Fishing in Finland

As the country with the most waters in the whole world, Finland offers diverse opportunities for catching various species of fish. As much as 10 % of our country’s surface is covered by water. We have 187,888 lakes, the Finnish Lake District – the most extensive area of unbroken lake in Europe – as well as 1,100 kilometres of Baltic Sea coastline, including its archipelagos, and 647 rivers covering 25,000 kilometres. Could anglers wish for more?

Photo: Kimmo Pöri 

A happy young angler on Lake Kermajärvi, Heinävesi.

Fishing face-to-face with nature

They definitely could. Anglers obviously also wish for those waters to be brimming with fish. Luckily, their wishes came true. In addition to being well-stocked, Finland’s extensive waters are also pristine and full of beautiful scenery that will take your breath away. Unlike crowded fishing sites around the world, Finland offers space and silence. Here you can fish in your own peace, face-to-face with nature.

The most common game species include the white-fleshed predators pike, perch and zander. Pike and perch can be found in almost all waters. Over a metre-long pike is no big deal anywhere in Finland. The best zander stocks can be found in the lake district of Southern and Central Finland and on the southern sea coast.

Photo: Jari Salonen 

Grayling anglers on River Kairijoki, Savukoski.

Northern Finland offers great sites for anglers in pursuit of grayling and salmon. In the best sites in Northwest Lapland, known as the ‘Arm of Finland’, grayling can grow to weights of over two kilos. Dream destinations for anglers in pursuit of big salmon include River Tenojoki, the most prolific salmon river in Europe, and River Tornionjoki. In addition, Finland provides almost endless opportunities for angling different cyprinids and for fishing many other species.

Finland is home to splendid waters that cater for spinning, fly-fishing and trolling enthusiasts alike. The open-water season lasts from late April to late November or early December. In winter, waters are covered in ice and anglers switch to ice-fishing.

Photo: Lentokuva Vallas 

A view over the Inkoo Archipelago in the Gulf of Finland.

Feel free in Finland

It is just as easy to go fishing on the outskirts of a city as on a wilderness lake, thanks to good connections and reasonably priced fishing licences. High-quality cottages and other accommodation sites, located by the waters, make for excellent bases for an active and independent fishing holiday. The easiest way for you to get to know the fishing grounds is to turn to professional fishing guides who are located all across Finland as part of a comprehensive network. They have local knowledge and equipment making it easy to move along the water routes.

Thanks to the abundance of waters, fishing has always been an integral part of the Finnish way of life with long traditions. Finnish lure-makers, most notably Rapala, are world-renowned.

Even if Ahti, the water god of ancient Finns, is especially kind to you, you should still keep cool about what you catch: in other words, only catch what you can eat. We wish you every success and plenty of enjoyment by Finland’s unique waters.

Tight lines!