Stora Vansen

acidified forest lake · 61°N

Real lakereal shoreline13 species on recordsources & method →

clarity 8.9 mmax depth 15 mpH 5.1oligotrophicstatus unsatisfactorypaved road

Character of the water

Stora Vansen lies in central Sweden — a acidified forest lake. The water is crystal-clear and the fish skittish in the sharp light. In summer a thermocline settles around 6 m and splits the lake into two worlds. Acidification has thinned life down to the hardiest few.

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.

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 Vansen 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 Vansen

perch predatory fish

typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm

Here perch lives on the small stuff — and rewards those who fish small and fine.

björkna fish

typically ~18 cm · can reach 35 cm

Björkna holds the bottom even in clear water — shade and depth are its cover.

bream coarse fish

typically ~38 cm · can reach 65 cm

Bream holds the bottom even in clear water — shade and depth are its cover.

elritsa fish

typically ~7 cm · can reach 12 cm

Elritsa moves carefully in the clear water — small mouthfuls, many of them.

pike predatory fish

typically ~62 cm · can reach 120 cm

Pike is a sight-hunter here — the clear water means long follows before the take.

ruffe perch family

typically ~12 cm · can reach 22 cm

Ruffe holds the bottom even in clear water — shade and depth are its cover.

grayling fish

typically ~30 cm · can reach 50 cm

Here grayling lives on the small stuff — and rewards those who fish small and fine.

id fish

typically ~38 cm · can reach 75 cm

Here id lives on the small stuff — and rewards those who fish small and fine.

burbot bottom fish

typically ~45 cm · can reach 90 cm

Burbot lives down in the cool — the deep is its home ground all year.

roach coarse fish

typically ~18 cm · can reach 32 cm

Here roach lives on the small stuff — and rewards those who fish small and fine.

nors fish

typically ~12 cm · can reach 22 cm

Nors holds in the open water column where light and temperature set the day.

trout salmonids

typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm

Trout is a sight-hunter here — the clear water means long follows before the take.

ruda fish

typically ~18 cm · can reach 42 cm

Ruda holds the bottom even in clear water — shade and depth are its cover.

Fishing Stora Vansen

perch, pike and grayling sit at the top of the food chain in Stora Vansen, carried by björkna, bream and elritsa. The clearer water makes the fish wary — and rewards a careful presentation.

Every session at Stora Vansen 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

Clear water makes fish light-shy — dawn, dusk and night are usually best.
Acidified water yields few, hardy species.

The catch board

6 anglers · 12 catches

1Andreas Häggperch19 cm
2Ole Hedlundbjörkna17 cm
3Klaus Erikssonbjörkna15 cm
4Emil Petterssonruffe10 cm
5Eva Bakkenors10 cm
6Nils Erikssonelritsa6 cm

Species records here

perch19 cmAndreas Hägg

björkna15 cmKlaus Eriksson

nors10 cmEva Bakke

ruffe10 cmEmil Pettersson

elritsa6 cmNils Eriksson

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