Jigging for perch through a hole in the ice is one of the easiest winter activities to try in Sweden. The two things visitors get wrong are which gear is free and how much ice is enough. This guide covers both.
When you need this
You’re in Sweden between December and April and want to try fishing through the ice. Maybe you’ve seen rows of holes or little tip-up flags on a lake and wondered what you’re allowed to use. You might be choosing between a guided trip and going out alone, or planning to drive or ride a snowmobile out to the fishing spot.
How Swedes ice fish
In Sweden, ice fishing (isfiske) mostly means pimpelfiske, or jigging. You drill a hole with an ice auger, lower a small jig or lure to near the bottom on a short rod, and lift and drop it in short strokes. If nothing bites, you drill another hole. Perch is the usual target. In the north you can also catch char, grayling, whitefish and burbot.
In the far north, people also sight-jig (kikpimpling). In clear, shallow water you watch the jig and the fish through the hole. The Norrbotten county board mentions it for grayling and burbot.
Do you need a license?
The ice changes nothing about who owns the fishing. Swedish fishing rights belong to the owner of the water, and a frozen lake is still private water. The summer rules still apply:
| Where | Jigging with a rod | Tip-ups and set lines |
|---|---|---|
| The coast, and Vänern, Vättern, Mälaren, Hjälmaren and Storsjön in Jämtland | Free for everyone, visitors included | Not free for non-resident visitors |
| Any other lake or river | Needs a local fiskekort | Only if the permit allows them |
| Mountain state waters in the north | Needs the county board’s permit | Only if the permit allows them |
Why jigging is free and tip-ups aren’t. The Fishing Act gives foreign visitors the free right with hand tackle only. Hand tackle means a rod, jig (pilk) or similar mobile gear with a line and at most ten hooks, so a jigging rod counts. County boards class set hooks (angeldon), including tip-ups left standing over a hole, as mobile gear along with nets, not as hand tackle. The Stockholm county guide also lists ismete, still-fishing with bait through the ice, as something that isn’t hand tackle. From Östhammar to Blekinge, on Gotland and in all five lakes, the law excludes set-hook fishing from the free right by name.
Swedish citizens and foreigners permanently resident in Sweden have wider rights, including some set gear on public water. If you’re visiting, jig. If you want tip-ups, buy a fiskekort that allows them.
Fishing without a right is a crime. You can be fined or jailed for up to a year, and your catch and gear are normally forfeited. For the full free-water rules, see our guide to free fishing on the coast and the five big lakes. For inland permits, see how to buy a fiskekort.
The closed areas that catch ice anglers
Species rules apply on the ice too, and some winter closures cover exactly the bays people want to fish.
- Östergötland’s coast: since 2021, 18 closed areas have banned all fishing from 1 January to 15 June. Licknevarpefjärden is closed all year. That covers the whole ice season.
- Gotland, Kalmarsund and Öland: perch and pike fishing is closed from 1 March to 31 May.
- Northern Uppsala county to Kalmar county: there are several more closed areas for perch.
- Baltic pike: you may keep only fish between 40 and 75 cm, except in the Bothnian Bay. Baltic perch has no minimum size.
Look up your spot on svenskafiskeregler.se before you drill. It’s the official map of closed areas for the coast and the five lakes. For sizes and bag limits by species, see Swedish fishing rules.
Bait has its own rules. Use only bait fish caught in the lake you’re fishing. Jordbruksverket says bait fish you’ve kept must be killed before hooking. In Norrbotten’s state waters it’s forbidden to carry live bait fish from one lake to another.
What you can catch
Visit Sweden notes you’re always close to a lake with perch and pike. That makes them the default catch through the ice in the south and center. In the mountains and forests of the north, the county board lists char, grayling, whitefish, perch, pike and burbot as winter species. Around Kiruna, Visit Sweden names Arctic char, pike and grayling.
The mountain lakes have their own rules. The county board manages state waters above the cultivation limit and sells permits online and through local resellers. Carry the permit, because you may be checked. Save it on your phone or print it, since coverage is poor in the mountains. Norrbotten also bans jigging in smaller running water and in sel (calm river stretches under 1 km long and 200 m wide), except on the Piteälven, Kalixälven and Torneälven rivers.
How thick the ice must be
Issäkerhetsrådet, the Swedish ice-safety council, says at least a decimeter (10 cm) of clear core ice (kärnis) is a good measure for ice fishing. Its rules for anglers:
- Test the ice with an ice pole (ispik) every time you move. If water comes up when you strike, the ice is too weak.
- Check the ice yourself, even if other anglers are already out.
- Fish in company, and never alone on thin ice.
- Keep away from inlets, outlets and currents. Flowing water keeps ice thin, often right where fish gather.
- Small lakes and ponds freeze first and often have safer ice than big lakes.
Northern ice is often snow-covered and more than half a meter thick. The risks there are currents, cracks opened by wind, and the spring thaw. Southern ice is thinner and more often clear. Sea ice is always weaker than lake ice and gives no clear warning sound. Spring ice can lose its strength within 15–20 minutes of the sun rising. Strong wind can break up ice on big lakes, and rain or strong sun weakens it fast, so head back before the weather turns. See our guide to ice safety on frozen lakes for more.
The kit
| For safety | For fishing |
|---|---|
| Ice claws (isdubbar) high around your neck, outside your jacket | Ice auger (isborr) |
| Ice pole to test the ice | Short jigging rod and small jigs |
| Floating throw line you can reach from the water | Something insulating to sit on |
| Dry clothes in a waterproof bag | A warm extra layer for sitting still |
| Phone in a waterproof case, for 112 | Your fiskekort, if needed |
Tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back. Children on the ice need at least one adult with them, and non-swimmers should wear a life jacket.
