Van
nutrient-rich lowland lake · 61°N
clarity 2.7 mmax depth 9 mpH 7.4eutrophicstatus unsatisfactorypaved road
Character of the water
Van lies in central Sweden — a nutrient-rich lowland lake.
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.
Moderately deep (9 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.
Permits & rules
Fishing permit required — Van 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 Van
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.
grayling fish
typically ~30 cm · can reach 50 cm
Grayling 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.
Arctic char salmonids
typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm
In the murky light, Arctic char shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.
Fishing Van
Van holds 5 species, with perch, pike and grayling at the top of the chain. The modest depth keeps most of the fishing within reach of the bank.
Whoever fishes Van 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
- Nutrient-rich lakes hold plenty of baitfish but often murky water.
The catch board
- 1Oskar Lehmanntrout29 cm
- 2Tomas Webertrout29 cm
- 3Lars BoströmArctic char28 cm
- 4Jonas Krügerperch20 cm
- 5Jukka Weberperch20 cm
- 6Mikko Brandtperch19 cm
Species records here
trout29 cmTomas Weber
Arctic char28 cmLars Boström
perch20 cmJonas Krüger
The same water, for real
