Salmon Fishing in Iceland: Where to Start?

Salmon fishing in Iceland:

Where to start?

The Atlantic salmon is one of the most highly sought-after game fish in the world. Iceland, with its fascinating extremes and great runs of salmon, is the dream destination for most anglers chasing freshwater silver. After many requests about salmon fishing in Iceland, here is a guide aimed at preparing you better for a great fishing trip to the land of fire and ice.

By NILS FOLMER JØRGENSEN

Cutting through Iceland’s jagged, glacial, and volcanic landscape are a great variety of superb first-class salmon rivers. These rivers are world-famous for their gin-clear water, abundant wild salmon populations, and opportunities for visual fishing. However, they are also known for primarily hosting grilse/small salmon.

I have often encountered the misconception that salmon fishing in Iceland is only “Put & Take.” There are truths and myths surrounding this notion, but let’s break it down and consider what to think about before booking your fishing trip.

“Iceland offers everything you can dream of”

Indeed, we have some of the finest salmon rivers in the world, which can offer the intense, delicate sight fishing we envision. However, our best river statistically is a massive glacial river with water visibility of around 5-10 cm. Despite this, the numbers of wild salmon running here are impressive, and they are only improving after the removal of local farmers’ nets, thanks to the outfitter. However, if you have been drawn to Iceland by the visual fishing and the jaw-dropping fantasy land pictures circulating the Internet, this river may not be where you want to go. Here, you will need a worm forced to the bottom by three sinkers (lead) if you want a chance to catch anything.

However, if you are primarily interested in numbers, this may be a perfect solution for you.

Size of the river

Do you prefer a small, medium, or largesized river? Single- or double-hand rods, or a combination of both? We have rivers with enough variation for both single- and double-hand rods. However, the majority of them are best fished with single-hand rods and floating lines. It’s surprisingly effective, but – most importantly – it’s more fun!

Gin-clear, picture-perfect water

Not all rivers are gin-clear, but the majority are. Generally, Icelandic rivers are outstanding fly fishing waters with great variation, mostly fished with small flies on floating lines. If God were a fly angler, Iceland would be his masterpiece. From fast-flowing stretches to beautiful waterfalls and long pools, Iceland offers everything you can dream of.

However, to avoid disappointment upon arrival at your destination, consider whether your dream is to see the salmon chase your fly before finally breaking the surface for “that pull” that makes the world stand still for a moment.

Fly, lure, or bait

Most salmon rivers in Iceland are “fly only,” with several high-end rivers banning the use of big, weighted tubes and sink tips. Be aware of this when narrowing down options for selecting a river. Big tubes may spook salmon in smaller rivers; delicate fishing with small flies or micro tubes is often more successful. Some rivers still allow fishing with lures and worms, such as Leirvogsá just outside Reykjavik, which permits worm fishing but not lures.

Size of fish

Iceland is mostly known for grilse/small salmon, with small salmon being up to 65 cm in length. Western rivers are particularly known for small fish. While an 85 cm salmon is considered good everywhere in the country, it’s exceptionally large in small fish rivers. Most rivers produce fish up to just over 90 cm, with some exceeding 100 cm. The river Laxá í Aðaldal/Big Laxa is known for producing the biggest fish, with salmon up to 120 cm. However, this river is challenging, with fewer fish compared to smaller rivers. Determine whether you prioritize big fish, quantity, or something in-between.

Catch numbers, what to expect

Every salmon caught in Iceland is registered in a national database, with statistics accessible to the public on the website www.angling.is. These statistics can provide insight into catch numbers, though fishing outcomes depend on various factors. Nonetheless, average catch statistics can be useful when booking your fishing trip.

The river ranked #1 at the top of the official catch list on www.angling.is does not necessarily indicate it is the best river. The ranking does not consider the number of rods fishing the river or the number of days the river is open for fishing. To determine the best river catch-wise, it is necessary to calculate the number of salmon caught per rod over the duration of the season on a given river. Some rivers have only 2 rods fishing, while others have 18. Another important factor is that natural/wild salmon rivers are only allowed to be fished for up to 90 days, while artificial rivers have 120 days, which affects the total catch number. For example, the Rangá is often touted as the top river in Iceland based on overall catch per season. However, it is fished with over 20 rods for 120 days. Rivers like Miðfjarðará, Haffjarðará, and Laxá á Ásum produce much more fish per rod. Laxá á Ásum, for instance, was until recently only fished with 2 rods and once produced 1,800 wild salmon in one season, making it arguably the best salmon river in the world in terms of salmon per rod.

