Welcome to Ørstaelva!

Ørstaelva is known for always offering fishing opportunities as there are fishing tickets available in many zones. There are plenty of tickets in each zone, ensuring there is always a chance to get one, and it is rare not to get one's first choice.

About the river:

Ørstaelva actually starts at the confluence of two rivers, Follestaddalselva and Åmdalselva, but the term is used to refer to the entire watercourse. Follestaddalselva is a typical western Norwegian flood river without significant lakes to regulate the water flow, but it is surrounded by high mountains in Follestaddalen and Romedalen, which helps retain water throughout the summer. Åmdalselva is partially regulated and flows from Vatnevatnet, a larger lake that also regulates the water flow to some extent.

About salmon fishing:

The river has approximately 22.4 km of salmon-bearing length. This includes 4.4 km in Ørstaelva, 4.7 km in Åmdalselva up to Vatnevatnet, and 9.5 km in Follestaddalselva up to Kolåsfossen. Additionally, one can consider the 3.8 km in Vatnevatnet and the river leading up to the power plant dam. In terms of water flow, the river can be considered a small salmon river, but it is one of the largest rivers in Sunnmøre. The river has a mostly consistent gradient without calm sections, with the greatest gradient occurring in the area around the confluence, both upstream and downstream.

Ørstaelva has traditionally been known as a river with a significant amount of "pjakk," which are fish weighing between 1-1.5 kg. However, in recent years, this has changed quite dramatically, and now more salmon are being caught than pjakk. The river also used to have a splendid sea trout population, with many fish weighing between 1 and 2 kg, and occasionally even larger ones. Unfortunately, like in most other rivers along the coast, this population has collapsed, and sea trout are now protected.

Fishing tickets:

The river is divided into many zones. In the upper parts, there is no organized ticket sales, so tickets must be purchased directly from the landowner. However, in the lower section, fishing is organized with ticket sales through Elveguiden. Tickets are available one week in advance. Access to fishing in the different zones is good. Photo: Image borrowed from Ørstaelva's Facebook page.