Hallingdalselva

The River Hallingdal runs through the valley of Hallingdal, from the confluence of the Rivers Ustadelva and Holselva, before it empties into Lake Krøderen, 100 km downstream. The river, which has a catchment area of 4587 square km, falls 318 metres in its journey to Krøderen, 132 metres above sea-level. The upper regions are swift flowing, with slower waters downstream from the village of Gol to Lake Krøder. This 60 km stretch of river falls a mere 74 metres. There are many hydro-electric power stations in the valley with an annual power production of about 4 TWh. These installations cause sudden variations in water level resulting in unpredictable fishing. To minimize the disadvantages caused by low water conditions, several weirs have been constructed. These have been constructed mainly from natural materials and seem to integrate well in the local environment. The effect of these weirs on the fishing are marked since they result in increased insect life which, in turn leads to increased fish survival during winter and a larger average size of the fish in the population.

Upstream from Gol, where the river is faster running, smaller and less visited by anglers, there are still many interesting fishing spots. Local anglers donate a prize for the biggest fish caught during the season within the boundaries of the Ål community and each year trout of more than one kilo are landed. However, like most other similar places, such fish are shy and rare - one reason why they have grown big!

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