With three unexploited wild salmon rivers spaced no more than 30 kilometres apart, it is easy to believe that Skellefteå is just about salmon and sea trout fishing. Particularly when the rivers seem to be designed with sports fishing enthusiasts in mind and when they’re invaded by large, spawning Baltic salmon.
But Skellefteå is more than salmon fishing. Given that there is also aggresive brown trout and insect-guzzling grayling in almost every running water, that greedy perch and intimidating big pike swim in virtually all lakes and that one of the country’s northernmost population of zander has been found in the region, Skellefteå should be every fisherman’s dream. However, for those who have already found their way here, it is nothing but pure reality.
1,500 lakes, 420 km coastline and more than 30 species of fish. Most of the lakes and broken waters are cared for by fishery conservation associations or sports fishing clubs.
Sports fishing along the coast is free and requires no fishing permit. However, to fish in Skellefteälven, the river in the middle of town that flows between the dam, Mobackendammen, and the bridge Parkbron, you do need a permit which you can redeem at no cost from Skellefteå Tourist Office. The most famous form of sports fishing in Sweden and other countries is salmon fishing in the river Byskeälven. From a European perspective, it is uncommon with unregulated rivers that still maintain their original salmon and offer good chance of a catch. The most uncommon fish in the waters of northern Sweden is the zander in Bureälven’s waterways. Few waters north of the Dalälven can boast such a commanding number of zander.