Velen
southern humic brown tarn · 58°N
clarity 1.0 mmax depth 4 mpH 6.1mesotrophic · humicstatus moderateforest track · 22 min for the last stretch
Character of the water
Velen lies in the south — a southern humic brown tarn. 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.
Shallow throughout (max 4 m), with reeds and vegetation over large areas — water that warms fast in spring.
Permits & rules
Fishing permit required — Velen FVOF. Day permit ~100 kr · annual permit ~500 kr.
- Pike: keep at most one over 75 cm per day.
- Handheld tackle only. Respect the protected zones at the inlets and outlets.
Species in Velen
perch predatory fish
typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps perch moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
björkna fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 35 cm
Björkna works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
pike predatory fish
typically ~62 cm · can reach 120 cm
Pike hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.
burbot bottom fish
typically ~45 cm · can reach 90 cm
Down on the bottom burbot sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.
roach coarse fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 32 cm
The nutrient-rich water keeps roach moving constantly between the feeding grounds.
sarv fish
typically ~18 cm · can reach 38 cm
Sarv grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.
sutare fish
typically ~35 cm · can reach 60 cm
Sutare works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.
Fishing Velen
The species list of Velen runs to 7. The predators — perch, pike and burbot — hunt where the baitfish gather, and on a water this size you soon learn where it holds its fish.
Whoever fishes Velen 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.
The catch board
- 1Mikko Holmburbot38 cm
- 2Kjell Brandtburbot36 cm
- 3Ole Forsbergperch18 cm
- 4Nils Sandströmroach16 cm
- 5Jukka Schmidtbjörkna15 cm
- 6Mikael Korhonenroach14 cm
Species records here
burbot36 cmKjell Brandt
perch18 cmOle Forsberg
björkna15 cmJukka Schmidt
roach14 cmMikael Korhonen
The same water, for real
