The 2024 Norway salmon fishing season once again brings much excitement and hopefully the chance of a catching big Atlantic salmon.
For more information about salmon fishing in Norway please contact Alex Jardine or call our office on +44(0)1980 847389.
Norway Salmon Fishing Report – 18th June 2024
A hot early spring has meant that for the middle of Norway most spring snowpack has now been melted away making for a low water opening which has since been followed by big rainfall. Further north, snow remains in the mountains bolstered by a late flurry in May. It does mean that central rivers will rely more on regular rains this season to maintain flows and water temperature.
The Gaula
Total catch in 2023: 3,829
Current recorded catch for 2024: 312
Largest Fish: 15kg (33.07lb)
Average size: 8kg (17.64lb)
Last week the Gaula started off with high water with the levels tapering off as the week went on, back to summer low water heights. There has been a pickup of medium sized salmon entering the river, but overall the run is still below average for the time of year. There is more rain due today and spring tides towards the end of the week which should coincide with the start of the peak run of fish into the river.
So far this season there has been 12 salmon over 30lb. We hope that these big salmon continue to appear through the season.
Winsnes Lodge
Total Catch in 2023: 95
Total catch in 2024: 8
Largest Fish: 12.7kg (28lb)
Average size: 8.6kg (18.96lb)
Our first official full day of the season saw us sporting eight rods. Water conditions have been good if not a tad on the low side. For the last couple of days, signs that fish are coming into our beats have given us encouragement.
Our optimism was rewarded when we finished yesterday evening’s session with two fish on the board. The 90cm salmon was caught and released by Bill Francis. This is Bill’s second year fishing in week 25 and having caught fish last year, he’s at it again! Bill’s fish was caught in a banana fly on Kroken, close to midnight.
Peter Johansson, long-time friend of the lodge and occasional fishing guide for Winsnes, caught the first fish of the season from Lillestrøm, an 86cm beauty.
The signs are good for a few more takes today. We’d like more fish in the river but at least we are among them now and with a full house of good anglers, we have every reason to be hopeful.
Last minute availability:
30 June – 7 July (Week 27) – 2 rods on the Aardvark McLeod hosted week
Norwegian Flyfisher’s Club
Total Catch in 2023: 201
Total Catch in 2024: 13
Largest Fish: 14kg (30.86lb)
Average size: 9.52kg (20.99lb)
The fishing is still tough, like in any other river in Norway this season so far but we still got a couple of nice fish. Peter Bienek from Slovakia had a fantastic salmon from Beat A1, which was released back to continue its important journey. It’s more important than ever to release every salmon if possible. We like everyone to enjoy their time on the river and catch some big fish, but we think it’s not the time to keep fish this summer, unless they are bleeding. Treat your catch carefully and return them, the joy you get from a released salmon is something really special!
Last minute availability:
30 June – 7 July (week 27) – 2 rods
7 – 14 July (Week 28) – 1 rod
14 – 21 July (week 29) – 2 rods
21 – 28 July (week 30) – 3 rods
4 – 11 August (week 32) – 4 rods
11 – 18 August (week 33) – 6 rods
18 – 25 August (week 34) – 6 rods
The Orkla
Total catch in 2023: 6,318
Current recorded catch for 2024: 184
Largest Fish: 20.4kg (44.97lb)
Average size: 7.9kg (17.42lb)
The Orkla tends to experience very similar conditions to the Gaula, with lower flows and clear water marking the opening followed by a couple of good-sized floods. Runs are lower than usual so far but again, with peak runs still to come there is great anticipation for the season. The Orkla River Board have made the decision to temporarily suspend the killing of any salmon over 65cm due to the lower runs this season.
So far this season there has been two salmon over 40lb and six over 30lb too. We hope that these big salmon continue to appear through the season.
Grindal Lodge
Total Catch in 2023: 108
Total catch in 2024: 5
Largest Fish: 20.4kg (44.97lb)
Average size: 10.9kg (24.03lb)
Last week the fishing has been slow with only a few contacts made. The water level has been really low and seems like the salmon are not running in numbers at the moment. Now we have had heavy rain, we are sure we will see fresh fish in the upcoming days.
