Book now

Best ice fishing in Sodankylä: which trip for which day

A bearded man in a woollen hat kneeling on a frozen lake, lifting a small perch from a hole in the ice beside his tackle box

Illustration photo: ice fishing on a frozen lake, not on a Sodankylä trip.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

If the ride out should be half the fun, and you have no winter clothing of your own, book Arctic Wonders' snowmobile trip. If you would rather be collected and spend a calm few hours on a remote lake, book Arctic SISU's ice fishing trip. If you want a full day outdoors with a walk and a hot meal, book Arctic SISU's longer day, preferably on its own site.

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.

Arctic WondersArctic SISU: remote lakeArctic SISU: long day
Suits A ride with a purpose A calm few hours A full day outdoors
Around the fishing A snowmobile ride A drive to a remote lake A snowshoe walk and a barbecue
Length 3 h 3 h 5 h

Nothing is ranked: the fishing is much the same, and the right trip depends on the day around it.

Where these figures come from
  • Arctic Wonders: Out onto the ice by snowmobile, two to a machine, with winter clothing, a helmet and the fishing gear lent.
  • Arctic SISU: remote lake: Collected and driven to a remote lake for guided fishing and hot drinks, at most eight guests, in your own warm clothes.
  • Arctic SISU: long day: Five hours of snowshoeing, ice fishing and a salmon barbecue lunch, at most eight guests.

Ice fishing from Sodankylä is sold as three different days out, and the choice is about the day more than the fish.

For the ride

Arctic Wonders takes you out onto the ice by snowmobile, two to a machine, lends overalls, boots, gloves and a helmet, and hands you the fishing gear and a warm drink when you arrive.1 It suits anyone who wants the ride as much as the fishing.

For the quiet

Arctic SISU Experience collects you and drives you to a remote lake for three hours of guided fishing with hot drinks, in a group of at most eight.2 Bring your own warm clothes, because none are lent.

For the whole day

The same company’s five-hour day adds a snowshoe walk and a salmon barbecue lunch to the fishing.3 It is the one to book if you want the day outdoors to be the point.

Tours you can book

Questions people ask

Do we need a fishing permit?

Usually not. In Finland, fishing through the ice with a single rod costs nothing and needs no fisheries management fee. The exceptions are rapids and running sections of waters with migratory fish, and places that need a permit of their own, so ask the guide whether the spot is one of them.

Is the long day the same on both booking sites?

It appears to be the same five hours with Arctic SISU: snowshoeing, ice fishing and a barbecue. The GetYourGuide listing names a salmon barbecue lunch; the company's own page lists the day as wilderness barbecue with snowshoeing and ice fishing. The two prices are far apart, which the price page sets out.

Which trip suits a group where one of us does not want to fish?

The two that are not only about the hole in the ice. On Arctic Wonders' trip the snowmobile ride out is part of the outing, and on Arctic SISU's long day there is a snowshoe walk and a barbecue lunch as well as the fishing. The three-hour remote lake trip offers little else to do while others fish.

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.

More about Lapland Handbook →