Oksajärvi FVOF

The Oksajärvi Fisheries Management Area manages fishing on 7 km of the classic salmon river Lainio river, between the Pajala/Kiruna municipal border and the island of Väkkäräsaari. The fishing license is valid on the south side of the Lainio river. The area includes the rapid section Taanikurkkio, where the river flows through a beautiful but often difficult to access canyon area, and the more easily fished rapid Väkkäräkoski below the harness. Just below the Oksajärvi fvo's border in Väkkäräkoski, talented fishing guides operate the now nationally renowned salmon fishing Camp Onka.

In total, within Oksajärvi's part of the river there are approx. 5 km of rapids / flowing areas with fishing opportunities for salmon, sea trout and grayling. Grayling occur abundantly but rarely in really large sizes. Fish between 5-8 hg are common but kilo fish and larger are caught every summer, not infrequently as bycatch on deeply fished salmon flies.

Salmon is more common than you might first think. The area, especially Taanikurkkio, is difficult to fish for the inexperienced, but there are salmon along the entire stretch of the rapids and on the rapids, if you manage to find and land a small 6-8 on the stands. On the shallower stretch of seals below Taanikurkkio and on the rapids above Väkkäräkoski, fishing is usually done from a boat with a sweep across the bottom areas, in classic Torneälv fashion, but fearless waders have been seen struggling out at low tide. In a different time and fishing culture, light fishing took place in these areas during dark autumn evenings.

Happily, sea trout have increased in the last 10 years and are caught more and more often in salmon fishing, but there are few who direct their fishing in the river towards trout alone. In order to protect the spawning population, a so-called window withdrawal is applied to the trout in the river with mandatory reintroduction of fish smaller than 30 cm (to protect growing trout fry) and larger than 45 cm (spawn). The population of sea trout in the Lainio river is on the rise but still needs to be treated carefully. Real anglers think carefully before killing and taking trout from the river.

In the long belt between the rapids there is a fine stock of whitefish which during the summer often come towards the shores and chat in the rapids in the evenings and can then be caught both on fly and with small spinners. Cast a couple of meters above the wake and don't wait too long. Whitefish go shallow in the water and often move forward.

Single large pike were previously caught in the seine as bycatch in salmon fishing with nets, but now it was a long time since any really large pike were caught in the river. Are they gone or is it more about the lack of real pike fishermen?

The fisheries management area also includes around 30 lakes, some with planted char and trout, the majority of others with populations of fine perch and pike. In several of the lakes there are also smaller stocks of rarely fished and often coarse lake (burbot).

Welcome to the wilderness!

Lainio River:
Oksajärvi Fvof manages the fishing rights in 7 km of the classic salmon river Lainio älv, between the municipal border Pajala/Kiruna and the island of Väkkäräsaari, as well as in about 30 lakes, several with implanted char or trout.