Last minute availability:
31 July – 4 August (week 31) – 3 rods
4 – 7 August (week 32) – 4 rods
18 – 25 August (week 34) – 4 rods
The Lakselv
Total catch in 2023: 293
Current recorded catch for 2024: 3
Largest Fish: 12.2kg (26.9lb)
Average size: 8.6kg (18.96lb)
Oldero Lodge
Total Catch in 2023: 140
Total Catch in 2024: 1
Largest Fish: 8.5kg (18.74lb)
Average size: 8.5kg (18.74lb)
The first week at the lodge has begun and the first fish was landed this morning, a gleaming 8.5kg salmon fresh off the tide. As each day passes more fish are being seen entering the river and we hope to see the runs growing in numbers over the coming weeks. Currently the water is flowing at 34m3/s, 11.3°C, and clearing water – so near perfect conditions.
Last minute availability:
14 – 21 July (week 29) – 1 rod
4 – 11 August (week 32) – 6 rods
The Namsen
Total catch in 2023: 3,169
Current recorded catch for 2024: 366
Largest Fish: 21kg (46.3lb)
Average size: 5.7kg (12.57lb)
The Namsen lies just north of Trondheim and has a rich history for big salmon. It is a much bigger river than the likes of the Gaula and Orkla so whilst fly fishing is not always the primary method there are some lovely beats suited for fly fishing. The 2024 season has had a steady start.
So far this season there has been one salmon over 40lb and 12 over 30lb, six of these fish were taken on fly including the fish over 40lb. We hope that these big salmon continue to appear through the season.
Namsentunet Lodge
Total Catch in 2024: 18
Largest Fish: 15.5kg (34.17lb)
Average size: 8.9kg (19.62lb)
18 Salmon landed in total as of this morning. The first of the international guests arrived at the lodge on Sunday to kick off a busy summer at Namsentunet. Prior to this, we have only had few local friends and the guides on the river. Fishing manager, Tobias, is very pleased with conditions and we have had a stronger start compared to last season, which runs contrary to reports elsewhere in Norway.
Last minute availability:
23 – 30 June (week 26) – 4 rods
7 – 14 July (Week 28) – 4 rods
Norway Salmon Fishing Report – 11th June 2024
A hot early spring has meant that for the middle of Norway most spring snowpack has now been melted away making for a low water opening which has since been followed by big rainfall. Further north, snow remains in the mountains bolstered by a late flurry in May. It does mean that central rivers will rely more on regular rains this season to maintain flows and water temperature.
The Gaula
Total catch in 2023: 3,829
Current recorded catch for 2024: 168
Largest Fish: 15kg (33.07lb)
Average size: 8.6kg (18.96lb)
Last week the Gaula started off with very low water and fishing was relatively slow throughout, rains towards the end of the week have brought two reasonable floods in quick succession. The higher water has coincided with the first June spring tides which should bring in more salmon. This week has begun with Gaulfossen peaking at 697m3/s and water temp just a touch over 7°C. The first runs do appear to be down at the moment but with the prime weeks just around the corner we are hoping to see the runs gather momentum.
So far this season there has been seven salmon over 30lb. We hope that these big salmon continue to appear through the season.
Winsnes Lodge
Total Catch in 2023: 95
Total catch in 2024: 6
Largest Fish: 12.7kg (28lb)
Average size: 9kg (19.84lb)
Week 22/23 Report…
It’s hard to know where to start with this report but I’ll open by saying that we have not really done much fishing and the poor catches along the river have prompted me to delay our official opening until week 25 (as planned).
I would preface my comments by saying that we are right at the start of the season, and it is too early to form a good picture of the season ahead for the river. However, this is an honest assessment of what is going on.
As I write this, the snow reserves have long gone and the water temperatures have been rising. Just a week or so ago, the water temperature at Singsas was almost 16 degrees! We’ve had a lot of rain since and the river is now coming down after the latest batch of the wet stuff. Its cooling too and down somewhere around 8 degrees which is much better.
