Visit Laxtrappan in Gullspång where the unique Gullspång salmon spawn in the fall. A salmon ladder has been built in the lower and steepest part of Gullspångsforsen to make it easier for salmon and trout to reach the spawning ground below the dam gates in the power plant dam.
Unique species The flowing waters of the Gullspång River are home to the unique Gullspång salmon, a species that spawns naturally in only one place in the world. The river flows through the community of Gullspång and connects the two lakes Skagern and Vänern.
Take polarized sunglasses with you, they make it easier to see the fish. It can also be good to have a little patience with you because it is sometimes not easy to see the fish in the dark water as the spawning suit makes them darker than usual. It is fine to bring a packed lunch, tables and benches are available.
Autumn is a time for spawning The spawning season for salmon and trout can vary from year to year, but a rule of thumb is that spawning takes place during October and November. Alongside the salmon live the trout, which also thrive in our rapids. You are welcome to visit the stairs during spawning season or all year round. There is written information on site that tells you more about the species and its conditions. But for the best possible chance to see the spawning salmon, we recommend that you walk up to the quieter spawning area about 400 meters upstream.
A salmon ladder is built In the early 1900s, a power plant dam was built in Gullspång to extract hydropower from the large Gullspång rapids. This blocked the Gullspång salmon's natural route to the spawning grounds in Lake Skagern, and parts of the river channel were dried up. The salmon's normal environment was destroyed and the species was close to extinction. In 2004, the Goldfinch Salmon Project was launched, with the aim of preserving the small salmon population that remained. A salmon ladder was constructed in the lower and steepest part of Gullspångsforsen.
New spawning areas created The salmon ladder was built by blasting out the bottom of the rapids in stages and creating small pools using cast 'steps'. The entire minimum flow is released through the fishway, making it easier for salmon and trout to find their way up. Together with the measures implemented in Gullspångsforsen, this means that new spawning and nursery areas are created in a previously dry part of the river and salmon can now once again migrate up here to spawn.
Directions
Directions From road 26, turn into Gullspång center. Follow Storgatan and pass the center core, park at the designated parking on the left side of the road (Brogatan). During playtime, yellow-green road signs are posted on road 26. At the parking lot, there are then small signs that show the stairs and playground. Extra parking spaces are available at the parking lot at Fortum's premises. There is a bus stop in the center of Gullspång, about 600 meters from Laxtrappan.
