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Best european smelt lakes in Finland

258 Finland waters hold european smelt, 258 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. A small, cold-water schooling fish that spends much of the year suspended over deep basins and moves toward spawning water in spring.

1. Himanka-Kokkola — North — 138 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, European Perch, Burbot, Sea TroutWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
2. Helsinki-Porkkala — North — 165 ft max · survey depth data · Zander, Northern Pike, European Perch, Sea TroutWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
3. Ålands Hav Södra — Central East — 709 ft max · survey depth data · Zander, Northern Pike, European Perch, Sea TroutWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
4. Skiftet Södra — Central West — 227 ft max · survey depth data · Zander, Northern Pike, European Perch, Sea TroutWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
5. Kotkan-Haminan sisäsaaristo — 78 ft max · survey depth data · Zander, Northern Pike, European Perch, Sea TroutWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
6. Lumparn — 97 ft max · survey depth data · Zander, Northern Pike, European Perch, Sea TroutWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
7. Upinniemenselkä — East — 145 ft max · survey depth data · Zander, Northern Pike, European Perch, Sea TroutWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
8. Hangon läntisen selän ulkosaaristoalue — Central West — 244 ft max · survey depth data · Zander, Northern Pike, European Perch, Sea TroutWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
9. Bromarv — West — 146 ft max · survey depth data · Zander, Northern Pike, European Perch, Sea TroutWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
10. Gullkronan selän ulkosaaristoalue — Central — 279 ft max · survey depth data · Zander, Northern Pike, European Perch, Sea TroutWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
11. Hankoniemi W — South — 241 ft max · survey depth data · Zander, Northern Pike, European Perch, Sea TroutWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
12. Hankoniemi — West — 178 ft max · survey depth data · Zander, Northern Pike, European Perch, Sea TroutWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites, 5 carry-in or shore-oriented
13. Loviisa-Porvoo — Sector 05 — 177 ft max · survey depth data · Zander, Northern Pike, European Perch, Sea TroutWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
14. Liminganlahti — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, European Perch, Burbot, Sea TroutWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
15. Uolionselkä - Tammionselkä — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Zander, Northern Pike, European Perch, Sea TroutWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
16. Gullkronan selän ulkosaaristoalue — North East — 227 ft max · survey depth data · Zander, Northern Pike, European Perch, Sea TroutWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
17. Uusikaarlepyy ulko — Central West — 109 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, European Perch, Burbot, Sea TroutWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
18. Uusikaarlepyy ulko — North — 117 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, European Perch, Burbot, Sea TroutWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
19. Replotfjärden — 61 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, European Perch, Burbot, Sea TroutWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
20. Kotkan edustan sisäsaaristo — 90 ft max · survey depth data · Zander, Northern Pike, European Perch, Sea TroutWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
21. Gloppet — Central — 59 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, European Perch, Burbot, Sea TroutWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
22. Luodonselkä — East — 42 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, European Perch, Burbot, Sea TroutWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
23. Preiviikinlahti - Viasvedenlahti — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, European Perch, Burbot, Sea TroutWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
24. Monåfjärden-Kalotfjärden — East — 122 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, European Perch, Burbot, Sea TroutWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
25. Velkuan - Iniön välisaaristo — North West — 169 ft max · survey depth data · Zander, Northern Pike, European Perch, Sea TroutWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented

…plus 233 more Finland waters holding european smelt.

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When to fish european smelt in Finland

• Spring 3–25 ft — Spring concentrations can be brief and regulation-sensitive; check local rules before targeting a run.
• Summer 25–70 ft — Use the deepest basins as search areas, then let electronics establish the actual suspended depth.
• Fall 15–55 ft — Smelt remain pelagic; position relative to bait marks matters more than the nearest shoreline feature.
• Winter 20–65 ft — Keep a tiny jig above a marked suspended school and observe any local gear or harvest limits.

Also in Finland: best zander lakes · best northern pike lakes · best european perch lakes · best brown trout lakes · best landlocked salmon lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best burbot lakes · best sea trout lakes · best atlantic herring lakes · best european flounder lakes · best vendace lakes · best european whitefish lakes

European Smelt elsewhere: Sweden · United Kingdom · Lithuania · Netherlands · Denmark