Svalåstjärnen

humic brown forest lake · 62°N

Real lakereal shoreline13 species on recordsources & method →

clarity 1.2 mmax depth 10 mpH 6.5eutrophic · humicstatus poorgravel road

Character of the water

Svalåstjärnen 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 7 m and splits the lake into two worlds.

The surroundings

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

Moderately deep (10 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Svalåstjärnen FVOF. Day permit ~100 kr · annual permit ~500 kr.

Zander: minimum size 45 cm · protected during the spawn (Apr–May).
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 Svalåstjärnen

perch predatory fish

typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm

Perch grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.

pike predatory fish

typically ~62 cm · can reach 120 cm

In the murky light, pike shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.

zander predatory fish

typically ~50 cm · can reach 95 cm

In the murky light, zander shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.

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.

trout salmonids

typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm

In the murky light, trout shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.

regnbåge fish

typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm

Regnbåge hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.

Arctic char salmonids

typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm

In the murky light, Arctic char 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.

whitefish whitefish

typically ~30 cm · can reach 55 cm

Whitefish follows the schools through open water — here today, gone tomorrow.

vendace whitefish

typically ~16 cm · can reach 28 cm

Vendace roams the open water after the feed — a moving target.

Fishing Svalåstjärnen

Svalåstjärnen holds 13 species, with perch, pike and zander at the top of the chain and id, roach and regnbåge schooling beneath them. The modest depth keeps most of the fishing within reach of the bank.

Every session at Svalåstjärnen 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.
Stratified, oxygen-poor lakes push the fish up above the thermocline in summer.
Nutrient-rich lakes hold plenty of baitfish but often murky water.

The catch board

6 anglers · 12 catches

1Johan Viklundpike50 cm
2Björn Norénpike49 cm
3Karin Erikssonregnbåge36 cm
4Ole Brandtid31 cm
5Maria Erikssontrout29 cm
6Heike Häggperch20 cm

Species records here

pike49 cmBjörn Norén

regnbåge36 cmKarin Eriksson

id31 cmOle Brandt

trout29 cmMaria Eriksson

perch20 cmHeike Hägg

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