Fishing Report 18.9.2026
Region: Southern & Central Finland
Date: Mid-September 2026
Provided by: Good Hooks Fly Shop
Coastal Pike – Southern Archipelago (Sipoo to Loviisa)
September is here and the coastal pike season is properly getting started again. After the warm summer months, water temperatures are dropping and pike are becoming increasingly active throughout the southern archipelago.
Fish are beginning to move from their deeper summer areas toward shallower feeding zones (slowly, we need more cold weather). Reed edges, rocky shorelines, points, saddles and entrances to larger bays are all worth covering. There are still plenty of fish holding slightly deeper, so don't spend the whole day casting into 50 cm of water just yet.
The best fishing has generally come when we have some wind and cloud cover. Bright, calm days can still produce, but working slightly deeper water and slowing things down can make a big difference.
The coming weeks should only get better. Once water temperatures drop further, we expect more of the bigger fish to start moving properly into their autumn feeding areas.
Current Conditions:
Water Temperature: Approximately 13–16°C depending on area and depth
Water Clarity: Generally good, with locally stained water after wind and rain
Wind: Moderate winds have been beneficial; concentrate on wind-exposed structure when conditions allow
Best Fishing Windows: Cloudy and windy periods, mornings and late afternoons
Recommended Tactics:
Start around reed edges, rocky points, saddles and bay entrances
Use intermediate and slow-sinking lines to search different depths
Cover plenty of water until you locate active fish
Mix long pulls with sharp jerk strips and pauses
Don't be afraid to fish BIG — autumn is the time to start increasing fly size
On bright days go with bright colour “if it ain`t chartrouse there ain`t no use”
Topwater can still produce during warmer, calm periods
Top Streamers:
Buford-style flies
Beast flies
Large Deceivers
Wiggle Tail patterns
Pacchiarini’s Discovery Baitfish
Large hollow-tied bucktail flies
Productive Colors:
Black/copper, olive/white, tan, perch patterns, yellow/orange and chartreuse!
Trout – Central Finland / South Karelia
Trout are spawning. Leave them alone.
For us, the trout season is over.
As autumn arrives, brown trout are moving into their spawning period. These fish are now focused on reproduction and every successful spawning fish matters for the future of our wild trout populations.
Just because you can fish somewhere doesn't mean you should.
Don't target spawning or pre-spawn trout. Don't walk through spawning areas. Don't disturb fish sitting on redds. Give the rivers and the fish the space they need to reproduce successfully.
We love catching big trout as much as anyone, but protecting the fishery has to come before catching another fish.
No trout is worth compromising the next generation.
Put the trout rods away for a few months. Let them spawn. Let the rivers rest. We'll have plenty of time to chase them again next year.
Respect the fish. Respect the river. Think about the future.
See you on the trout rivers next year.
Seasonal Outlook
Right now, our attention is firmly on the coast.
September marks the beginning of one of our favourite periods for pike fishing in Finland. Water temperatures are moving in the right direction, vegetation is beginning to die back and pike are transitioning from their summer areas toward their autumn feeding grounds.
As September moves toward October and November, expect:
More pike moving into shallower water
Bigger fish becoming increasingly active
Strong feeding windows around weather changes
Larger flies becoming increasingly effective
Colder nights continuing to improve coastal conditions
Some of the best opportunities of the year for genuinely big pike
October and November are still ahead of us, and these are some of the months we wait for all year.
The trout rods can stay at home.
Let the trout make more trout. We'll go chase some big pike instead.
Big flies, bad weather and angry pike.
Hell yeah!!