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The best ice fishing in Saariselkä, by how far you go for it

Two anglers on a frozen lake, one holding an ice auger, with a sled of gear between them

Illustration photo: ice fishing, not in Saariselkä.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

For a first try that fits between other plans, fish the river a short walk from the resort. For a relaxed half-day in a small group, with the start time moved to suit you, choose the three-hour trip that takes at most eight. For a full day on a remote lake with lunch by the fire, take the coach trip north; go by snowmobile only if the adults want to drive.

How the operators compare

Prices are the operators' own published starting prices as of the date this guide was updated, and they change through the season.

River by the resortSmall group, 3 hoursLake by coachLake by snowmobile
Getting there On foot Car or minivan Coach Snowmobile
Length 2 h 3 h 5 h 5 h
Youngest 2 No age limit Over 4 4, in a sleigh
Food Hot juice and a snack Hot drinks Lunch Lunch
Price Not stated €99 per adult From €233 per person From €240 per person

Nothing is marked: the resort shows no price for its river trip, and a longer trip is a different day out rather than a better one. What an hour on each costs is worked out on the ice fishing price page.

Where these figures come from
  • River by the resort: Two hours on a frozen river a short walk from the resort's reception, drilling your own hole.
  • Small group, 3 hours: Three hours on a forest lake for groups of two to eight, with the start time set to suit you.
  • Lake by coach: Five hours on a remote lake north of the resort, with lunch cooked over the fire.
  • Lake by snowmobile: Five hours driving a shared snowmobile to a lake, with lunch; children ride in a sleigh.

Four ice fishing trips around Saariselkä are sold on the operators’ own sites, and they differ mostly in how far they go.

Close by

Kakslauttanen, the resort south of the village, walks guests from its reception to a frozen river for two hours, where they drill their own hole; overalls are not included.1 Arctic Timetravels drives groups of two to eight to a forest lake for three hours and will move the start time to suit them.2

A day on a lake

Lapland Safaris takes a coach north to a remote lake for five hours, with lunch from the campfire.3 Wilderness Hotel Saariselkä’s trip is as long but reaches its lake by snowmobile, with the adults driving and children under fifteen in a sleigh behind the guide.4

The trips sold through booking platforms are compared on the ice fishing in Saariselkä page.

Tours you can book

Priced per person

Price not stated

Questions people ask

Can we eat what we catch?

On the coach trip north, yes: you may release the catch or fry it over the open fire where the guide cooks lunch. The other three do not say what happens to the fish, so ask. The small-group trip names perch and whitefish as the usual catch, and the coach trip trout, perch, grayling and pike.

Do we need a fishing licence?

The small-group trip includes a licence for each participant. The resort's river trip and the day by snowmobile do not mention one, while another Saariselkä operator lists fishing licences among what it provides. Ask the operator whether a licence is included before you book, rather than buying one yourself.

What happens in bad weather?

Operators here reserve the right to change the route and length of a trip, or cancel it, when the weather or the snow makes it unsafe. The coach trip's own terms charge 25 euros per booking to cancel three days or more ahead and the full price after that, so check the terms of the others before booking.

Written by

Lapland Handbook Staff

Lapland Handbook is written by its editorial staff in Rovaniemi. Every price, age limit and group size in a comparison is read from the operator's own page and marked "Not stated" when the operator does not publish it. Each guide names who should not book, and names the operator that suits each kind of group, whichever it is.

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