Venjanssjöns FVOF

Venjansjön is a large lake located 53 km west of Mora and 43 km northeast of Malung.

The lake is very variable in its depth with many shoals, bays and islands, and therefore somewhat difficult to navigate by boat. Some shallows are marked with fir cones or buoys, a detailed depth map is available over the lake, The lake holds a lot of pike and perch.

Trolling is popular and competitions are organized every year. Boats must be checked before boarding to prevent infection.

The lake has a threatened whitefish population that is only found in another lake in Dalarna. Inspection fee applies. Otherwise, the lake holds perch, pike, trout, whitefish etc. Venjansjön freezes solid during normal winters and attracts many anglers. Competitions are sometimes arranged, even if the pandemic has limited this in recent years. The lake's role as a water reservoir in the Dalälven regulation area means that it is lowered by just over 4.5 meters during the winter.

Lake Venjansjön has historically been a very rich fishing lake. Long before the area had permanent settlements, mainly Vika and Mora farmers built fishing grounds on the shores to collect fish for winter food. When the permanent settlement was so large as to prompt the establishment of a parish of its own, in 1607, the said farmers demanded that a large part of the lake should be assigned to them in view of its importance for subsistence. The result was that the new parish became hourglass-shaped. The parish seal was a fishing hut with fishing nets to dry. The rich fish stock is witnessed in many other contexts. During the construction of the Johannisholm power plant, the migration of fish was limited partly by the power plant itself but also by a dam on the largest inflow, the Vanån. Later, the second largest, the Ogströmmen and to some extent the Kräggån at its mill dam, were also dammed. Since the construction of the power plant, the lake's fish stock has changed so that trout has been reduced to an unusual catch from having been one of the most common.

The lake alone cannot form a population of trout, running water is required for the trout to spawn and neighboring watercourses therefore have an important role. Current fish stocks are pike, whitefish, whitefish, bream, perch, roach etc. Pike are often caught by visiting trolling fishermen as well as angling. Whitefish are caught by local fishermen in seine fishing which is a growing local tradition. Interest in the fish stock was concentrated on the conservation of the so-called Venjan whitefish, plankton whitefish or Coregonus nilssoni, which has been an important source of nutrition and income for the Venjan inhabitants.