About

~ The Begna River ~

The stretch of the Begna River, leading from Bagn to Nes i Ådal, is one of eastern Norway’s most popular trout rivers. Also called “Storelva” (“Big River”) by the wilderness author Mikkjel Fønhus. Mikkjel Fønhus lived and worked by the Begna riverside. This is where he got the inspiration for his novels.  

When entering from the south along the E16, the Begna River is first attraction to welcome you to the Valdres region. The river winds upstream through the narrow valley from Sperillen Lake in the south to the municipality center of Bagn.

In the Begna River you can fish for trout, perch, pike (south of Eid only) and white fish, with trout and pike being the most numerous.

The river is easily accessible along both sides, the E16 and the Austsidevegen. Many good fishing spots are marked and there are several fishing paths along the river. At some places you will find pit toilets and shelters. 

There are two different types of trout in the river: The local trout that is found in the river throughout the year, and the bigger, migrating trout from the Sperillen Lake that is only found in the river at certain periods of the year.

In the upper parts of the river, there are some areas with wild currents, but also smaller fish holes/ponds with calm waters. South of the Grimsrud Bridge the river flows calmly downwards into Lake Sperillen. In the summer the waters tend to flow with 20m³/sec to 60 m³/sec.

The Begna River is suitable for spoon bait, worm bait or fly fishing. The great variation in the river flow results in many exciting possibilities for varied fishing with rod. There are a lot of small fish in the river, but even trout the size of a kilogram are no exception. The record is held by a 9.2 kg Sperillen-trout, caught near the outflow of the Begna River into Lake Sperillen.
 

~ Fishing rules ~

Fishing with fishing rod and hand line is allowed along the 45 km river stretch from the outflow into Lake Sperillen up to Bagn. However, some exceptions apply. There are local signposts and you are personally responsible for making sure you fish in areas where your license is valid. South of the Grimsrud Bridge you may also fish from a boat. It is forbidden to use fish or fish meat as bait in order to prevent the spreading of fish diseases.

Fishing equipment used previously in other areas has to be cleaned thoroughly before being used in the Begna River. The disposal of water or fish waste into the Begna River from other lakes and rivers is prohibited.  

Please respect the general fire ban in the period 15. April to 15. September below the tree line and the guidelines given in the public right of access and minimize your impact. Please leave your fishing spot the same way as you found it. Fenced pastures: Always close all gates behind you to prevent grazing animals from escaping and getting hurt. 

Disregards will be charged.
 

~ Supervision ~

The fishing supervision can provide you with valuable information and recommendations. Always have a valid license to avoid being fined.
 

~ Fishing license ~

The Begna River fishing license applies for 24 hours, 3 days, one week or the whole season (calendar year).

The license is valid for fishing with rod from the shore. South of the Grimsrud Bridge, you may also fish from a boat. Children below 16 years fish for free, but they still need a license.

The fishing license is available online on www.inatur.no and www.begnaelv.no 

The Begna River is also a part of the «Fisking i Valdres» license (valid 15. June - 15. August) which is valid for many different lakes and rivers throughout the Valdres region.

~ Some recommendations ~

Trout

The trout fishing season normally lasts from early spring (around Easter) to 1. November. In early spring and late fall worm bait is the most usual. The fly fishing season starts in May-June with the insect hatching, reaching its peak in July-August. The larger Sperillen trout is most numerous in the late summer and fall. Recommended flies are those with tones of yellow and green. For spoon bait, combinations of yellow, black and gold are recommended.

Pike

This species is quite new to the Begna River, so unfortunately we don’t have much experience in pike fishing yet, other than that we can recommend fishing in shallow waters in the spring season. Through summer and fall it looks like the water temperature is of great importance for how active the pike are.