Can you catch whitefish on a lure?

Rarely. Whitefish have an underslung mouth and graze on bottom fauna, so they take lures very reluctantly. The way in is fine tackle: a hook in size 14 to 18 with maggot, a thin leader and enough weight to hold the bait at the bottom. Small nymphs in size 16 to 20 fished deep also work. In many waters whitefish are traditionally caught in nets where the rights holder allows it.

When does whitefish spawn?

Late in autumn in most places, but the answer is less clear-cut for whitefish than for other species: in one and the same lake, several whitefish forms can spawn in different places and at different times, some near shore, others deep or up in the river. So it is the water’s own provisions that decide, not a date you can work out, and they can differ from the rest of the year.

What is rakfisk made from?

Mostly trout and char, not whitefish. Store norske leksikon describes rakfisk as salted and fermented freshwater fish, char and trout. The regulation on Rakfisk fra Valdres requires rainbow trout or brown trout. In Rendalen whitefish has been used too. Norsk Rakfiskfestival quotes an older text on Rendalen, in which trout, char and partly whitefish were best suited to rakfisk.

Whitefish fishing: maggot, spawning runs and rakfisk

Facts about whitefish
Topic	Whitefish
Size	Whitefish are rarely over one kilo, though fish of over six kilos are known. In lightly harvested stocks they can live past 30 years.
Where it lives	Found on Jæren, in the south from the Tovdal watercourse eastwards, in eastern Norway north to Femunden and Feragen and west to Mjøsa. Scattered in Trøndelag, Nordland and Troms, and common in Finnmark from the Alta-Kautokeino watercourse eastwards.
Best time	October to November during the spawning run, and through the ice in winter.
Spawning	Lowland and south: October–November. Mountain and north: October. Check the local rules for closed seasons.
Minimum size	No national rule for inland fish. The minimum size is set locally, water by water.

How do you recognise whitefish?

Whitefish have a silver, laterally compressed body with an underslung mouth, and are clearly salmonids with an adipose fin.

The underbite is the key: whitefish graze downwards towards the bottom, and the mouth is built for it. Can be confused with vendace, which is smaller and has a more forward-set mouth.

Where do whitefish hold?

Whitefish live in lakes and rivers, and in some places out into brackish water, as at Øra outside Fredrikstad and in Iddefjorden.

Whitefish occur in several forms in the same water: shallow-spawners on shoals along the shore, river-spawners in running water, and deep-spawners in deep water. Femunden holds at least five separate stocks.

When in the year is whitefish fishing best?

Whitefish fishing is best from October to November during the spawning run, and through the ice in winter. The months say how the fishing usually is, not whether fishing is allowed. The rules where you fish decide that.

Summer

Whitefish can be fished with bait all summer, but they often hold deep. Bait fishing with maggot or small bottom-fauna imitations at the right depth is what produces, and when the whitefish rise, they can be taken on a fly.

October to November

Best

The spawning run gathers whitefish on shallows and in rivers, and makes them far more accessible. This is traditionally the main season.

Winter, through the ice

Whitefish are taken regularly on the ice with small mormyshka and maggot. It demands fine tackle and patience, but it is entirely possible.

See the season month by month for every species, in the lowlands and in the mountains.

What gear do you need for whitefish fishing?

For whitefish you use a hook 14-18 with maggot or small larvae, a thin leader down towards 0.12 mm and enough weight to hold the bait at the bottom.

Bait

Fine tackle, small hooks

It is the whitefish’s way in for the sport angler, and patience is the main piece of tackle.

Gear

Fly

Class 3-5, small nymphs

Entirely possible, and underrated. Small nymphs and pupae in size 16-20 fished deep. It requires that you find the fish first, because whitefish do not hold where trout hold.

Fly guide

Baits and lures

Maggot
By far the most effective whitefish bait, on a small hook.
Small mormyshka
Ice fishing, ideally with a maggot on the hook.
Small nymphs size 16-20
Fly fishing. Imitates the bottom fauna whitefish actually eat.

Pick a colour for the light and water

Spawning and diet

Spawning

Whitefish spawn mainly from October to November, but the spawning time varies from watercourse to watercourse, and there are both winter- and spring-spawning forms.

Diet

Larvae live on zooplankton. Older whitefish graze mostly on various bottom fauna: insects, snails, mussels and crustaceans. Some stocks specialise in zooplankton and then resemble vendace in habits.

Which rules apply to whitefish fishing?

Applies to all inland fish

There is no longer a national minimum size for inland fish. Minimum and maximum sizes, daily bag limits and closed seasons are set locally, and two waters in the same municipality can have different rules.
You need a fishing card from the rights holder wherever one is sold. The card is an agreement with the landowner, not a state fee.
Children under 16 fish free with rod and hand line from 1 January to 20 August, except in watercourses with anadromous salmonids. This follows from section 18 of the Norwegian salmon and inland fish act.
Fishing for inland fish does not require the state fishing fee. The exception is a salmon-bearing stretch while it is open for salmon, sea trout or sea char. There everyone aged 18 or over must pay the fee, also to fish for inland fish.
Releasing fish or moving live fish between waters is prohibited. Spreading species to new watercourses is one of the biggest threats to Norwegian fish stocks.

Specific to whitefish

Whitefish are hard to take on lures, and in many waters they are traditionally caught in nets where the rights holder permits it. Net fishing requires its own permission and has its own mesh size rules.
The rights holder can have rules of its own for whitefish in the spawning season, a closed period included. Read the rules for the water before a trip in October and November.
Whitefish have been spread to waters where they do not belong and can outcompete trout and char for food. Moving live fish is prohibited.

All of the above is advisory. The rules are set locally and do change, so always confirm with the rights holder or an official source before you fish.

Waters holding whitefish

Finnfisk has 41 curated fishing spots with whitefish, out of 132 in all.

Show all 41 fishing spots

Municipalities

Lillehammer Eidsvoll Gausdal Engerdal Tydal Kviteseid Nissedal Oslo Røros Fyresdal Tokke Øyer

Common questions

Can you catch whitefish on a lure?: Rarely. Whitefish have an underslung mouth and graze on bottom fauna, so they take lures very reluctantly. The way in is fine tackle: a hook in size 14 to 18 with maggot, a thin leader and enough weight to hold the bait at the bottom. Small nymphs in size 16 to 20 fished deep also work. In many waters whitefish are traditionally caught in nets where the rights holder allows it.
When does whitefish spawn?: Late in autumn in most places, but the answer is less clear-cut for whitefish than for other species: in one and the same lake, several whitefish forms can spawn in different places and at different times, some near shore, others deep or up in the river. So it is the water’s own provisions that decide, not a date you can work out, and they can differ from the rest of the year.
What is rakfisk made from?: Mostly trout and char, not whitefish. Store norske leksikon describes rakfisk as salted and fermented freshwater fish, char and trout. The regulation on Rakfisk fra Valdres requires rainbow trout or brown trout. In Rendalen whitefish has been used too. Norsk Rakfiskfestival quotes an older text on Rendalen, in which trout, char and partly whitefish were best suited to rakfisk.