Our own fishing has been restricted but a few have wet a fly line, including myself and nothing so far. I’m pretty busy at the moment with the Bankside work and stuff around the house but Glenn and Andy fished a couple of days last week and so too did Lawrence Fox who caught and released a lovely fish around fifteen pounds. The fish was caught on a spoon during our landowners fishing slot where spinning is allowed and given the foul conditions on the day, the only reasonable option for a novice fly fisherman.
Its always nice to see someone catch their first salmon, especially if they release it!
I am sad to report that spinning during our landowner fishing days has been quite productive with five fish caught so far, the only one being released was Lawrence’s fish. In a year when there are so few salmon about never have the fish needed our protection more. I am a keen exponent that locals should be allowed to fish and that harvesting salmon as is tradition is acceptable as long as it is sustainable.
Both Anne Marit and myself have worked our socks off to establish a reputation for this lodge and we both feel that even though we have no control over the landowner fishing days, our resolve to treat the fish with more respect remains unbroken. We are very disappointed with what has happened but would like to reassure our customers that our mantra remains the same.
As you may know, we are one of the lodges that opted to retain the old regulations for the river which allowed much more limited amounts of fish that to be killed. It’s quite clear that not everyone shares our vision but we will continue to release fish if they are in a suitable condition to do so and this will continue to be a sanctuary area for salmon as long as we are in charge.
The situation is particularly frustrating given the state of the river generally whereby the run of fish has been the poorest possibly within living memory. It’s not just Gaula that is affected, Orkla, Stjørdal and Verdal are the same.
At times the river’s daily catch and release rate has been as low as 15 percent of salmon caught. The general rate is higher, but this is because it includes sea trout and brown trout. Sea trout have shown up quite a lot and small salmon are occasionally being returned because the rules make it possible for people to harvest some bigger fish instead.
The importance of sanctuary areas, like ours, cannot be understated. In the days since the start of the season, the biggest day ticket fishery on Gaula has produced just six salmon. A few hours fishing on our water has produced five fish. The comparison is stark and yet illustrates my point that over-fishing is one of the biggest enemies that this river is facing will face as time goes on.
Instead of cranking up the heat on the river, we need to cool it down and give it a chance. As the days pass, the new regulations for the river look increasingly ridiculous. Those of us that urged caution may well have been vindicated but there is a grim satisfaction in it. Several famous fisheries are struggling hugely and this is a season opening like no other that I have experienced.
Moving forward, we are waiting to see now whether the run will get started in the coming week or so. Our first guests arrive next Sunday and in-between we have a wedding to prepare for and several other events. The extra water may well bring in a few more fish and it will certainly move those about that are already in the system. Fishing should recommence tomorrow I would say, and I’ll keep you updated as we have a few people fishing from Thursday.
Looking forward to seeing everyone and Tight Lines to you All!
Last minute availability:
30 June – 7 July (Week 27) – 2 rods on the Aardvark McLeod hosted week
Norwegian Flyfisher’s Club
Total Catch in 2023: 201
Total Catch in 2024: 10
Largest Fish: 14kg (30.86lb)
Average size: 9.7kg (21.38lb)
The fishing has continued to remain slow last week, but we still got some nice fish like 110cm and even one of 113cm – some good rain helped us. Now there has been a nice flood last night with just under 700 cubic, now dropping and fishing should pick up over the coming days. It seems some more medium size fish are in the outer test nets and have already arrived the lower river which should give more activity in general as they push up the river.
Last minute availability:
16 – 23 June (week 25) – 1 rod
7 – 14 July (Week 28) – 1 rod
14 – 21 July (week 29) – 2 rods
21 – 28 July (week 30) – 3 rods
4 – 11 August (week 32) – 4 rods
11 – 18 August (week 33) – 6 rods
18 – 25 August (week 34) – 6 rods
The Orkla
Total catch in 2023: 6,318
Current recorded catch for 2024: 103
Largest Fish: 20.4kg (44.97lb)
Average size: 8.2kg (18.08lb)
The Orkla tends to experience very similar conditions to the Gaula, with lower flows and clear water marking the opening followed by a couple of good-sized floods. Runs are lower than usual so far but again, with peak runs still to come there is great anticipation for the season.
