Elliðavatn

Southwest Iceland

Photo credit: svfr.is

Fishing season

22 April – 15 September

Baits allowed

Flies, Worms, Spinner

Fishing limits

No quota

Guidance

Not available

Accessibility

For beginners, Family friendly, Accessibility for the disabled, Easy access, Requires permission

Price range for fishing rods

For the full day

3000 ISK to 3000 ISK

What can be fished

Brown Trout

Arctic Char

Description

Lake Elliðavatn is in Heiðmörk, which is an outdoor recreation area on the outskirts of Reykjavík and Kópavogur. The lake belongs to both Reykjavík and Kópavogur. Access to the lake is by the Heiðarmerkur road and through Kópavogur to get to the Vatnsendaland of the lake.

Elliðavatn is the most popular fishing lake in the capital area and is very productive. The lake is at 73 m above sea level and is about 1.8 km² in area. The maximum depth is just over 2m, with the average depth about 1 m. The creeks, Bugða and Suðurá flow into the lake. The fish species in the lake include Arctic char, brown trout, salmon, and occasional sea trout. Arctic char was predominant in the lake but in the last decade brown trout populations have been increasing so that they are becoming the most common fish species in the lake. Salmon and sea trout migrate into the lake from Elliðaá into the tributaries. The size of the brown trout caught in the lake has been increasing with fish up to six pounds caught.

Fishing rules

Fishing is not allowed in the tributary Suðurá and not closer to Elliðavatnsstífla than 50 meters. In the tributary Hólmsá, fly fishing is only permitted.

Anglers and outdoor enthusiasts are kindly requested to be tidy in the area and not to leave rubbish behind. If people want to gut their catch by the lake, they are asked to clean up intestines and heads. Off-road driving is not permitted. All boat traffic on the lake is prohibited unless permission is granted by the landowners. There is a boat rental at Kríunes in the land of Vatnsenda. Anglers are asked not to enter the yards of the summer houses by the lake and respect the three-meter rule from the water bank where applicable. Due to research on brown trout in the lake area, anglers are asked to check whether brown trout that are caught are tagged. Tags must be returned to Laxfisk ehf. www.laxfiskar.is

Fishing Card holders must show a guard their Card and identification upon request. When the holder of the Fishing Card is driving a car, he is asked to have the Card visible on the windscreen of the car.

Directions

The fishing area is the Lake Elliðavatn in the lands of the farms Elliðavatn and Vatnsenda, as well as river Hólmsá and lake Nátthagavatn, from where Hólmsá flows. A comprehensive brochure about fishing in Elliðavatn, which Geir Thorsteinsson has published in electronic form, can be downloaded by clicking here!