Värlingen

clear oligotrophic forest lake · 60°N

Real lakereal shorelinemeasured max depth 19 m7 species on recordsizes from survey fishingsources & method →

clarity 7.3 mmax depth 19 mpH 6.7oligotrophicstatus goodforest track · 22 min for the last stretch

Character of the water

Värlingen lies in central Sweden — a clear oligotrophic forest lake. The water is crystal-clear and the fish skittish in the sharp light. In summer a thermocline settles around 5 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.

A small but surprisingly deep pocket (19 m) with steep drops straight down from shore — the bottom falls away fast.

Permits & rules

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

perch predatory fish

typically ~14 cm · can reach 45 cm

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

pike predatory fish

typically ~70 cm · can reach 98 cm

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

burbot bottom fish

typically ~41 cm · can reach 55 cm

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

roach coarse fish

typically ~13 cm · can reach 28 cm

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

regnbåge fish

typically ~39 cm · can reach 100 cm

In the clear water regnbåge picks its moments — wary, but relentless once committed.

Arctic char salmonids

typically ~36 cm · can reach 50 cm

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

sarv fish

typically ~12 cm · can reach 21 cm

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

Fishing Värlingen

Värlingen holds 7 species, with perch, pike and burbot at the top of the chain and roach, regnbåge and sarv schooling beneath them. The depth gives the water two storeys — and the fish move between them with the season.

Whoever fishes Värlingen 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

Clear water makes fish light-shy — dawn, dusk and night are usually best.
In deep, oxygenated lakes the predators seek cool depth in summer, shallower in spring and autumn.

The catch board

6 anglers · 12 catches

1Astrid Vainioregnbåge32 cm
2Ole Sandströmburbot32 cm
3Elin Sjöbergperch13 cm
4Karin Nilssonsarv12 cm
5Wolfgang Brandtroach11 cm
6Nils Lindqvistsarv11 cm

Species records here

burbot32 cmOle Sandström

regnbåge32 cmAstrid Vainio

perch13 cmElin Sjöberg

sarv11 cmNils Lindqvist

roach11 cmWolfgang Brandt

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