Going fishing? You’ve come to the right place! With its long coastline and hundreds of lakes, Østfold is a fishing eldorado. Here is what you can expect to catch, and where:
- Salmon: Enningdalselva in Halden (see http://www.elusivemoose.eu/2010/03/enningdalselva-salmon-fishing/) is the best river in the county, although Ågårdselva in the Sarpsborg municipality also draws its fair share of salmon enthusiasts. August is fly-fishing season in the latter. Remember that a fishing card/permit is required. Salmon can also be caught in Tista, Halden, and in the Glomma.
- Trout: The small lakes in Trømborgfjella, Degernesfjella and Rakkestadfjella in Indre-Østfold are all good bets, and so are the ones in Vestfjella in Aremark. Again, permits are required – you can usually get those from the approach road to the lakes, where you leave the amount in a marked box with your car registration number.
- Sea trout: Can be caught along the coast, often near land. You could try your luck off Bevø, Torsnes, or Engelsviken near Fredrikstad, for example, or pretty much anywhere on Hvaler. No permit or card required for fishing in the sea.
- Perch and pike: Can be caught in most big lakes. The Glomma is particurlaly good for pike, and so are Vansjø and Haldenvassdraget. Pikes can get big – fish of 20kg and more have been caught here, and 10kg is not unusual.
- Zander: The only place you can catch zander in Østfold, and one of the few places in Norway, is Vansjø, near Moss.