Yes, a Swedish authority really did protect a lake monster. No, it is not protected anymore. Here is the real story from the official record, and where to go in Östersund to see the trap and watch the lake.
When you need this
You are in Östersund and keep seeing a friendly sea serpent on signs and souvenirs. Or you read on a “weird laws” list that Sweden protected a lake monster and want to know if that is true. Either way, this page gives you the facts, the dates and the places.
The legend in brief
Storsjöodjuret means “the Great Lake monster”: odjur is a monster or beast, and Storsjön is the large lake beside Östersund in Jämtland. Written sources mention a monster in the lake as early as the 1600s, according to the county museum Jamtli, and the municipality says the stories have been told for several centuries.
Jamtli counts just over 260 reported observations. Its position is carefully balanced: it has never been proven that the creature exists, or that it does not. One account on the museum’s site, from a woman who saw it as an 18-year-old, describes a grey animal about three meters long that stayed off the shore for four hours.
People have tried to catch it. In 1894 a company was formed in Östersund for exactly that purpose, and in the late 1800s a huge spring trap, baited with a whole pig, was set in the lake. It caught nothing. The museum’s dry explanation: the prevailing theory is that the monster eats only fish.
The 1986 protection
In 1985 the Östersund tourist office applied to the county administrative board (Länsstyrelsen) to have the monster protected. On 22 January 1986, after a lengthy preparation, the board did so, using section 14 of the nature conservation act then in force. The regulation was published in the county’s statute book as 23 FS 1986:3.
| What the 1986 rule banned, within Storsjön | |
|---|---|
| Killing, injuring or catching | living animals of the species Storsjöodjuret |
| Removing or damaging | its eggs, roe or nest |
This was not a joke press release. It was a binding regulation from a state authority, and it stayed on the books for almost twenty years. That is why the story keeps resurfacing.
How a request for monster eggs ended it
The end came from an unexpected direction. On 11 November 2002 a private person applied to the county board for an exemption from the ban, to collect the monster’s eggs. The board refused in June 2003, saying the request ran entirely against the purpose of the protection.
The applicant appealed. On 11 July 2003 the environmental court at Östersund District Court dismissed the appeal. Its reasoning: the application concerned a scientifically unverified species, so the applicant had no legally protected interest to have tested. The court went further. It found that by protecting an unverified animal, the board had broken the constitution’s requirement that authorities act with objectivity, and it declined to apply the regulation at all.
The Parliamentary Ombudsman (Justitieombudsmannen, JO), who supervises Swedish authorities, came across the case during an inspection of the court in 2004. In a decision dated 9 November 2005, JO agreed with the court that the regulation lacked legal effect and asked the board to review it. The board then revoked its 1986 decision, effective immediately, stating that the law gives no support for protecting an unverified species.
Note what nobody ruled. The court did not decide that the monster does not exist, and neither did the board. The county museum argued that the monster exists as long as people say it exists, and the board agreed that it exists “in people’s minds”. No rule names Storsjöodjuret today.
Timeline
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1600s | Written sources mention a monster in Storsjön |
| 1894 | A company is formed in Östersund to catch it |
| Late 1800s | A giant spring trap baited with a whole pig fails |
| 1985 | The Östersund tourist office applies for protection |
| 22 Jan 1986 | The county board protects the species (23 FS 1986:3) |
| 11 Nov 2002 | A private person applies to collect its eggs |
| 11 Jul 2003 | The environmental court refuses to apply the rule |
| 9 Nov 2005 | The Ombudsman agrees the rule lacks legal effect |
| After Nov 2005 | The county board revokes the protection |
Where to see the monster’s story
Jamtli, the county museum at Museiplan 2, about a 10-minute walk from central Östersund, has its own Storsjöodjuret exhibition in the länsmuseet (county museum) building. You can see the giant trap, listen to recorded interviews with people describing their encounters, and read about the 1986 protection. Children get to ride through the belly of Jamtli’s own friendly monster on the way down to the exhibitions. The museum archive also holds a large collection of accounts and press cuttings.
