You can fish here all year round. The following calendar briefly explains fishing for the most common game species in different seasons. In addition to predatory fish, it is also possible to fish roach, bream and other cyprinids all year round, using ice-fishing tackle in the winter and angling with a hook and line during the open-water season.
Spring
Average monthly temperatures and daily ranges are provided from the 1971–2000 climate statistics measured at Tampere/Pirkkala weather station. Sunrise and sunset times are based on the 15th day of each month.
March
Typical daily temperature: -5°C – +5°C
Average temperature: -2.8°C, max. 14.4°C, min. -29.1°C (1971-2000)
Sunrise at 6:41, sunset at 18:28 (15 March)
Typical game species, fishing methods and catch depths:
Ice-fishing:
Perch, roach (whitefish, pike, zander) 5–15 m
The difference between day and night temperatures is at its most extreme. The temperature may even be 25 degrees below at sunrise and may rise above zero in the afternoons. In early March, the amount of snow is at its peak, but it subsides from the ice as the sun starts to warm the air.
The ice cover is at its strongest. In severe winters, there is 60–80 cm of ice. The spring weather is fine and life is good. The best ice-fishing season is in full swing as perch become more active. Big perch may bite fiercely as early as at sunrise at around six in the morning.
April
Typical daily temperature: 3°C – 13°C
Average temperature: 3.0°C, max. 24.2°C, min. -14.8°C (1971-2000)
Sunrise at 6:02, sunset at 20:49 (15 April)
Typical game species, fishing methods and catch depths:
Ice-fishing:
Perch, roach (whitefish, pike, zander) 5–15 m
Early April may still see freezing overnight temperatures. If the ice cover is still strong enough, the early part of April is a good time to ice-fish for perch and whitefish. When going out on the ice, you should take special care during this period; in springtime, even a strong ice cover may break under the weight of someone moving about on the ice.
Towards the end of the month, spring makes great strides, while the ice rapidly becomes weaker and the ice-fishing season comes to an end. The ice melts away from small lakes after mid-April and generally by the turn of April and May from larger lakes.
May
Typical daily temperature: 10°C – 20°C
Average temperature: 9.5°C, max. 28.4°C (1971-2000)
Sunrise at 4:35, sunset at 22:10 (15 May)
Typical game species, fishing methods and catch depths:
Spinning:
Pike 1–5 m
Zander 1–10 m (jig)
Perch 1–5 m
Trolling:
Pike 1–5 m
Brown trout, landlocked salmon 1–5 m
(from the surface waters on the deep areas)
The open-water season begins. Having spawned around the break-up of the ice, pike start to refuel. Depending on the temperature, the best pike spinning season in shallow waters falls between the second and fourth weeks of May. The fishing season for perch and zander is just getting started. Water temperatures vary between 5 and 15 degrees in May and brown trout and landlocked salmon can be found close to the surface.
Summer
Average monthly temperatures and daily ranges are provided from the 1971–2000 climate statistics measured at Tampere/Pirkkala weather station. Sunrise and sunset times are based on the 15th day of each month.
June
Typical daily temperature: 15°C – 25°C
Average temperature: 14.4°C, max. 31.7°C, (1971-2000)
Sunrise at 3:42, sunset at 23:09 (15 June)
Typical game species, fishing methods and catch depths:
Spinning, jigging, trolling: Trolling:
Pike, zander 1–8 m
Perch 1–5 m
Trolling:
Whitefish 2–5 m (micro-plugs)
Brown trout, landlocked salmon 1–10 m
Angling with a hook and line:
Perch, roach, bream 1–5 m
Zander spawn in large lakes and the fishing season gets into full swing on the sounds and mid-lake shallows and at the edges of these. The light nights make for a good fishing time.
Spinning for pike may still yield good catches even in fairly shallow waters, such as tips of points, rocky shores and shallows. Perch feed more and more fiercely. Anglers go after whitefish by trolling with micro-plugs close to shores.
July
Typical daily temperature: 20°C – 27°C
Average temperature: 16.6°C, max. 32.2°C, (1971-2000)
Sunrise at 4:14, sunset at 22:46 (15 July)
Typical game species, fishing methods and catch depths:
Spinning, jigging, trolling:
Pike 1–15 m
Zander 1–8 m
Perch 1–5 m
Angling with a hook and line:
Perch 1–5 m Perch, roach, bream 1–5 m
Surface waters have warmed up to over 20 degrees and big pike start to dive lower and lower. The trolling and horizontal jigging season for zander is at its peak. It is worth going after pike early in the morning and late at night – zander can also be caught at midnight.
Mid-lake shoals close to deep waters are potential spots to catch big pike by spinning from shallow waters. Perch also snatch lures in the shallows or on top of deep water from amidst schools of vendace and smelt. Morning and evening feeding times are often fiercest.
August
Typical daily temperature: 18°C – 25°C
Average temperature: 14.6°C, max. 31.1°C, (1971-2000)
Sunrise at 5:33, sunset at 21:24 (15 Aug.)
Typical game species, fishing methods and catch depths:
Spinning, jigging, trolling:
Pike 5–15 m
Zander 5–10 m
Perch 2–10 m
Angling with a hook and line:
Perch, roach, bream 1–10 m
The best zander trolling season starts to come to an end towards the end of the month as the surface waters cool, but it is still possible to make nice catches of zander using soft plastic jigs. The best spinning season for big perch starts. Fast-flowing sounds and edges of shoals and shallows make for good perch spots. Smaller pike can be caught in shore waters, while big ones swim deep and at mid-depth.
