Last Updated on September 7, 2021

During Ice Run journey around Lapland, we did plenty of fun activities in the Lapland and ice fishing was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. Here’s my story about ice fishing in Rovaniemi.

Ice Fishing in Rovaniemi

I jump up and down, like a child pouncing on her bed, eager to see if the ice beneath my feet will crack and fizzle. It’s ridiculously stupid of me, considering that if that happens, I will be swimming in ice-cold water, probably catching hypothermia in an instant. Thankfully there is no hint of the ice giving way.

“Don’t worry, the ice is so thick it can even support the weight of a truck.” Sami, our guide from Lapland Safaris, says. We are doubtful and it seems to show on our faces. To reassure us, he takes out an ice drill and bore a hole into the ice. It takes him approximately five minutes to get through the ice layer and once he reaches the water, we poke our heads through the hole and feel slightly more convinced. “It’s about 30cm thick, we usually fish on 5cm-thick ice. You’re safe!”

Rovaniemi: Winter Wonderland

But we’re not here just to test the ice. On the frozen Karhulampi (Bear Lake), we’re trying our luck in ice fishing, a popular winter activity for both locals and tourists alike. The lake freezes each year from October to March, and pods of salmon and rainbow trout live in this lake all year round. It is common to find locals ice fishing on weekends with an open fire and drinking vodka.

Even though we’re merely a few kilometers outside of Rovaniemi, we’re surrounded by acres of pine tree forests with the frozen lake stretching for miles. Despite being the capital of the Finnish Lapland, Rovaniemi is one of the most charming villages in Europe. Streets here are blanketed in sparkling snow, pine tree forests sprawl across the region, and cosy wooden cabins dot the pristine landscape.

Learning to Fish on a Frozen Lake

After a brief demonstration, Sami hands us each a small fishing line and an ice drill. “It’s all about location. Rainbow trout like to swim around the banks of the lake.”

We find ourselves a comfortable spot, spread a reindeer hide on the ice, and proceed to drill our holes. It takes more strength than I’d imagined, but soon enough, I’m ready to drop my line and eager to find my catch of the day.

“Some say ice fishing depends on 99% skill and 1% luck, but I think it’s the other way round, it’s more like 99% luck and 1% skill,” Says Sami. “Sometimes you can catch a fish within minutes, but at times you wait for hours and they still don’t appear. You just have to be patient.” My initial optimism fades slightly with Sami’s honest remark, but I’m still hoping that luck will be on my side.

A Playground for Winter Adventures

Adorning thick winter overalls, we’ve come well prepared for Lapland’s icy temperatures. We expected to battle temperatures bordering –30 degrees Celsius, but it’s surprisingly a mild –3 degrees Celsius, which Sami describes as balmy and pleasant. We’re thankful for the great weather — it looks like we will be out here for a while.

While waiting for our catch, we lounge around comfortably on our reindeer hide and chat with Sami about life in Lapland. The tall and athletic guide grew up in Rovaniemi and has always enjoyed being surrounded by nature. “This is a great place to grow up. I love being outdoors and I enjoy nature.”

That is why Sami trained to become a nature guide, combining his love for the outdoors with a way of life. Besides ice fishing, Sami also leads excursions on snowmobiles and snowshoes, cross-country skiing and dog sledding. Sami’s family also works in the tourism industry, with his mother and stepfather tending the Bear’s Den where our lunch awaits.

Catch of the Day

15 minutes into our conversation, our travel mate Carol starts shouting, “I think I’ve got something here!”

We break into silence as she pulls up her rod with Sami guiding her along the way. Soon enough, a rainbow trout leaps out of the water, flipping and tossing on the ice surface. In just 15 minutes on Carol’s first ice-fishing attempt, she’s already caught a fish. We all cheer in unison, both proud and a little jealous of her successful attempt.

Unfortunately none of us has any luck with our catch. It’s almost 2pm by the time we give up on our futile ice-fishing attempt. After warming ourselves over hot berry juice Sami prepared on the open fire, we head into the lodge at Bear’s Den for the much-anticipated lunch.

The beautiful logged cabin is decked out with wooden furnishing, with a big fireplace as the centerpiece, and decorated with life-like figures of reindeer, wolverine and even a bear. Sami’s stepfather, the head chef and host here, is ready to show us how fish is prepared here in Lapland.

A fresh, bright orange slab of salmon sits on the dining table — it looks as if it had been fished just a few seconds ago. The assistant chef Lauri first seasons the salmon with plenty of salt and pepper, and sweeps butter all over it. He then pins it onto the wooden board with sticks and wraps it up in aluminum, before placing it in the fireplace for 2.5 hours.

Thankfully another salmon has already been prepared for us and we soon tuck into the freshly blazed salmon also known as loimulohi in Finnish. Drenched generously with white wine sauce and served simply with roasted vegetables, the salmon is the best I’ve ever had.

By the time we finish our sumptuous lunch, Sami serves up a bowl of dried fish that he’d cooked over the open fire. “This is the rainbow trout that Carol caught. You must try the fish you caught yourself.”

We all tuck in enthusiastically, despite the full stomachs. I catch a glimpse of Carol, as she grins from ear to ear, devouring her catch.

Disclaimer: This trip was made possible by Lapland – the North of Finland, but all opinions expressed are our own.