Västra Hävlungen
nutrient-rich lowland lake · 62°N
Real lakereal shorelinemeasured max depth 17 m16 species on recordreal water chemistrysources & method →
clarity 1.8 mmax depth 17 mpH 6.9eutrophicstatus unsatisfactoryforest track · 22 min for the last stretch
Character of the water
Västra Hävlungen lies in central Sweden — a nutrient-rich lowland lake.
The surroundings
The lake lies half-remote, a fair way from the nearest road, tucked into woodland.
A small but surprisingly deep pocket (17 m) with steep drops straight down from shore — the bottom falls away fast.
Permits & rules
Fishing permit required — Västra Hävlungen 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 Hävlungen
perch predatory fish
typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm
Perch grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
ål fish
typically ~55 cm · can reach 110 cm
Ål works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
björkna fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 35 cm
Down on the bottom björkna sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
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 ~62 cm · can reach 120 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.
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.
salmon fish
typically ~65 cm · can reach 130 cm
Salmon hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.
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.
stäm fish
typically ~16 cm · can reach 30 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps stäm moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
Fishing Västra Hävlungen
perch, pike and zander sit at the top of the food chain in Västra Hävlungen, carried by ål, björkna and bream. The nutrient-rich water means plenty of baitfish — and predators that grow fat on them.
The fishing here follows the water's own rhythm: dawn and dusk have their windows, fronts close and open them, and the season moves the fish. No two sessions at Västra Hävlungen are alike.
General rules of thumb for this kind of water
- In deep, oxygenated lakes the predators seek cool depth in summer, shallower in spring and autumn.
- Nutrient-rich lakes hold plenty of baitfish but often murky water.
The catch board
- 1Torbjörn Brandtsalmon53 cm
- 2Rickard Olofssonzander41 cm
- 3Linnea Björkregnbåge31 cm
- 4Heike Sundinperch18 cm
- 5Lars Boströmperch18 cm
- 6Elin Fischerbjörkna16 cm
Species records here
salmon53 cmTorbjörn Brandt
zander41 cmRickard Olofsson
regnbåge31 cmLinnea Björk
perch18 cmLars Boström
björkna16 cmElin Fischer
The same water, for real
