The fishing tourism of the Vuoksi has long traditions. The first stories of the plentiful and big salmons of the river Vuoksi were told already in the early 1830’s. English sport fishers were enchanted by the scenery by the Vuoksi and the wildly jumping salmons.
The golden age of fishing tourism lasted all the way to 1920’s. After that, the vigorous industrialisation of Finland started. The factories required a lot of energy and consequently power plants were constructed to the famous salmon rivers. This also happened in Vuoksi and it led to the regression of the fish populations. The reputation as a famous salmon river was gone but only temporarily.
Luckily the nature is adaptable with the prevailing conditions and the fish populations of the Vuoksi started to recover; once again, it was possible to catch fishes, like salmon, which passed downstream through the power plants, and new locally farmed salmon stock began to grow. The growth of new salmon stocks was also further advanced by the restocking that started in the late 1980’s. These factors contribute to the recovering of the Vuoksi back to being a famous salmon river.
There are versatile opportunities for fishing in the Vuoksi; ice fishing by the flowing stream, angling on a riverbank, spin fishing on a boat, dip net fishing on a pier, vertical jigging, or harpoon fishing. The most fast-flowing river of Finland is a remarkable fishing water and an experience for fly fishers, lure rowers, and autumn nights’ torch fishers as well as for the youngest fishers of the family.
You can also fish in lake Saimaa and lake Immalanjärvi in Imatra. By the Vuoksi, you fish in the national landscape.