About the Trysil river
The Femund/Trysil watercourse is the second largest in Hedmark County. Its source is located in the area around Femund and it flows into the Vänern basin in Sweden. Below we’ve described the 100 kilometres of the river that lie within the boundaries of Trysil municipality.
The northern parts of the river
Trysil River enters Trysil from Engerdal in the north where it is wide and flows at a moderately fast speed. The riverbed is flat and covered by even-sized rocks. There are few large rocks and large sections of this stretch of the river are wadeable. This stretch is mostly home to grayling but there are also trout and common whitefish. The fish are small to medium-sized, but the really large ones appear in times of flooding and when the Ephemera danicas hatch in early July. Due to the river’s accessibility and the beautiful surroundings, this area is nevertheless popular. More inaccessible, and hence less crowded, parts of the river can be reached by boat or canoe.
Sennsjøen Lake
The river flows into Sennsjøen Lake after a few kilometres. Sennsjøen is largely shallow with a silt bed, apart from the western side of the lake which is right up against the mountain. Here the lake drops precipitously and the bottom is covered in rocks. Common whitefish, some large pike, perch and trout are common catches on Sennsjøen. Grayling seem to stay in the lake in winter, but travel up the river in summer. A boat or canoe is recommended to be able to fully enjoy fishing here. As the lake is more or less a large, more tranquil section of the Trysil River, the relatively strong current makes the use of belly boats difficult.
Sennsjøen is best known for its great common whitefish fishing in spring when, during some hectic days at the end of April and beginning of May, exciting ice-fishing takes place here. This is an interesting fishing experience in a beautiful setting that we strongly recommend.
Having passed through Sennsjøen, the river flows into Elvdalen – an area of true wilderness. The river is wild here and the surrounding landscape is stunning. In between the rapids are some calmer streams. In this stretch of the river there’s mainly trout, but also some grayling. No one knows for sure how big the fish here are, but there are stories of some very large catches indeed. The river can be reached from the eastern shore, straight down from the road. With the exception of at Håen and Ørsjefloen, the current is so strong that only experienced fishermen who know the river well should use a boat here. Other well-known fishing spots in this stretch include Skorbekkfloen, Fiskfloen and E-hølen.
Engerneset
Engeråa stream flows into the Trysil River at Engerneset. The stream was cultivated a few years ago with rock additions and current-increasers. This has made Engeråa an exciting alternative for trout and grayling fishing. The minimum size requirements for fish are the same in Engeråa as in the Trysil River.
From Engerneset to Jordet the river flows in riffles . The classified road follows the river on its eastern side, whilst the west side is an alternative for those who would rather walk a bit further to find a less crowded spot. Most of those who fish here use spinning bait, natural bait or wet flies.
The riverbed is covered with large rocks and the current is very strong, so wading here is not advised. As at Sennsjøen, this stretch is also dominated by trout and a steady presence of grayling.
Jordet
Jordet marks the beginning of the stretch of the river that is perhaps the most interesting for fly fishers. Excellent fishing spots are lined up all the way down to Innbygda, Trysil town centre, some 15 kilometres further downstream. Well-known spots include Djupfloen, Trettkilen and Mosengfloen. There are too many great spots to mention them all. This area has around 30% trout and 70% common whitefish and several fish weighing in at over one kilo are caught here each year. At the end of this stretch of the river lies Øren, a very special spot. Here the river splits into many small streams which run between little islands.
The central parts of the river
Past Innbygda the river changes character altogether. It begins to flow more slowly and trout become harder to find. Instead fish such as the common whitefish and pike can be found. Almost all whitefish caught here are large, and fish weighing two-three kilos are not unusual. Grayling are also common in these calm stretches of the river, and can weigh up to two kilos. The riverbed is mainly covered with silt and there is plenty of underwater vegetation. There are some sections where the current is faster and the riverbed covered in rock, making it easier to wade, although generally a boat, canoe or belly boat is recommended for fishing in this part of the river. A belly boat is an excellent choice here. The current is mild enough to make drifting down the calm stretches fishing for sturdy grayling and large whitefish a relaxing experience.
The most well-known fishing spots along this stretch are Øråstryket and Gråa between Innbygda and Nybergsund, and Kolos a bit further south.
The southern parts of the river
Past Kolos and further south still the river begins to show a greater degree of variation again, although it is still much more placid than in the northern parts. It could almost be said that this stretch the river gives us a glimpse of the conditions further upstream, with everything from sharp rapids to still streams.
The liveliest rapids are found on the stretch between Grøtøya and Sagnfossen. The most popular fishing spots here are the ones at Grøtøybrua, Elgsfossen and Sagnmoen where you’re most likely to catch trout and grayling. The eastern side of the river is easily accessible whereas the western side is private land where no fishing is allowed.
South of Sagnfossen the river flows at an average pace, interrupted by calmer stretches here and there. The riverbed composition varies, but is mainly characterised by pebbles and gravel, and in the calmest parts silt. The shallowest sections are well-suited for wading. Here grayling is the dominant fish, whereas trout has become less common over the last decades. Local fishermen say that one trout is caught for every hundred grayling. There are also pike and whitefish to be found in the calmer streams. Rundfloen is something of an Eldorado for those fishing for whitefish, which are larger here than further upstream, but you’ll need a boat to get to them. Rundfloen is also a great spot for catching pike.
Most of the southern stretch of the river is very well-suited for fly-fishing. At Plassen there are many excellent, easy-to-reach spots. These are visible from the road, and the classified road crosses the river here.
Grøna River flows into the river on the eastern side about five kilometres south of Plassen. On the western shore lies Grønoset farm. The river can be reached from both sides, but the western shore is the easier option for those who are not familiar with the area. The western side of the river is also deep, while the eastern side is shallow. By the farms the water is so shallow that you can often wade to the other side. You can fish in the deep section and down towards the rapids where the Grøna river joins the Trysil river.
On the endmost stretch of the river downstream from Lutufallet power station we find the last fishing spots before the river continues into Sweden. There is a log pile on the eastern side of the river, right below the power station canal, from where the river can be easily accessed. It’s easy to fish here and the area is beautiful. The fish are of average size for the river and this stretch may just be home to some of the greatest numbers of grayling in the entire watercourse.
Accessibility to the river in Southern Trysil is good, although you may sometimes have to walk a few hundred metres from the road. In this area there is some farmed land by the river so care must be taken to not cross farmed fields.