RIVERS AND STREAMS

Bait-fishing
For the bait-fishing specialist there are plenty of beautiful and undisturbed rivers and streams with good stocks of pike, perch and other coarse fish.
The fishing for these species is best in the canals (for example, the Göta Canal and Dalsland Canal) and other gently-flowing rivers (including the Göta river). But the fishing can also be good in the quieter stretches of the fast-flowing rivers.
           
Small coarse fish are the natural choice of bait for pike fishing. Small fish are also a good option for perch and eels, but worms can provide some good catches too. Bread, maize and maggots generally produce the best catches for other coarse fish like roach, bream, tench and crucian carp. The fishing season runs from early May to mid-September. So the all-round angler will find that there is always one species or another that is in season in the most suitable waters.

Salmon and trout
Both spinning enthusiasts and fly anglers can make all their fishing dreams come true in West Sweden.
The region has several rivers where shiny well-fed Atlantic salmon weighing from 3-15 kg can be caught in the summer and autumn. Several of them also have sea trout, but these are rarely more than 3-4 kg. With the exception of the Göta river, most of the salmon rivers along the west coast are liable to be affected by low water, so the fishing is usually best during rainy periods.

Inland there are many streams with trout where the fishing is not so unpredictable. The season here stretches from mid-April to mid-October, with a peak period which usually starts in the latter half of June, depending on the insect hatch. Fly anglers in particular prefer this period because the trout are more likely to take a well-presented dry fly.

LAKES

Bait-fishing
West Sweden is a hot spot for those who choose bait-fishing. Various coarse species are found in most lakes, including some specimen fish.
So there are plenty of opportunities for some exciting fishing, regardless of whether you want to catch roach, bream, tench or crucian carp, and sometimes common carp as well. There are also plenty of orfe and eels.
    
The abundant stock of coarse fish, coupled with the fact that plenty of specimens can be found in the larger lakes, means that the angler has some fantastic opportunities both for float-fishing or legering, often in beautiful and virtually undiscovered waters. The best time of year for bait-fishing is usually from mid-May to early September.

Trolling
Trolling is an exciting type of fishing which has become increasingly popular in recent years, partly because so many different species can be caught.
 
Trolling boats are usually fitted with deep-water tackle, echo sounders and other special equipment. But trolling can also be enjoyed with much simpler tackle. Pike and zander are just two of the species attracted by two or three wobblers dragged behind the boat.
 
In the largest lakes, Vänern and Vättern, trolling has become increasingly popular and provides fantastic catches, mainly of salmon and char. Vänern has plenty of land-locked salmon, as well as large trout which can be caught throughout the year. Salmon and trout of 10 kg are by no means rare. There are also salmon in the deep and narrow Vättern, but char are the dominant species with weights of up to 8-9 kg.

Brown/rainbow trout
West Sweden has a large number of lakes with both brown and rainbow trout. The fish have been introduced into most of these lakes, but there are also plenty of natural wild stocks.

Trout of up to 3-4 kg are found in many waters. Even if they have been introduced they are usually in excellent condition so they can provide some exciting spinning or fly-fishing. Both brown and rainbow trout are attracted by spoons and spinners, but the best way to attract them is probably with a well-tied fly.
              
In many of the larger lakes where there are wild trout the fishing can be a bit more difficult, but it is all the more rewarding when one of these big fighting fish is finally hooked. The best fishing in these lakes is usually from a boat. Fishing for brown or rainbow trout runs from April to October.