Kemijärvi – Pelkosenniemi – Savukoski – Salla

What a fisherman on the road might need

When you head for Eastern Lapland's clear rivers, its great lakes, or its quiet wilderness streams, a successful trip is backed up by good support services. Below you'll find the area's best fishing-tackle shops, cafés, and restaurants — the ones that keep your gear in order and your energy high.

Wilderness Cemter Naava, Pyhätunturi

Fishing tackle and gear

Before heading out onto the water, it's worth making sure lines, flies, lures, and other essential gear are in order. The area has good specialty shops and local points for restocking.

 • Urheilusivakka — a well-known sporting and outdoor-goods store in central Kemijärvi. Excellent selection of lures and lines proven on local waters, plus other trekking gear.

• Koillis-Tarvike Oy — a large tools and general-supplies shop on Sysimiehentie. Waders, outboard-motor parts, and small essentials if something critical got left behind.

• Veskun kalaverkot — specialising in net-fishing gear and nets for those who practise more traditional methods.

• SEO Pelkosenniemi — a service station on the Sodankylä road that acts as a fisherman's lifeline: fuel, plus local fishing licences and small trekking supplies.

• Naava Nature Centre (Pyhätunturi) — an excellent place for current national-park rules and regional fishing licences.

• K-Market Pyhäntähti — a licence-sales point in the fell area, where you can pick up supplies on the same trip.

 • Korvatunturi Visitor Centre, Savukoski — a Metsähallitus (Finnish Forest Service) point offering advice on Eastern Lapland's wilderness routes, Urho Kekkonen National Park, and its river-fishing spots.

• Joulumuorin Tupa / Savukoski campsite — sells fishing licences for Savukoski's legendary wilderness waters, and rents canoes for river trips.

Nothing beats a hot, satisfying meal after a day's fishing. The area's restaurants make excellent use of local ingredients — reindeer, game, and local fish.

• Central lunch spots and cafés — several lunch restaurants and chain outlets can be found in central Kemijärvi for quicker appetites. Grocery stores (K-Supermarket Kauppapaikka and S-Market Uitto) let you pick up fresh provisions straight for the boat or the lean-to.

 • Bistro Vanha Pappila (Pelkosenniemi village) — a very popular, atmospheric village bistro. Serves a tasty home-style lunch, wonderful house-made gluten-free bakes, and a cosy setting for a peaceful moment.

• Café Loimu (Pyhätunturi) — a restaurant attached to the Naava Nature Centre, with a varied daily lunch buffet and a popular menu item: a pike burger made from locally caught Kemijärvi pike.

• Café Vuopio (Kairala village) — a summer café in a historic Peräpohjola-style building dating to 1814. Serves soup lunches (including an excellent salmon soup) and fully lactose- and gluten-free house bakes.

 • Hotelli Samperin Savotta — a resort on the bank of the Kemijoki, its restaurant serving traditional, home-style Lappish food such as sautéed reindeer and a full spread. A perfect base for an angler.

• Tulppion Majat — a legendary base deep in the Savukoski wilderness, near the Nuorttijoki fishing grounds. Their restaurant serves hearty food, including their famous reindeer burgers, to keep hunger at bay for a long while.
Salla

 • Keloravintola (Sallatunturi) — an atmospheric log restaurant right by the slopes and fishing routes. The menu includes smoked-reindeer pizza, giant burgers, and traditional Lappish pancakes.

• Ravintola Sallan Maja — a cosy dining spot near the centre, known for friendly service and a traditional, high-quality sautéed reindeer.

 • Boat and canoe hire — a canoe is essential for getting around on the rivers. Ask about rental at Joulumuorin Tupa in Savukoski.

• Fuel and service — in an area of long distances, it pays to keep the tank full. Besides central Kemijärvi, Pelkosenniemi's SEO station and the village stations in Salla and Savukoski offer 24/7 automated pumps.

• Local fishing guides — if you want to make sure of a catch, Jänkäkoira fishing-tourism outfit operates in Vuostimo village along Highway 5, and knows the area's best lies.