predators — perch and pike — hunt where the baitfish gather, and on a water this size you soon learn where it holds its fish.

Whoever fishes Stora Häggeloken 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.