Below is an example of the top three natural/wild and fly-only salmon rivers in Iceland from 2021 (Source: MBL/Sporðaköst). This serves as an illustration, despite it being a slow season in Iceland.

Lodging

On most rivers, you are obligated to take full-board lodging along with the fishing license. Iceland is not exactly famous for being the cheapest place to find accommodations, so this adds to the cost. There are still a few self-catering lodges available for those preferring privacy and a more affordable option. Unfortunately, it seems bleak for these anglers, as outfitters are focusing more on full-service lodging. As far as I am aware, no salmon river in Iceland offers camping.

Fishing guides

Do you want to challenge your fishing skills on your own or have a guide help you get into some action? Having a guide has some clear advantages: Local know-how, experience under different circumstances, and the right technique can be crucial. The guide has a car, saving you money on a rental car, which is very expensive in Iceland. Additionally, it is a convenient luxury to have a chauffeur after celebrating a landed fish with a single malt.

Be aware! If you choose to invest in a guide, make sure that the guide has plenty of fishing and guiding experience from the location you plan to fish! Ask how many years the guide has been fishing and guiding on the river you intend to fish. Unfortunately, I have experienced quite a few anglers going home disappointed from their fishing trip, partly because their guide had no fishing experience on the visited river. It takes many years to learn how a river works under different water levels, temperatures, weather pressures, seasons, and, of course, what triggers the bite. You are paying a lot of money for local experience and assistance, so asking questions is not too much. We have plenty of great guides with many years of hard-earned local experience here, who are highly motivated to give you the trip of a lifetime. Note, some rivers have made it obligatory in recent years to have a guide.

Natural/wild salmon: A sensitive subject

Today’s focus on environmental issues has led to a growing awareness among anglers toward protecting our wildlife, which is where our passion primarily lies—fishing. In Iceland, we have strict policies and rules to protect our unique country’s sensitive wildlife. However, salmon farmers have successfully spread out over our coastal lines with symbolic open cage sea pens. They are breeding salmon from Norway, a foreign species, which is not allowed by law, except for this industry. No need to delve into the devastating consequences of that now, but this also applies to releasing foreign fish into our rivers. Scientific proof is available, proving that releasing smolts (baby salmon) from other salmon stocks than the river’s own can be disastrous. In Canada and the US, it started as a genuine helping hand to restore rivers where the fish farming industry destroyed the wild salmon stocks. However, releasing smolts turned out not to be the solution; it only made matters worse. Today, many scientists and anglers believe in keeping the salmon rivers wild and keeping species that do not belong there away.

The reason I bring this up is that we have a few artificial rivers in Iceland with salmon genetics from all over the place. Famous among them are the two Rangá rivers, which have an intense smolt release program into ponds along the rivers before eventually being released into the river itself. While these rivers are very productive, to many anglers, this equates to Put & Take fishing rather than fishing for wild salmon. Fish taken from other rivers and artificially raised under human housing for their first years of life may not align with the expectations of those devoted to wild salmon. Furthermore, the absence of natural salmon stocks raises significant questions about why this is allowed in Iceland.

From a fishing perspective, some anglers might not find it very charming that the majority of the fish are caught outside the release ponds on the river, even though there is a lot of action. So, some anglers may not have their best fishing trip if dropped off at an artificial river. I have come across debates both online and offline, so just to avoid possible conflicts between clients and outfitters, it’s important to consider this aspect.

For your information, the majority of Icelandic salmon rivers are natural. Some have had a little help with eggs taken from female salmon, fertilizing them before burying them in the riverbed on location. The Icelandic salmon rivers are well managed, with the biggest threat to our salmon stocks currently being the intrusion of the open cage salmon farming industry.

Catch & Release

Some rivers have full C&R policies, while most allow you to take one small salmon measuring under 70 cm per day. Some very productive rivers even allow more without being a threat to the stock, of course.

Note that most salmon rivers also have trout and arctic char, and in most cases, no C&R policy applies. Sea-run arctic char is considered the best fish to eat in Iceland.

Location

You can be on the riverbank just one hour after walking out of Keflavik International Airport. Alternatively, it can take 8-9 hours to drive from the airport to East Iceland, which can be shortened via domestic flights. If location matters to you, it’s worth taking into consideration.

Timing

The first rivers open in early June, with the majority opening around June 20th. Prime time is mid-July to early August. Most rivers close in mid to late September. As mentioned earlier, rivers with wild salmon stocks are only allowed to be open for up to 90 days, while artificial rivers have 120 days, giving the two Rangá rivers fishing time until October 20th.

I hope these pointers of consideration can help you plan a successful fishing trip withoutdisappointments within our reach.

But we can’t control the weather or these fish, can we?