Freestone · Mixed · Uppsala

Älvkarleby / lower Dalälven

Älvkarleby / lower Dalälven terrain map
Terrain map

älvkarleby marks the lower Dalälven where Sweden's longest river system meets accessible salmon and sea-trout fishing.

Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Sunray Shadow · tube 5–10cm
Poorlive now
Slow going — better windows ahead
Low and clear — careful approach country. Stale fish in low clear water spook easily — pick your hour.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelLiveTrend only — level not reported
  • Water temp20.9°C
  • ClarityClear
Today’s fly
Sunray Shadow
Sunray Shadowtube 5–10cm
Älvkarleby's classic below-the-dam beats below Älvkarleby kraftverk respond well to long sunray-style tubes — strip-back when fish follow.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
Live
Trend only — level not reported
Water temp20.9°C
ClarityClear
Weather18°C
WindSE 8 km/h
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead4.3 mm

Live readings only. Trends shown where the gauge supports them.

Water temperature for atlantic salmon
Warm — slow
20.9°Cideal 10–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for atlantic salmon
When
Morning into early afternoon.
Where
Pool tails, steadier runs, and any water with pace.
Method
Fish a sensible line-and-fly combination for the height and pace of water.
Kit
13 ft #8/9 double-hander in spate, 10 ft #8 single in low water. Floating line plus a fast-sink tip. 12–15 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
⛔ Water at 20.9°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills atlantic salmon. Do not fish for them today.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 4 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence

Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
1
Sea trout runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
GrannomHatch
2
2
Evening SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1
Iron BlueHatch
1
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box
SB
Small black tube
tube small · Swing
Beats · 2 · 1 reaches

Älvkarleby is a hydro tailwater on the lower Dalälven, run as a managed, permit-led fishery rather than a wild walk-up river — Sweden's right to roam covers the banks but not the fishing. You buy a fiskekort for the operator-managed water (sectioned A/B/C with different species emphasis), and the retention rules are unusually strict: wild salmon and wild sea trout must be released, and only adipose-fin-clipped stocked fish may be kept, to a maximum of three salmonids per day with minimum sizes of 50 cm for salmon and 45 cm for sea trout. Method restrictions matter too — lead weights, live bait and braided/non-stretch lines are prohibited. Fishing is shaped by power-station flows, and the season splits into spring sea trout, summer salmon (June peak) and autumn sea trout. Confirm the current operator rules and stocking position before relying on retention.

Älvkarleby Sportfishing · 2 beatsDay rods
Älvkarleby Sportfishing, Wild-fish release & method rules
The 2 beats
Älvkarleby SportfishingGuide / lodge
Älvkarleby Sportfishing (operator)
The operator-managed fishery on the lower Dalälven below Älvkarleby — one of Sweden's classic salmon and sea-trout waters, organised into sections (A/B/C) with different species emphasis. You fish on a fiskekort, with fishing shaped by hydropower flow rather than natural spate. Three seasonal windows: spring sea trout (March–mid-May), summer salmon (late May–end July, June peak) and autumn sea trout (September–November).
Fiskekort required. Season runs from the third Saturday in March to 30 November. Hydro tailwater — flow and power-station operation dominate fishability. Section-based access (A/B/C).
Wild-fish release & method rulesGuide / lodge
Älvkarleby Sportfishing
The retention and method rules that define Älvkarleby. Wild salmon and wild sea trout must be released — only adipose-fin-clipped stocked fish may be kept, to a maximum of three salmonids per angler per day, minimum 50 cm for salmon and 45 cm for sea trout. Lead, live bait and braided/non-stretch lines are prohibited.
Wild salmon and wild sea trout must be released; keep only adipose-fin-clipped stocked fish. Max 3 salmonids/day. Min size 50 cm salmon, 45 cm sea trout. Lead weights, live bait and braided/non-stretch lines prohibited.
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Section-based fishery (A, B, C)
  • Wild fish must be released — only adipose-fin-clipped stocked fish may be kept
  • Daily limit 3 salmonids
  • Min 50 cm salmon, 45 cm sea trout
  • Post-2025 hatchery transition — check current stocking status.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here at 20.9°C. Nothing cooler within range.
About this water

älvkarleby marks the lower Dalälven where Sweden's longest river system meets accessible salmon and sea-trout fishing. A major heritage fishery with deep cultural significance, but one shaped by stocking, section rules, and hatchery logic rather than a simple wild-river destination story. Wild salmon and wild sea trout must be released — only adipose-fin-clipped stocked fish may be kept. The season splits into three windows: spring sea trout (March–mid-May), summer salmon (end of May–end of July, June peak), and autumn sea trout (September–November). SLU's Älvkarleby research station closed in 2025 after final stocking releases — the post-hatchery transition needs monitoring. Section-based fishery (A, B, C) with different species emphasis per section. Atlantic salmon are managed under national rules (Havs- och vattenmyndigheten) — quotas, size limits and catch-and-release apply and differ between Baltic and west-coast rivers; check current rules before fishing.

  • Mixed
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown
Why this score · for atlantic salmon
  • Temperature230% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time1515% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmonlate May → end July
  • Sea trout3rd Saturday in March → 30 November
Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts