Lake Ouluyarvi

In the heart of Suomi, a land of lakes and forests, the "Kainu Sea" or "sea of fish" is lapping. This is Oulujärvi, the fourth largest, but not the most important, freshwater lake in Finland.

It is here that the most avid fishermen, lovers of sport fishing, trolling and everyone who wants to brag to his friends that he caught such a fish that almost overturned the boat.

The length is about 54 km.
The maximum width is 29 km.
The area is approximately 888 km2.
The maximum depth is about 35 m.
The average depth is 7.6 m.
The volume of water is 6.7 km3.
The coastline is 1,021.17 km long.

Oulujärvi is fed by the waters of the Kajaaninjoki River, and the Oulujoki River flows out of it, heading for the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea. The North taiga zone, in which the lake is located, creates excellent landscapes framing the dark waters of Oulujärvi. Dense coniferous forests cover almost the entire area around it. The towns of Kayani, Vaala, Paltamo and Kontiomyaki are located on the winding, rocky or forested shores of the reservoir.

The shallow depth does not prevent the lake from being navigable and is considered one of the best lakes in northern Europe in terms of the quantity, variety and quality of fish resources. Surprisingly, there is not a single industrial enterprise engaged in fishing or rearing of juveniles on its shores. All fishing in the reservoir is reduced to amateur and sports.

From spring to autumn, it catches almost the largest pikes, walleye, whitefish, burbot, trout and lake salmon in Finland. The famous grouse, the gastronomic calling card of the northern country, is also found in cold waters. It even hosts the European Pike Trolling Championship. The leaders of the championship are those fishermen who manage to catch more than a hundredweight of these toothy fish in the allotted time. However, there is a time when boats and speedboats disappear from the surface of the lake: from November to mid-May, it is frozen. But even then, life on Ouluyarvi does not stop. Winter fishing enthusiasts go out on the ice to try their luck at catching perch, especially where the flat bottom is replaced by shoals, or in order to get a huge burbot.  

There are about five hundred islands scattered around the lake, large and very tiny. The largest island of Manamansalo divides the reservoir into two parts, leaving only small straits from the east and west. This is probably the most popular place among tourists who prefer active recreation and hiking trails in picturesque places. The lake consists of three ples, each of which attracts its own category of tourists and fishermen, offering excellent conditions for outdoor recreation.

Of course, Oulujärvi does not offer any special amenities. This is one of the harshest and most meager tourist areas in Finland in terms of comfort and infrastructure. If we compare the lake with other bodies of water in the country, its Yaryanselkya and Niskaselkya bays have been preserved in the most natural state.  

The natural reservoir is used as a regulated lake reservoir. However, it is precisely this circumstance that can seriously affect the state of the ecosystem of the reservoir. Finnish scientists noted that when the lake is regulated, the level of its mirror decreases by 50 cm, which negatively affects the water quality and may affect the population of aquatic inhabitants. In other words, the country's richest fish lake may become impoverished without proper attention. There have already been precedents for the depletion of fish resources. At the end of the last century, the pike perch population decreased dramatically. This was also due to the fact that people from all over the country came to the shores of Oulujärvi to catch this silvery beauty.

However, since the relationship between water quality and lake level has been established, the likelihood of serious problems has greatly decreased. Finns try to use natural resources wisely and avoid dangerous situations for the lake. Even now, when the water in Oulujärvi is brownish and not very clear, it can compete in quality with the purest lakes on the planet.