So far this season there has been two salmon over 40lb and two over 30lb too. We hope that these big salmon continue to appear through the season.
Grindal Lodge
Total Catch in 2023: 108
Total catch in 2024: 4
Largest Fish: 20.4kg (44.97lb)
Average size: 10.9kg (24.03lb)
Last week the fishing has been slow with only a few contacts made. The water level has been really low and seems like the salmon are not running in numbers at the moment. Now we have had heavy rain, we are sure we will see fresh fish in the upcoming days.
Last minute availability:
31 July – 4 August (week 31) – 3 rods
4 – 7 August (week 32) – 4 rods
18 – 25 August (week 34) – 4 rods
The Lakselv
Total catch in 2023: 293
Current recorded catch for 2024: 0
Largest Fish:
Average size:
Oldero Lodge
Total Catch in 2023: 140
Total Catch in 2024: 0
Largest Fish:
Average size:
Fishing is yet to begin this far north, but over the coming weeks the river will begin to awaken and the first salmon will be running.
The Namsen
Total catch in 2023: 3,169
Current recorded catch for 2024: 102
Largest Fish: 18kg (39.68lb)
Average size: 6.9kg (15.21lb)
The Namsen lies just north of Trondheim and has a rich history for big salmon. It is a much bigger river than the likes of the Gaula and Orkla so whilst fly fishing is not always the primary method there are some lovely beats suited for fly fishing. The 2024 season has had a steady start.
So far this season there have been ten of salmon over 30lb, three of these fish were taken on fly. We hope that these big salmon continue to appear through the season.
Namsentunet Lodge
Total Catch in 2024: to be recorded at end of season
Largest Fish: 15.5kg (34.17lb)
Average size: to be recorded at end of season
The fishing guides and management have been enjoying the last few days on the water before the first guests arrive. Conditions have been good for fly fishing on the Namsen, and two salmon in excess of 15kg were landed on the same day on the Namsentunet water. The heavy rain has increased the flow and colour in the water which should give good conditions once it fines down a little.
Last minute availability:
23 – 30 June (week 26) – 4 rods
7 – 14 July (Week 28) – 4 rods
Norway Salmon Fishing Report – 4th June 2024
A hot early spring has meant that for the middle of Norway most spring snow pack has now been melted away making for a low water opening. Further north, snow remains in the mountains bolstered by a late flurry in May. It does mean that central rivers will rely more on regular rains this season to maintain flows and water temperature.
The Gaula
Total catch in 2023: 3,829
Current recorded catch for 2024: 60
Largest Fish: 13.9kg (30.64lb)
Average size: 9.0kg (19.84lb)
A very hot spring saw the snow melt earlier than normal leading to one of the lowest water openings in living memory. Opening day saw the river running crystal clear and at 84m3/s through Gaulfossen at a touch over 7°C, this has allowed salmon to pass into the middle and upper river with ease already. The first runs do appear to be down at the moment but at just four days in it is very hard to judge particularly with almost unprecedented water levels.
So far this season there has been one salmon over 30lb. We hope that these big salmon continue to appear through the season.
Winsnes Lodge
Total Catch in 2023: 95
Total catch in 2024: 2
Largest Fish: 12.7kg (28lb)
Average size: 9.6kg (21.16lb)
So far we have caught two fish, both on spoons during the landowner fishing on Sunday. These are very early catches for us – we don’t normally expect fish until week 24 in normal conditions. We are not open yet, we don’t officially open until week 25, but we have some guests who have booked late coming in after Thursday.
The run of fish into the river has been low so far with very few fish being caught in the lower river. The fish are running through and settling into the middle river area which always happens during low water. At the moment there are as many fish being caught higher up as lower down and that will be good for the river in the long run.