Autumn
Average monthly temperatures and daily ranges are provided from the 1971–2000 climate statistics measured at Tampere/Pirkkala weather station. Sunrise and sunset times are based on the 15th day of each month.
September
Typical daily temperature: 10°C – 20°C
Average temperature: 9.4°C, max. 24.8°C, (1971-2000)
Sunrise at 6:52, sunset at 19:46 (15 Sep.)
Typical game species, fishing methods and catch depths:
Spinning, jigging, trolling:
Pike 5–15 m
Zander 5–10 m
Perch 2–15 m
Angling with a hook and line:
Perch, roach, bream
1–10 m
The zander jigging season continues. The autumn trolling season for big pike starts towards the end of the month. Big pike still mostly lie in fairly deep waters. When spinning, soft plastic jigs work well for pike.
The perch spinning season continues. Seagull raids on smelt schools close to mid-lake shallows give away sure-fire perch spots. The autumn closed season starts in rapids sites on 11th September.
October
Typical daily temperature: 5°C – 10°C
Average temperature: 4.7°C, max. 17.5°C (1971-2000)
Sunrise at 8:09, sunset at 18:11 (15. Oct.)
Typical game species, fishing methods and catch depths:
Spinning, jigging, vertical jigging:
Pike 1–15 m
Zander 8–15 m
Perch 5–15 m
Trolling:
Pike 1–10 m
Brown trout, landlocked salmon
1–10 m
On certain lakes, sizeable pike come to shallow waters within reach of spinning anglers. However, big pike remain in deep waters in many lakes. Vertical jigging is a good way to catch pike and zander. Salmonoids start to come to the surface.
November
Typical daily temperature: -5°C – +5°C
Average temperature: -1.0°C, max. 10.4°C, min. -21.7°C (1971-2000)
Sunrise at 8:34, sunset at 15:45 (15. Nov.)
Typical game species, fishing methods and catch depths:
Spinning, jigging, vertical jigging:
Pike 1–15 m
Zander 8–15 m
Perch 5–15 m
Trolling:
Pike 1–10 m
Brown trout, landlocked salmon 1–5 m
Water temperatures are only a few degrees above zero and peaceful vertical jigging works well for pike and zander. Salmonoids strike plugs, spoons and baitfish rigs on the surface and, in addition to open mid-lake areas, they can also be caught close to shores.
Small lakes usually start to freeze over in late November and the first ice-fishing holes are bored soon afterwards (however, lakes were still open on 30th November 2011). The autumn closed season ends in rapids sites on 15th November (fishing starts on 16th).
Winter
Average monthly temperatures and daily ranges are provided from the 1971–2000 climate statistics measured at Tampere/Pirkkala weather station. Sunrise and sunset times are based on the 15th day of each month.
December
Typical daily temperature: -10°C – +2°C
Average temperature: -4.6°C, max. 7.6°C, min. -33.0°C (1971-2000)
Sunrise at 9:38, sunset at 15:03 (15 Dec.)
Typical game species, fishing methods and catch depths:
Ice-fishing:
Perch, roach (pike, zander)
2–15 m
Trolling:
Brown trout, landlocked salmon
1–5 m
If late autumn is mild, the open-water season continues for a while on large lakes and trollers fish for salmonoids on the surface. Lakes freeze over by the end of the month – although Lake Näsijärvi may not see any ice cover until January.
The ice-fishing season for perch is in full swing. In the early season, there is not much snow on the ice as yet, and perch catches may be generous. You can also pursue other species using ice-fishing tackle.
January
Typical daily temperature: -15°C – 0°C
Average temperature: -6.7°C, max. 7.6°C, min. -35.8°C (1971-2000)
Sunrise at 9:26, sunset at 15:43 (15 Jan.)
Typical game species, fishing methods and catch depths:
Ice-fishing:
Perch, roach 2–6 m, burbot 1–3 m.
This is perhaps the slowest month of the year in fishing terms. Temperatures may even sink below minus 20 degrees during frosty spells and daylight only lasts 6 to 7 hours. Fish mostly bite languidly and occasionally and the feeding period focuses on the lightest time of the day either side of noon.
The burbot ice-fishing season starts in mid-January. People go ice-fishing for burbot at 1–3 metres in well-known spawning areas at twilight and after dark, using ice-jigging spoons especially designed for catching burbot.
February
Typical daily temperature: -15°C – 0°C
Average temperature: -7.0°C, max. 9.4°C, min. -31.2°C (1971-2000)
Sunrise at 8:11, sunset at 17:09 (15 Feb.)
Typical game species, fishing methods and catch depths:
Ice-fishing:
Perch, roach 2–6 m, burbot 1–3 m.
The days lengthen fast and the sun starts to warm the air nicely in the daytime. Waters may well be covered by half a metre of ice, usually topped by a 20–30 cm layer of snow. Indeed, making your way to the fishing grounds provides good exercise.
The best season for ice-fishing big perch with balanced jigging lures gets under way. Natural holes and cracks in the ice and snowless areas are potential hot spots, if the water depth on site is suitable. The burbot ice-fishing season continues.