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Ice fishing with children in Sodankylä: which trip a family can book

A group of people lying and kneeling on bare lake ice to fish through holes, with snowmobiles and sleds behind and snowy hills beyond

Illustration photo: a group ice fishing in the Canadian Arctic, not in Sodankylä.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

With younger children, book Arctic SISU's remote lake trip: it collects you and drives you to the lake, so nobody has to ride a snowmobile, but dress the whole family in your own winter clothing. Choose Arctic Wonders' snowmobile trip only after the company confirms a child may ride as a passenger, since its other snowmobile trips exclude under-twelves. Ask both about child prices.

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 SISU: remote lakeArctic Wonders: by snowmobile
How a child reaches the ice By car On a snowmobile; ask
Warm clothing Not lent Lent; sizes not stated
Getting there Pickup from your address From the village office

Nothing is ranked: the right trip depends on the youngest child. Neither listing states an age limit or a child fare.

Where these figures come from
  • Arctic SISU: remote lake: Collected from your address and driven to a remote lake, with hot drinks; no warm clothing lent.
  • Arctic Wonders: by snowmobile: Out onto the ice two to a machine, with overalls, boots, gloves and a helmet lent and a warm drink.

For a family, the ice fishing trips from Sodankylä differ most in how a child gets to the ice and what keeps them warm there.

By car

Arctic SISU Experience collects you from your address and drives you to a remote lake, with hot drinks on the ice, so a small child never has to ride a snowmobile.1 It lends no thermal clothing, so the family must come dressed for sitting still.

By snowmobile

Arctic Wonders takes guests onto the ice two to a machine and lends overalls, boots, gloves and helmets.2 Its listing prints no age limit, but the company’s other snowmobile trips take no one under twelve, so ask before booking with a younger child.

Tours you can book

Questions people ask

How do we keep a child warm on the ice?

Layers and movement. Dress a child in wool next to the skin, a fleece and a snowsuit, with winter boots and mittens rather than gloves, and bring a foam pad to sit or kneel on, since the ice draws heat away fast. Short walks around the fishing spot between bites help more than another layer.

Will a child catch anything?

None of the listings promises a catch, and a quiet morning on the ice is common. A child who knows in advance that waiting is part of it copes better, and hot drinks, which both trips include, help fill the gaps. Bring a small snack and something to do for the youngest, just in case.

Can a baby come?

No listing excludes one, but a fishing trip means hours sitting still in the cold, which suits a baby poorly. Neither listing mentions a hut or a tent to shelter in, so ask the company whether it accepts babies and where a parent could warm one up before you book.

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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