Best Times & Seasons to Fish in Sweden (Complete Guide)

Fishing in Sweden provides anglers with unforgettable experiences. Knowing the best times and seasons to fish in the waters near Sweden is crucial to having a successful fishing trip. 

The best times to fish in Sweden are from April and September for arctic char, Atlantic salmon, Baltic salmon, brown trout, cod, rainbow trout, European perch, mackerel, northern pike, zander, and other species. 

Sweden is well-known for its incredible fisheries. There are many lakes and rivers in the region. Anglers can also go fishing in marinas, shallow rocky waters, inshore waters, nearshore waters, or head offshore to do fishing in deep sea waters.

Best Time to Fish in Sweden

It’s worth noting that the vast majority of species are active in the local waters from April – September. Perch is more active in the fall. It’s possible to catch pike successfully during the spring and summer months.

If you would like to catch Baltic Salmon during your fishing trip, then visit the region in the summer.  It also makes a lot of sense to visit the region during the spring and fall months.

I spoke with a fishing guide of Stockholm and one out of Enhörna to consult for this article. Both agree that May through September offers the best fishing in Sweden. They also both agree that early mornings from sunrise until 2 hours after sunrise and 3 hours before sunset until dusk are the best fishing windows.

Sweden Species Breakdown: Best Time

Arctic Char

It’s possible to catch arctic char in Sweden year-round. However, fishing for arctic char is best in the region from June to September. Arctic char is active during the morning and evening hours. Anglers can successfully catch arctic char in the waters near Stockholm.  

Atlantic Salmon

Atlantic salmon is active in Sweden from April to November. The best season to catch Atlantic salmon starts in June and ends in September. It would be better to fish for Atlantic salmon early in the morning. Atlantic salmon bite well in the waters near Stockholm.     

Baltic Salmon

Baltic salmon fishing in Sweden is best from May to August. The early morning is the perfect time to catch Baltic salmon. Baltic salmon can be found in the waters of the Torne River.   

Brown Trout 

Brown trout fishing is the most productive in Sweden in May – June and in October – December. Brown trout feeds actively early in the morning. It’s a good idea to target brown trout in the waters near Stockholm. 

Rainbow Trout

Rainbow trout fishing season starts in April and ends in October. Fishing for rainbow trout is best from May to September. Stockholm is the perfect place to catch rainbow trout. Rainbow trout bite well early in the morning.  

European Perch

European perch fishing in Sweden is good year-round. However, the best months to catch European perch in the local waters are February – March and September – December. Trosa is the ideal place to target European perch.    

Cod

The best months to catch cod in Sweden are January – February and October – December. Cod feeds actively during night hours. The Baltic Sea is one of the best places to catch cod in Sweden. 

Northern Pike

Northern pike is active in Swedish waters year-round. The best time of the year to catch northern pike in the region is from June to September. North pike bite well in the early morning or in the late afternoon. Vaxholm is the perfect place to target northern pike.  

Zander

Zander fishing is good in Sweden throughout the year. The best months to catch zander in the region are June – July. Anglers can catch northern pike before sunrise. Southern Sweden is one of the best fishing spots to catch zander.  

Mackerel

Mackerel fishing in Sweden is the most productive in May – June. Mackerel bite well at dawn and at dusk. Mackerel can be found in the waters of the North Sea.  

Recommended Fishing Charters in Sweden

These Sweden-based charters are some of the best at putting you on great fishing action. The captains are knowledgeable and professional and are sure to put you on fish. By clicking the links below, you will be taken to the charter’s respective profile on Fishing Booker where you can read reviews, learn more about the charter, view photos, and book online at the best rate.

Recommended Fishing Charters	Location
Fishing Guide Lars Lindahl	Stockholm, Sweden
Tomas Henriksson – Lake Mälaren Fishing Guide	Enhörna, Sweden
Tomas Henriksson Fishing Tours	Stockholm, Sweden
Catch & Relax Fishing Guide	Vaxholm, Sweden
Baltic Pro Fishing Guide	Stockholm, Sweden
Wild Fish Sweden	Varekil, Sweden

I recommend this Penn Pursuit Spinning Rod & Reel combo (available on Amazon) for inshore and nearshore fishing. It can handle everything from redfish to snapper and king mackerel. The Penn Battalion Series Spinning Rod and the Penn Battle Spinning Reel are fantastic if you want to create your combo.

