Photo: Pielisen Retki

Fish Species of Finland

The most common game species on lakes and in coastal areas are pike, perch and zander. Trout, grayling and salmon are the most sought-after species at river sites and they are also found in many standing waters, especially in the crystal-clear waters of arctic lapland. Whitefish, burbot and various cyprinids can be found throughout the country.

Grayling – Lapland's dominant fish

Grayling (Thymallus thymallus) is a beautiful fish of Northern pure waters. The best grayling waters are located in the pure and clean waters of Finnish Lapland where they can be found in almost all flowing waters, both large rivers and small brooks, as well as in lakes. The best sites are the River Tornionjoki water body – in particular, its headwaters – and River Teno, Lake Inarijärvi and the small waters in the Vätsäri and Kaldoaivi wilderness areas.

Other well-known grayling sites include Rivers Iijoki, Kemijoki and Ounasjoki. In general the best waters for big grayling are in the wilderness, well off the beaten track. So to catch the grayling of your life, you might need to do some leg exercise to get there!

“Anyone can catch a salmon, but a one-kilo grayling, now that takes real skill.”

Photo: Shutterstock

Northern Pike - Crocodile of shore waters

Pike (Esox lucius) can be found throughout Finland and in almost all waters. Pike is the second most common game fish after perch.

The Baltic Sea coast and the entire lake area offer great pike fishing. It is possible to fish for pike throughout the open-water season and also in winter. Pike are pursued by spinning and trolling during the open-water season. For lures, people use spoons, big plugs, jerkbaits, pike spinners and fish jigs. Big balanced sinking lures and vertical jigging lures are pike lures for winter.

What is the species that gives every angler on Finnish waters a chance of catching a metre-long fish? There’s only one answer – pike.

Perch – The National Fish of Finland

Perch (Perca fluviatilis) is the most common game species in Finland. Perch are found throughout the country, with the exception of the northernmost part. Regardless of whether you’re going fishing out on the sea, on small ponds or on wide open mid-lake areas, you stand a good chance of catching a nice whopper of a perch on the end of your line.

Finland’s perch stocks are strong and perch weighing from half a kilo to one kilo are commonly swimming around in Finnish waters.

It’s almost impossible to think of not catching any perch on a fishing trip in Finland – as long as your lure has a hook!

Photo: PG Fishing Guide

Photo: Pielisen Retki

Zander - Mysterious Predator

Finland’s best zander (Zander lucioperca) stocks can be found in the Lake District of Southern and Central Finland, on the Gulf of Finland and the Archipelago Sea. Dark and muddy waters make for the best zander waters, but the species can also be found in limpid lakes.

In Finland, zander live at the extreme limits of their range. The world’s northernmost zander lake is Lake Kemijärvi. The warm summers of recent years have strengthened naturally reproducing zander stocks, while catches have increased significantly.

You can fish for zander on lakes, at sea and in flowing waters. Zander are found in more than a thousand lakes. Typical zander waters are major lakes, but zander also thrive in smaller ones.

Salmon – King of the Mighty Rivers

Wild, naturally reproducing salmon (Salmo salar) are found in the rivers of Northern Finland in Tenojoki and Näätämöjoki flowing into the Arctic Ocean and in the Rivers Tornionjoki and Simojoki flowing into the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea.

Tenojoki is one of the world’s most important spawning rivers for Atlantic salmon. River Tornionjoki is Europe’s largest entirely natural salmon river. River Simojoki is unique river that flows completely inside the Finnish borders and has its own wild, naturally breeding salmon population.

However lately the status of River Tenojoki salmon stocks has been declining rapidly. For that reason salmon fishing in the river has been banned. A responsible fisherman takes into account the current salmon situation and the restrictions in salmon fishing.

In Southern Finland River Kymijoki offers good opportunities for salmon fishing. Some salmon also migrate into Rivers Merikarvianjoki and Kokemäenjoki.

On the Baltic Sea coast, salmon are pursued by trolling. The peak salmon season on the Gulf of Bothnia starts in late May and continues through to mid-June.

Photo: Lapinkoski Outdoor Activities

Photo: Tapio Gustafsson

Whitefish

Whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) t is a common game species that can be found throughout the country. These salmonoids are found in a wide variety of waters: rivers, large and small lakes, as well as the Baltic Sea coast.

Whitefish are shy and they are pursued using small flies. June and July are a good season in northern river sites, whereas nice catches of whitefish are also made in late autumn in the South.

Whitefish can be caught in lakeshore waters in Southern Finland using micro-plugs around Midsummer’s Day and jigging lures in winter. Immediately after the ice has broken up in spring, an intense angling season starts on the coast and lasts for a few weeks.

On the end of the line, whitefish are lively and strong fighters. Many people consider whitefish as being the best food fish around.

Bream – Bottom feeder of bay waters

Bream (Abramis brama) is one of the most common species of fish found in Finnish waters. They can be found in the lakes of Southern and Central Finland and in bay waters along the sea coast. In many lush lakes, bream account for a considerable proportion of the fish biomass.

Bream are most commonly pursued using a hook and line, but they are also caught as by-catches when jigging for zander and perch. People therefore go angling for bream in summer in bay waters where the wind has been blowing for several days. The best season runs from mid-June to the end of August.

Photo: Tapio Gustafsson

Photo: Petteri Kontila

Arctic Char - Beauty of the North

Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) are mostly found in the pristine waters of northernmost Lapland and in the big lakes of Lapland such as Lake Inarijärvi and Kilpisjärvi.

On mountain lakes, flies and spinners are used to catcharctic char. The season starts right after the break-up of ice and the fish are caught by casting from the shore.

Arctic char thrive in cool waters and can be caught in summer on large lakes by trolling with spoons at 10 to 30 metres. Char is also soughtafter catch in ice fishing.

During the spawning period, arctic char is the most beautiful fish in Finland. The red-bellied male is a handsome sight, but only a select few get to see it.

Brown trout – The Powerhouse of flowing waters

Wild, naturally reproducing brown trout (Salmo trutta) can mostly be found in Lapland, where the most well-known sites include Lake Inarijärvi and rivers in the Kuusamo area. 30 original stocks survive and the majority of these are endangered. Due to vast restocking and growing interest towards river and spawning area restoration activities, brown trout is a common game species in different parts of Finland.

Responsible fishermen avoid fishing for salmonids (undersized or protected species) that may have to be released in hot weather. For example, fishing for trout in rapids should be avoided when water temperature rises well above 20 °C

Trout is the favourite species for many anglers. This spot-flanked powerhouse is a wild fighter that jumps readily in the air as part of its play routine. You can fish for trout in rivers, on lakes and in coastal areas.

Photo: Matt Harris / Kellankoski