Västra Gansåstjärnen

humic brown forest lake · 61°N

Real lakereal shorelinemeasured max depth 7 m12 species on recordsizes from survey fishingsources & method →

clarity 1.1 mmax depth 7 mpH 6.2eutrophic · humicstatus poorforest track · 22 min for the last stretch

Character of the water

Västra Gansåstjärnen lies in central Sweden — a humic brown forest lake. The tea-stained, humic water hides the bottom within an arm's length.

The surroundings

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

Moderately deep (7 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Västra Gansåstjärnen FVOF. Day permit ~140 kr · annual permit ~700 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 Västra Gansåstjärnen

perch predatory fish

typically ~11 cm · can reach 36 cm

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

bream coarse fish

typically ~38 cm · can reach 65 cm

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

pike predatory fish

typically ~47 cm · can reach 57 cm

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

ruffe perch family

typically ~12 cm · can reach 22 cm

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

zander predatory fish

typically ~50 cm · can reach 95 cm

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

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 ~16 cm · can reach 27 cm

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

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 Västra Gansåstjärnen

The species list of Västra Gansåstjärnen runs to 12. The predators — perch, pike and zander — hunt where the baitfish gather, and on a water this size you soon learn where it holds its fish.

Whoever fishes Västra Gansåstjärnen 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.
Nutrient-rich lakes hold plenty of baitfish but often murky water.

The catch board

6 anglers · 12 catches

1Andreas Olofssonzander45 cm
2Astrid Häggzander40 cm
3Jonas Blombream34 cm
4Per Krügerwhitefish24 cm
5Emil Falkroach14 cm
6Erik Blomperch10 cm

Species records here

zander45 cmAndreas Olofsson

bream34 cmJonas Blom

whitefish24 cmPer Krüger

roach14 cmEmil Falk

perch10 cmErik Blom

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