Cold matters more than you’d think when you sit still over a hole. SMHI calculates that −10 °C with a 2 m/s wind feels like −14 °C on bare skin. If a patch of skin turns white and cold, that’s frostbite starting, so warm it before it gets worse. If someone goes through, call 112 early, turn back the way you came because the ice held there, and keep something between you and the person in the water. Our cold safety guide covers the rest.
Cars and snowmobiles on the ice
Cars. Driving on an ice-covered lake isn’t banned by the Off-Road Driving Act (terrängkörningslagen). Water-protection and nature-reserve rules can still ban it. Municipalities such as Ludvika and Borås set out the rest:
- A 70 km/h limit applies where no other limit is set.
- The right-hand rule applies.
- Walkers, skiers and skaters have right of way.
- If your vehicle goes through, you pay for the rescue and any clean-up, and you may face an environmental crime.
- Some insurers don’t cover terrain driving.
Ludvika’s advice is to avoid driving on lake ice at all. We publish no “safe thickness for cars”: none of the official pages we read gives one.
Snowmobiles. Riding a snowmobile yourself requires a snowmobile license (förarbevis). Visitors can ride on a guided tour: anyone with a driving license may drive in a group of at most ten drivers, led by a förarbevis holder, on a route set in advance. Snowmobiling isn’t part of allemansrätten. Naturvårdsverket says you need the landowner’s agreement, a marked trail or an agreed area. See snowmobile tours in Sweden.
Guided or on your own
For your first time, a guided ice-fishing trip is usually the easier start. Visit Sweden describes guided fishing tours around Kiruna, from a short trip to several days, with ice fishing in winter. It recommends a guide in Arctic Sweden because the area is sparsely populated and the terrain and weather can be extreme. Guides generally bring the auger and gear and know the ice. What’s included and the price vary by operator.
If you go on your own, never go alone: take company and the full safety kit.
Practical information
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Jigging on the coast and the five big lakes | Free by statute (checked 2026-09-25) |
| Fiskekort for inland or mountain waters | Set per water; see how to buy a fiskekort |
| Guided ice-fishing trip | Set by each operator |
| Minimum ice | 10 cm of clear core ice (Issäkerhetsrådet) |
| Östergötland coastal closures | 18 areas, 1 January–15 June |
| Vehicle through the ice | Rescue and clean-up charged to the driver |
| Emergency | 112 |
FAQ
Do I need a license to ice fish in Sweden?
Not on the coast or in Vänern, Vättern, Mälaren, Hjälmaren and Storsjön, where anyone, visitors included, may fish free with a rod or jig. On every other lake or river you need a local fiskekort, frozen or not. In the mountains, the county board sells permits for its state waters. Sweden has no national fishing license.
Can I use tip-ups or set lines on free water?
Not as a visiting non-resident. The free right gives foreign visitors hand tackle only, and county boards class set hooks (angeldon) as mobile gear, not hand tackle. On the east coast from Östhammar to Blekinge, on Gotland and in the five lakes, the statute excludes set-hook fishing outright. Jig instead, or buy a permit that allows set lines.
How thick does the ice need to be for ice fishing?
Issäkerhetsrådet, the Swedish ice-safety council, says at least a decimetre (10 cm) of clear core ice is a good measure for ice fishing. Test it yourself with an ice pole every time you move, even if others are already out. Sea ice, snow-covered ice, spring ice and ice near currents can be weaker than the thickness suggests.
What fish can I catch through the ice in Sweden?
Perch is the classic catch almost everywhere, with pike in lakes and on the coast. In the north and the mountains you can jig for char, grayling, whitefish and burbot, a freshwater relative of cod. Species rules still apply: on the Baltic coast pike may be kept only between 40 and 75 cm.
Can I drive a car or snowmobile onto the ice?
The Off-Road Driving Act does not ban driving on an ice-covered lake, but water-protection and nature-reserve rules can, a 70 km/h limit applies, and walkers and skaters have right of way. A snowmobile needs a snowmobile license (förarbevis) unless you ride in a guided tourist group. If a vehicle goes through, you pay for the rescue.
Is a guided ice-fishing trip worth it for a beginner?
For a first time, usually yes. A guide brings the auger and gear, knows where the ice holds and where the fish are, and in the far north handles the cold and the distances. Visit Sweden recommends a guide in Arctic Sweden because terrain and weather can be extreme. Prices vary by operator.
What should I bring for ice fishing?
Ice claws around your neck, an ice pole, a throw line, dry clothes in a waterproof bag, and a phone in a waterproof case to call 112. For the fishing: an ice auger, a short jigging rod, small jigs and something insulating to sit on. Dress for sitting still: the wind makes it feel much colder.
Related guides
- Free fishing on the coast and the five big lakes: exactly what each stretch and lake allows
- How to buy a fiskekort: the permit for every other frozen lake
- Ice safety on frozen lakes: reading the ice before you walk out
- Cold safety in Sweden: falling through, hypothermia and frostbite
- Snowmobile tours in Sweden: the license and the guided-tour exception
Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: the Fishing Act and Off-Road Driving Act (Sveriges Riksdag), Havs- och vattenmyndigheten, the county boards of Stockholm, Uppsala, Östergötland and Norrbotten, Issäkerhetsrådet, Naturvårdsverket, Ludvika and Borås municipalities, SMHI, 1177, SOS Alarm and Visit Sweden. The full register is in this topic’s source file. No current ice status is published here, so test the ice yourself on the day. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.