Best Time of Day to Fish in Sweden

Most Swedish sh species in feed actively early in the morning and in the evening. Fishing trips available in Sweden last from 4 to 10 hours.

Tides also have an impact on fishing. An incoming tide is the best tide for fishing in the country. Also, anglers can successfully fish in Sweden during the falling tides. When a tide is falling, anglers can get access to deeper areas.

Storms rarely occur in the country except for during winter. Fishing during the rainy season can be hard as well. It usually rains a lot in Sweden in the late summer.

Winter means ice fishing in Sweden. If you are a fan of ice fishing, then you should visit during the winter months. It would be better to go to the northern part of the country in the winter. Anglers can do ice fishing on lakes.

The weather is colder, so ice fishing season starts earlier and ice is thicker in the northern areas of the country. Among fish species that anglers can target arctic char, northern pike, perch, zander, brown trout, rainbow trout, and whitefish.

Top 5 Fishing Spots in Sweden

Baltic Sea

Fishing in the Baltic Sea is best from April to May and from October to December. The Baltic Sea is home to such fish species as cod, European flounder, European perch, herring, northern pike, salmon, sea trout, and zander. 

Stockholm

Stockholm is one of the best places to fish in Sweden for freshwater and saltwater fishing. Fishing in Stockholm is best in the late spring and the early fall.

Anglers can target arctic char, Atlantic chair, bream, brown trout, European perch, northern pike, zander, and rainbow trout in the local waters. 

South Sweden

The fishing season in South Sweden starts in the early spring and ends in the late fall. The top targeted fish species in the region include sea trout, northern pike, European perch, and zander.    

Tornio River

Fishing in the waters of Tornio River is good from the early spring to the late fall. Anglers can catch Atlantic salmon, Baltic salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout, and other species in the river.    

Vaxholm

Summer is the best time of the year to fish in Vaxholm. The main targets in Vaxholm are spotted seatrout, northern pike, and yellow perch. 

Best Seasons to Book a Sweden Charter

Fishing in Sweden is great year-round. There is no bad time to fish in the region.  

Spring

It would be better to fish in the nearshore waters in Sweden during the spring months. Anglers can successfully catch northern pike in the southern region in the early spring. In spring, anglers have a chance to catch a big northern pike. In the late spring, zander are getting more active.

Such species of fish as Atlantic salmon, brown trout, European pike, and perch pike can be also caught in the spring. It’s getting warmer and water temperatures rise in the late spring.

Summer

Warm weather increases the activity of fish. That’s why fishing in Sweden is incredible and many fish species are active in the local waters in the summer. Atlantic salmon, brown trout, northern pike, and zander can be caught in Sweden during the summer months.  

Fall

Fishing in Sweden is good in the fall. Fall is the perfect time to catch predators. Pike is getting active in the local waters in September – October. Fall is a great time of the year to catch perch and zander.  

Winter

It makes a lot of sense to visit Sweden in the winter if you are a big fan of ice fishing. Pike and perch are the main targets in the local waters during the winter months. February is the coldest month of the year in the region. Anglers often catch a big perch in the late winter. 

Shore/Surf Fishing: Best Times & Seasons

There are many spots in Sweden where anglers can fish from shore. Surf fishing is more productive during the spring and fall months. There are fishing piers in the region.

The most popular fishing piers in the country include Mjala bron, Lamar’s Visstekkie, Stora Svartgolen, Lake Tornetrask Pier, Lilla Hamn, Lilla Svartgolen, Irevikens marina, and others.  

For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Barcelona, check out this guide. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Italy, check out this guide. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Greece, check out this guide. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Norway, check out this guide. Check out this guide for a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Denmark. Check out this guide for a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in France. Check out this guide for a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Iceland. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Finland, check out this guide. Check out this guide for a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Germany.