It will be another season of ups and downs – it always is. So much will depend on rainfall although conditions this week look promising for water temp which has been increasing slowly. At the moment, the fishing conditions are good but unusual. The water is low and crystal clear. I expect more fish to come in during the next few days. The average size of the fish entering the river is very decent, plenty of 11 and 12kg salmon showing up in catches so there is a chance of a very big fish in the next few days!
Last minute availability:
30 June – 7 July (Week 27) – 2 rods on the Aardvark McLeod hosted week
Norwegian Flyfisher’s Club
Total Catch in 2023: 201
Total Catch in 2024: 2
Largest Fish: 12.4kg (27.34lb)
Average size: 11.45kg (25.24lb)
The fishing at NFC, like the whole river, has been a bit slow over the first couple of days. Unusual conditions with water temperatures of 13 degrees and mid-summer water levels. We had two good fish caught on our waters of 105 and 108cm and a couple of lost fish. There is rain in the forecast and this might lift up the fishing up from Thursday/Friday, things should get interesting.
Last minute availability:
16 – 23 June (week 25) – 1 rod
7 – 14 July (Week 28) – 1 rod
14 – 21 July (week 29) – 2 rods
21 – 28 July (week 30) – 4 rods
4 – 11 August (week 32) – 4 rods
11 – 18 August (week 33) – 6 rods
18 – 25 August (week 34) – 6 rods
The Orkla
Total catch in 2023: 6,318
Current recorded catch for 2024: 37
Largest Fish: 20.4kg (44.97lb)
Average size: 8.7kg (19.18lb)
The Orkla tends to experience very similar conditions to the Gaula, with lower flows and clear water marking the opening.
At Grindal Lodge, they can look back on a fantastic couple of days with several salmon landed including a monster fish of 20.4kg – the biggest on the river so far. There has been wonderful atmosphere and delicious food. The water level in the river is low, but there will be some rain in the coming week.
So far this season there has been two salmon over 40lb and one over 30lb too. We hope that these big salmon continue to appear through the season.
The Lakselv
Total catch in 2023: 293
Current recorded catch for 2024: 0
Largest Fish:
Average size:
Oldero Lodge
Total Catch in 2023: 140
Total Catch in 2024: 0
Largest Fish:
Average size:
Fishing is yet to begin this far north, but over the coming weeks the river will begin to awaken and the first salmon will be running.
The Namsen
Total catch in 2023: 3,169
Current recorded catch for 2024: 102
Largest Fish: 18kg (39.68lb)
Average size: 6.9kg (15.21lb)
The Namsen lies just north of Trondheim and has a rich history for big salmon. It is a much bigger river than the likes of the Gaula and Orkla so whilst fly fishing is not always the primary method there are some lovely beats suited for fly fishing. The 2024 season has had a steady start.
So far this season there have been three of salmon over 30lb, one of these fish were taken on fly. We hope that these big salmon continue to appear through the season.
Namsentunet Lodge
Total Catch in 2024: 4
Largest Fish: 10.8kg (23.81lb)
Average size: to be recorded at end of season
The fishing manager commenced fishing at midnight on Saturday. In the first two hours he had one contact and one fish lost. He was up again at 0500 and fished the lower beats of the Sandola, during which he had 6 contacts and a catch of 5.2kg. Later that morning, we had a further two catches (5.8kg and 10.8kg). Plenty of contacts and plenty of fish on the beats. A fourth catch was made later in the day.
Plenty of salmon jumping in the tributaries. Water conditions are approx. 186m3/s on the Namsen. The best fishing is usually around 100-200m3/s, so ideal water height at the moment. The only downside being that the water is running very clear and a lot of salmon are not taking the fly properly. We anticipate this to change, however, as we expect heavy rain from Wednesday onwards.
Last minute availability:
23 – 30 June (week 26) – 4 rods
7 – 14 July (Week 28) – 4 rods
For more information about salmon fishing in Norway please contact Alex Jardine or call our office on +44(0)1980 847389.