A superb new lodge on one of Iceland’s most intimate and prolific Atlantic salmon rivers.
There has been an exciting development on the beautiful Svarlbardsa River in North-East Iceland, with a brand-new lodge now completed on the banks of the river.
For anyone who has followed FishTravel for a while, the Svarlbardsa will need little introduction. This wonderfully remote and intimate river offers exclusive fishing to just three rods, with a remarkable amount of water available and some superb Atlantic salmon fishing.
The new lodge adds another dimension to what was already one of our favourite small-river fishing experiences in Iceland.
A NEW HOME ON THE SVARLBARDSA
The new lodge has been built amongst the lower reaches of the river, providing anglers with an extremely comfortable base right beside the fishing.
Its position is superb. This is a wonderfully quiet and secluded part of North-East Iceland, surrounded by mountains and open countryside, with the river itself only a stone’s throw away.
The lodge has been designed to make the most of this setting, including a spacious outside decking area – the perfect place to sit after fishing, enjoy a drink and take in the surroundings.
For a river that already offered such a special sense of isolation and exclusivity, the addition of the new lodge makes the overall experience even better.
JUST THREE RODS ON THE ENTIRE RIVER
One of the great attractions of the Svarlbardsa remains its exclusivity.
There are only three rods fishing the entire river, giving anglers an enormous amount of water to explore without feeling pressured to move quickly from pool to pool.
The Svarlbardsa is relatively small, clear and intimate. Rather than simply fishing a succession of large, obvious pools, there are numerous pockets, channels, runs and lies where salmon can settle.
It makes for wonderfully interesting fishing – particularly for anglers who enjoy searching for fish and covering water with a single-handed rod.
The river produced an exceptional 429 salmon to its three rods during the 2024 season, demonstrating just how productive this little river can be. 394 in 2025, and already on 197 for 2026 (as of mid-August)! Including an incredible fish of 103cm!
BEAUTIFUL, CRYSTAL-CLEAR SALMON FISHING
The main quarry is Atlantic salmon, with a mixture of grilse and larger multi-sea-winter fish entering the river.
The crystal-clear water lends itself perfectly to light tackle and exciting techniques such as hitch fishing. A single-handed rod and floating line will comfortably cover most of the river, although a switch rod can be useful on some of the larger pools.
There are also occasional sea trout, brown trout and sea-run Arctic char, although salmon remain very much the primary attraction.
Access to much of the lower river is straightforward, with a gravel road following the river. Higher upstream the character changes dramatically, with anglers continuing on foot through the canyon towards the spectacular waterfall and Pool #1.
It is a beautiful river to explore as well as fish.
A TRUE ICELANDIC ESCAPE
Reaching the Svarlbardsa is part of the adventure.
Most anglers fly domestically from Reykjavik to Akureyri before collecting a hire car and driving approximately three hours along Iceland’s spectacular north coast.
Once there, you are very much away from the crowds.
That remoteness, combined with only three rods, private use of the fishing and now a superb new lodge, makes the Svarlbardsa particularly appealing to small groups wanting their own Icelandic salmon fishing adventure.
Prime fishing is generally late July, throughout August and into early September. Being so far north, the Svarlbardsa tends to fish slightly later than many of Iceland’s better-known west-coast salmon rivers.
FISH THE SVARLBARDSA
The Svarlbardsa has always been one of those rivers that is difficult to convey properly until you see it – small, clear, remote and extraordinarily productive for just three rods.
The arrival of the new lodge makes it an even more complete destination.
For current dates, availability and prices, please contact FishTravel. Email: info@fishtravel.co.uk
