Fisherman caught with seven rainbow trout in cooler bag, ejected from Danish lake

A recreational angler was expelled from Stauning Fiskesø in western Denmark after the lake’s owner discovered seven rainbow trout in the fisherman’s cooler—far exceeding the two-fish-per-hour limit—according to a report by Danish broadcaster DR.

Birgitte Vinding, who owns the private pay-to-fish lake adjacent to her property, said she confronted the angler after noticing the violation. The fisherman had paid for three hours of access but had already caught seven trout, well beyond the 12-fish maximum allowed for that duration.

“It’s fundamentally about trust,” Vinding told DR, adding that such breaches are particularly disappointing when committed by regular visitors. “If it’s someone I don’t know, I get angry and might scold them. But when it’s someone I recognize, it’s a huge betrayal of trust—that really upsets me.”

The incident prompted Vinding to post about the overfishing on the lake’s Facebook page, sparking a debate that reached nearly half a million people. The post has since garnered over 2,000 likes and 500 comments, with opinions divided over whether the rules are too strict or the enforcement justified.

Vinding defended her stance, stating the need to set an example. “People need to know there is oversight. It’s also fair to those who follow the rules.” She admitted to previously sharing the angler’s license plate with other pay-to-fish lakes—a practice she has since stopped after realizing it may not comply with privacy laws.

“If I expect others to follow the rules here, I must follow the rules myself,” she said.

The fisherman was banned from the lake. Stauning Fiskesø permits only rainbow trout to be kept, with carp and sturgeon strictly catch-and-release.