Lake Kiantajärvi - Y-shaped nature’s artwork
Photo: Ismo Kolari Niskanselkä mid-lake area, Suomussalmi.
Lake Kiantajärvi is part of the River Oulujoki water body and the 24rd largest lake in Finland, covering 188 square kilometres. This relatively labyrinthine, Y-shaped nature’s artwork, spreading out to the north of the centre of Suomussalmi, spans almost 50 kilometres at its longest point. Its easternmost branch ends just a couple of kilometres short of the Russian border. There are few islands on the southern end of the lake and considerably more to the north. There are plenty of wild shores.In terms of its bottom contours, Lake Kiantajärvi is quite varied. Several oblong deeps, diving to depths of more than 30 metres, can be found in the Kiekkiselkä, Horsmaselkä and Niskanselkä mid-lake areas, in particular, and many banks sport steep profiles. It is also easy to find enough bumps rising in the middle of deeps to satisfy the needs of jig anglers as well as ice-fishing enthusiasts in pursuit of perch.
Depth chart (zoom in to view depths). Notice! Lake Kiantajärvi is regulated (3-4 meters). Water depth changes depending on the time of the year; therefore depths on the map are only very roughly directional. Lake Kiantajärvi is quite a popular fishing site. The most sought-after species are landlocked salmon and brown trout, which grow fast to weigh several kilos, thanks to strong stocks of vendace. Regular restocking guarantees an abundant supply of game fish. The natural stock of trout is also reasonably strong – after all, the lake is the end point of River Hossanjoki as well as several smaller trout rivers. Trolling is by far the most popular fishing method on Lake Kiantajärvi and it is also the most effective way of catching game species. Most anglers head to the Kiekkiselkä and Hormanselkä mid-lake areas, but the Niskanselkä area just off the population centre has also yielded good specimens. Landlocked salmon are primarily sought on top of deeps in mid-lake waters, whereas trout are easier to find close to islands and mid-lake shallows. Lures should be trolled deep in summer, whereas trolling just below the surface works best when the waters are cold. The most commonly used lures include baitfish rigs as well as plugs imitating vendace in colour and shape. Photo: Ismo Kolari  Sand and gravel shores are typical for Lake Kiantajärvi. In addition to salmonoids, your lure may be snatched on Lake Kiantajärvi by a sturdy pike, a compact perch – and now more and more often – by a zander as well. Pike and larger perch are sought at the edges and on top of mid-lake shallows – for instance, there are plenty of promising shallows in the Hietaselkä area. It’s a good idea to look for zander in more even areas that are 2 to 5 metres deep; once the first one bites, mark the spot on the plotter and start bombarding it more thoroughly. Zander can be found fairly easily in areas such as Pärsämönselkä. In Suomussalmi there are lot of other good fishing sites such as Hossa and Korvua-Näljänkäjoki river fishing area. | 
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