As an extension of Lake Kallavesi, to the southeast of Kuopio in the Savo Region lies Lake Suvasvesi, a fairly rugged and pristine basin covering an area of 234 square kilometres. As part of the Vuoksi water system, the lake discharges its waters through the harnessed Palokki rapids route into the Karvionkoski Rapids, Lake Kermajärvi and eventually Lake Saimaa.
Lake Suvasvesi is characterised by an abundance of islands: the number of islands counted on the lake amounts to as many as 688. Especially at the south end, the extensive beautiful island sceneries are part of a Natura 2000 area, which has sparse population and wild nature.
However, Lake Suvasvesi also offers two open wide mid-lake areas completely free of islands, the Kukkarinselkä and Haapaselkä areas, which were created by meteorites that fell on the spot a few hundred million years ago. The fact that the Kukkarinselkä area has a spot where the bottom retreats as deep as 90 metres can probably be blamed on a meteorite as well. This figure catapults the lake to third place on Finland’s lake depth ranking list, right after Lakes Päijänne and Inarinjärvi. The depth cited on charts from 1950 is no less than 102 metres, which suggests that the lake has experienced some siltation over the years.
For rod anglers, Lake Suvasvesi offers splendid opportunities to go after various species, both with and without adipose fins. The site is especially popular among salmonoid trollers due to its strong stocks of landlocked salmon and brown trout, which are managed by restocking. Their growth rate is good thanks to the abundant stock of vendace, so it’s not uncommon to catch a salmon or trout weighing several kilos on the end of the line. Other species found here include whitefish, grayling and arctic char.
Perhaps the best salmon and trout hot spots of the lake can be found in the Kukkarinselkä mid-lake area, which you can reach by launching your boat from somewhere such as the ramp in the Enonniemi fishing harbour. You can drop your lures to troll right outside the harbour area and head east towards the Lokinmanner Island, for example. Where you spot large schools of vendace, that’s where predators are hunting. In late autumn, it’s worth going after trout in the immediate vicinity of the island and islet shores as well as mid-lake areas.
The zander stock has also become stronger in recent years, thanks to favourable weathers and substantial fry-stocking operations. The best site to find zander is in the muddier waters at the northern end of the lake, near Lake Kallavesi, but the species is not uncommon in the southern part either. The typical weight ranges from one to three kilos.
Naturally, the species found here also include pike and perch and you stand a chance of catching bragging-size specimens of both. It’s a good idea to look for these species in the sheltered labyrinths of the inner island area and at the edges of reedy spots.
Information about Lake Suvasvesi
| Type: | Lakes |
| Area: | 234 km² |
| Shoreline: | 1 098 km |
| Mean depth: | 10 m |
| Maximum depth: | 90 m |
| Number of islands: | 688 |
Game Fish Species: Bream, Brown trout, Burbot, Ide, Landlocked salmon, Perch, Pike, Roach, Whitefish, Zander