Outdoors, Östersund municipality lists seven viewing spots around the lake:
- Vallsundsbron, on the Frösön side
- Sunne church ruin
- Rödöbron, looking towards Tibrandshögen
- Trångsvik harbor
- Håkansta, at the ferry landing
- The top of Hoverberget
- Hackås church
The municipality also points to a privately run monster center in Svenstavik that offers webcam monitoring. It is not a public service, and we have not assessed it.
While you are on Frösön, look at the runestone raised there between 1050 and 1080. Jamtli jokes that the monster, “or some cousin”, appears on it. Runestones in Sweden explains what the stone actually says.
Mistakes to avoid
- Saying the monster is still protected. The protection was revoked after the Ombudsman’s 2005 decision.
- Crediting parliament. It was a regulation from the county board, not a national law.
- Claiming a court ruled the monster does not exist. It ruled that the regulation could not be applied.
- Looking for the trap by the lake. It is inside Jamtli’s county museum.
- Thinking you need a fishing permit. Rod fishing in Storsjön is free; see free fishing in Sweden.
Practical information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Where | Storsjön, beside Östersund, Jämtland |
| Exhibition | Jamtli county museum, Museiplan 2, Östersund |
| Jamtli entry | Varies by season and event; 0–18 free with an adult in 2026; check Jamtli’s site |
| Viewing spots | Seven, listed above; free public places |
| Fishing | Free with a rod or hand tackle; minimum sizes apply |
| Legal status | No protection since the county board revoked it after November 2005 |
The viewing spots are outdoors; the Jamtli exhibition is the all-weather option. Jamtli’s hours change with the season, so check its calendar before you go. For the rest of the region, see Jämtland in summer.
FAQ
Was the Storsjön monster really protected by law?
Yes, for a time. On 22 January 1986 the county board in Jämtland issued a regulation banning anyone from killing, injuring or catching the creature in Storsjön, or damaging its eggs, roe or nest. It was a genuine regulation, published in the county’s statute book, made after the Östersund tourist office applied for it in 1985.
Is Storsjöodjuret still protected today?
No. In 2003 the environmental court refused to apply the rule because the species was scientifically unverified. The Parliamentary Ombudsman agreed in a decision of 9 November 2005, and the county board then revoked its 1986 protection with immediate effect, saying the law gave no support for protecting an unverified species. No rule names the monster today.
Why did the protection end?
Someone applied in 2002 for an exemption to collect the monster’s eggs. The board refused, and the applicant appealed. The environmental court dismissed the appeal in 2003, holding that a regulation about an unverified animal broke the constitution’s requirement of objectivity. That ruling led the Ombudsman and the county board to end the protection.
Where can I see things about the Storsjön monster?
At Jamtli in Östersund, where the county museum has a Storsjöodjuret exhibition with the giant trap set in the late 1800s, recorded eyewitness accounts and the story of the 1986 protection. Outdoors, Östersund municipality lists seven viewing spots around the lake, from the Vallsund bridge to the top of Hoverberget.
How many people claim to have seen it?
Jamtli counts just over 260 reported observations over the years, and written sources mention a monster in Storsjön as early as the 1600s. The museum notes that the creature’s existence has never been proven, nor disproven. One account on Jamtli’s site describes a grey animal about three meters long.
Did anyone try to catch the monster?
Yes. A company was formed in Östersund in 1894 to catch it, and in the late 1800s a huge spring trap, baited with a whole pig, was set in the lake. It caught nothing; Jamtli jokes that the prevailing theory is that the monster eats only fish. The trap is now displayed in Jamtli’s exhibition.
Related guides
- Jämtland in summer — Östersund, Jamtli, Åre and the fells in one trip
- Free fishing in Sweden — why you can cast a rod in Storsjön without a permit
- Runestones in Sweden — the Frösö stone and how to read others
- Wildlife in Sweden — the animals you can actually expect to see
- The Gävle goat — another Swedish curiosity that made world news
Facts verified 2026-10-06. Sources: Justitieombudsmannen (JO), Jamtli (Jämtlands läns museum), Östersunds kommun, Sveriges riksdag — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.