The river Gacka – a silent beauty

The beauty Gacka, including its tributaries, is 61 km long and quietly originates in an unexpected manner below Godača in Sinac. After flowing out of the karst underground, it shows its liveliness and playfulness after only fifty meters, by falling with small waterfalls, thus creating the main river or its tributaries. It lazily meanders further on down the plain until Karlo’s channel (Karlov kanal) at Otočac, after which it merges with the river Lika.


Even though it is a karstic river by all its attributes, Gacka has an extremely slow and calm flow with a uniform water quantity. Apart from the uniform abundance of its source, the river Gacka is also known for its stability and small temperature differences. The average annual temperature is 9.4 °C (7.9 °C in the winter and 10.8 °C in the summer), which is extremely suitable for the salmonid family of fishes. The Gacka river water is rich in oxygen (p,1 to 13.5 mg/l), even supersaturated, while its chemical composition is mildly alkaline, fairly hard and rich in calcium salts. The Gacka river has a very rich flora and fauna. The aquatic vegetation of mosses, algae and woody plants is lush due to favorable water temperature, good chemical composition, and muddy bottom.


From its fish species, Gacka is world-renowned for its brown trout (Salmo trutta), which makes it a mecca for passionate anglers. Due to the abundance of food, the brown trout in the river Gacka grows 5-7 times faster than in any other trout water in the world. For this very reason, Gacka brown trout capital specimens can grow up to 5 kg.


The Gacka river’s fishing season begins on the 1st March and ends on the 31st of October. Angling regime
The main course of the river Gacka is divided into angling grounds A, B, and C.
The angling ground A consists of Gacka river’s course from the Tonković vrilo spring until Stanišić (Rogić) bridge, also including the Sinaška pučina from the pond dam to the confluence into the river Gacka. Only fly angling is allowed. This angling ground is specified as a CATCH AND RELEASE fishing ground, particularly in the Podgora bridge zone (the first bridge), upstream until the Sinačka pučina – Gacka confluence.
The zone from the Knjapovac stream to Tonković vrilo is a natural reserve where angling is prohibited. The angling ground B consists of the Gacka river’s course from Stanišić bridge until the confluence of the Gacka river into Poljica tunnel. Fly angling and any type of artificial bait are permitted. The angling ground C consists of Švičko lake and Gusić polje lake. Any type of artificial bait angling is permitted.
Weights and floats are not permitted while angling with an artificial fly.

The price of 1-day angling permit: HRK 250.00
Sports fishing permit-issuing: * GACKA d.o.o., Otočac, Ul. Bartola Kašića 5A

Author: www.tz-otocac.hr

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