Fishing report 25.5.2026
Region: Southern & Central Finland
Date: Late May 2026
Provided by: Good Hooks Fly Shop
Coastal Pike – Southern Archipelago (Sipoo to Loviisa)
Late May conditions along the southern coast have produced excellent pike fishing, especially during stable weather windows. Most fish have now fully transitioned from spawning areas into active feeding zones near outer reed beds, shallow flats and rocky transition areas. Water temperatures have risen quickly during warm periods and aggressive follows have been common throughout the day.
Fishing pressure has remained relatively light, all tought we did see a lot of boats out there during the HK open pike fishing competiotion last weekend. Fish are responding especially well to larger, slower-moving flies with strong profiles. Calm mornings and cloudy afternoons have consistently produced the best action.
Current Conditions:
Water Temperature: 12–15°C
Water Clarity: Mostly clear, slight staining after windy days. Muddy in areas close to rivers with run-off
Wind: Light to moderate variable winds; protected bays fishing best
Best Fishing Windows: Morning through early evening, particularly during warming trends
Recommended Tactics:
Fish shallow structure with intermediate lines or hover setups
Focus on reed edges, shallow saddles, rocky points,and bay entrances
Long pauses and erratic jerk strips have triggered the most eats
Topwater fishing has started producing during calm evenings in warmer bays
Cover water aggressively until active fish are located
Top Streamers:
Beast flies
Wiggle Tail patterns
Pacchiarini’s Discovery Baitfish
Buford-style flies
Hollow-tied baitfish patterns with bucktail
Productive Colors:
Olive/white, black/red, tan, yellow/orange, chartreuse
Trout – Central Finland
Streamer fishing for brown trout has started exceptionally strong across Central Finland, South Karelia. Rivers are currently running at ideal levels, with cool overnight temperatures keeping water oxygenated and fish highly active throughout the day. Larger trout have been aggressively targeting baitfish imitations, especially during overcast weather and low-light periods. We are worried about the water levels later in the season, temperatures are rising rapidly and we have very low water conditions at the moment, its looking like we will all be fishing for perch and zander before midsummer, fingeres crossed we will get a lot of rain at some point.
Recent trips to rivers including Jaala, Vuoksi, Konnevesi and Kerma have produced several quality trout, with fish in the 50-65 cm range landed consistently, but nothing over 65cm (yet). Streamers remain the most reliable tactic, although insect activity is steadily increasing and shorter dry fly windows are beginning to appear during warmer afternoons. Beatis and golden sallys are active during good conditions and we are starting to see more caddis activity as well. Terrestials are starting to crawl out on warmers days, so fishing a beetle and a beatis nymph dropper would not be a bad idea.
Current Conditions:
Water Temperature: 8–11°C
River Flow: Stable and moderate or low across most systems
Insect Activity: Early mayflies, caddis and midges active; terrestrials appearing on warmer days
Streamer Fishing:
This is one of the best periods of the year for aggressive trout on larger flies. Fish are holding around structure, deeper seams, undercut banks and tailouts. Fast directional changes, hard strips and pauses continue to outperform slower retrieves.
Fishing during cloudy weather, rain fronts and evening periods has been especially productive.
Recommended Streamers:
Full-Size Dungeon
Peanut Envy
large D&D
Bangtail patterns
Articulated baitfish streamers
Swimmy jimmy
yellow has been a good producer during sunny days
Other Effective Techniques:
Swinging articulated streamers with light sink tips
Dead-drifting jig streamers through deeper pockets
Aggressive jerk-strip retrieves along banks and structure
Fast strip-pause retrieves with large profile flies
Dry fly opportunities are increasing, but streamer fishing remains the dominant pattern for larger trout.
Seasonal Outlook
Conditions are shaping up for an excellent early summer season across Finland. Pike are actively feeding in shallow coastal zones and responding aggressively to larger flies, while trout rivers are entering peak streamer conditions with growing insect activity.
As June approaches, expect:
Increased dry fly activity during evenings
Stronger baitfish-oriented feeding behavior
Beginning of nighttime mousing opportunities (Hell yeah!!)
Continued excellent streamer fishing during low light and unstable weather
Big fish are clearly keyed into larger prey right now and anglers willing to fish aggressively with bigger patterns are being rewarded.
Visit Good Hooks Fly Shop for the latest fly selections, streamer setups, sink tips, and local fishing updates. Whether you’re targeting aggressive coastal pike or hunting trophy trout in moving water, we’re fully stocked and ready to help you dial in your season.