Engesundsvatnet

White fish were seen in the waters at Engesund already in the 1920s, but it could have been there longer than that. The nearest stocks otherwise are on Jæren, and the fish probably has not found its way here without the help of humans. There was a lot of traffic to the tourist hotels in Engesund in earlier times, so whitefish may well have come here on trade ships heading northwards.

Whitefish is an excellent tasting fish that lives on benthic (bottom dwelling) organisms and plankton. Sports fishing is a demanding sport. Normally one must use fishing line in order to catch whitefish, but in the waters of Engesund many have been caught through the years using a hook and worms. If the conditions are right, the whitefish may weigh several kilogrammes. But, at Engesund the fish are small – roughly comparable to herring in size. The percent of older fish is large, as it often is in dense populations with little supply of nutrients, where the fish do not grow normally.

The water where the whitefish is found is the drinking water reservoir for the main house at Engesund. Therefore, the landowners do not permit sports fishing there.