Ämmäkoski

• The fishing season starts at 12.00 and ends at 11.59. A daily permit costs 50 euros. 3 permits are available per day, plus 3 permits per day for the Warkauden Urheilukalastajat. In addition, the town, as the owner of the water area, has reserved the right to 2 permits per day.
• During the term of the agreement, lake trout, lake salmon and grayling will be fully rested in the rapids area, fishing will be on a catch-and-release basis for salmonids, and fishing will be concentrated on other fish species.
• Fishing is prohibited in the entire Ämmäkoski rapids area from 1 September to 30 November.
• The angler may use one (1) free pole with one line. The rod must be in the fisherman's hand or within arm's reach, at a maximum distance of two metres. The pole may not be left alone when fishing. In the rapids and stream areas, ootto-only hooks are prohibited.
• Only handless hooks may be used in the rapids area of the Ämmäkoski River. A maximum of two single hooks may be used on the line (spaced at least 50 cm apart), with a maximum hook size of 2 with a maximum bit of 11 mm.
• Fishing in the rapids must stop when the water temperature rises above 20 C.
• In the rapids and river areas, the use of bait paste, silicone balls or natural baits such as larvae, worms, shrimps or spotted fish is prohibited. Fishing from a boat is not allowed. Nets, catnets, longlines and other static gear are also prohibited.
• As a permit holder, the fisherman is obliged to keep records and report information on the fish caught and released. Instructions are available at the time of permit purchase.
• The fisherman must have paid the state fishing fee.
• Fishermen move about the area at their own risk. The City of Varkaus is not liable for any damage caused in the area.

Non-fishing Areas in Kämäri And Ämmäkoski

View the non-fishing area's map as a PDF file

• River trout and lake salmon are fully funded in the rapids area, fishing is on a catch-and-release basis, with an emphasis on other fish species.
• Grouse: (Minimum size 42 cm) Quota 3 fish/day.
• Lemon trout: Quota 3 fish per day.

Fishing activities in Ämmäkoski are carried out in cooperation with the City of Varkaus, the fishing authority, Warkauden Urheilukalastajat, the fishing district of Haukivesi and the sub-communities of the lower Varkaus obligatory areas. The stocking is primarily aimed at supporting the natural reproduction of lake trout, lake salmon and grayling. No rainbow trout will be stocked in the pond area.

The rich fishing waters and rapids of Varkaus attracted fishermen to the area long before the emergence of permanent settlement. In particular, the salmon in the rapids, which were scarcely found elsewhere in the nearby waters, attracted fishermen.

The Swedish crown was also attracted to the rapids, and Gustav Vasa declared the wilderness to belong to "God, the King and the Swedish crown". In the 16th century, the Kruunukalastamo was established in Varkaus under the auspices of Olavinlinna Castle, and the right to fish was also considered to belong to the Crown. Salmon were stocked in the pond and special salmon-farming ponds were built. Fishing expeditions came to Varkaus twice a year, in spring and autumn during the spawning season. The catch was mainly salmon and whitefish, with some pike, bream, bream, perch and perch.

The rapids of Varkaus tell the story of industrial history. The power of the rapids was harnessed in the 1700s for the use of mills, which preceded the birth of the Varkaus pottery, or industry, in 1815.

Around the time of the Varkaus pot, half of the fishery belonged to the ruuk. Paul Wahl & Co had its own fishermen in Varkaus in the second half of the 19th century, who caught salmon from Ämmäkoski for the management's dining tables. The Kalapirtti, one of the oldest buildings in Varkaus, served as a base for this work.

In the 19th century, catching salmon was only allowed with a special permit, which was obtained by paying an annual fee to the workers' sickness fund. Permits were issued to factory officials and visiting fishermen from home and abroad. In the 19th century, the area was visited in summer by a large number of English sports fishermen in particular. Even with a special permit, only angling was allowed; other gear was only allowed to be used by the mill's own fishermen.

After industrialisation, the rapids and its islands were owned by A. Ahlström Oy. Until 2022, the fishing rights to the rapids were leased to the Warkauden Urheilukalastajat association. Today, the water area is owned by the City of Varkaus.

• The rapids area has a shelter with fireplaces and tables and benches for picnics.
• Vanha Varkaus The restaurant, accommodation and shopping facilities of the area are located about 300 metres away on Päiviönsaari.
• Public toilet facilities at Varkaus swimming pool at Ilopisara (please note summer opening hours).
• The beautiful Kämäri Island is located between Ämmäkoski and the historic Taipale canal area.
• Parking in the Navitas Taitotalo parking lot on the Ämmäkoski side of the road at Wredenkatu 1-3.

This restoration project has made possible a unique set of watercourses on a Nordic scale. Ämmäkoski, located in the centre of the city of Varkaus, has been watered by an environmental flow and extensively restored for migratory fish. In 2022, a natural channel was built past the dam, along which migratory fish can reach their breeding grounds in Unnukka and Kassivesi. More than 750 square kilometres of water bodies where migratory fish have had limited access for more than 100 years were restored to the endangered fish.

The restoration project is part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's NOUSU programme, which promotes the natural life cycle of migratory fish by improving the living conditions of migratory fish and restoring the natural reproduction of migratory fish stocks in Finnish rivers. The project is funded and steered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, WWF, the City of Varkaus, Stora Enso Oyj, The ELY-keskus of the North Savonia and Navitas Kehitys Oy, the project's main contractor.