Svínavatn is located in Húnavatnshreppur, A- Húnavatnssýsla, near the town of Blönduós.
Svínavatn rises to 130 m. above sea level, covering just about 12 km². The deepest point is 38,5 m. The lake itself is 11 km long and 2,1 km where it’s widest. Two rivers feed into the lake from the south, Sléttá and Svínadalsá and one feeds from it to the north, Efri-laxá.

The name of the lake comes from a folklore story about one of the first settlers of the area, a man called Ingimundur the Old who settled in a nearby valley. It is said that one summer when Ingimundur was herding his pigs alongside the lake one hog by the name of  Beigaður tried to make a run for it and jumped into the lake and attempted to swim across were the it is narrowest. He made it across but was so exhausted after the swim that he died almost immediately after he came ashore on the other side. He died on a small hill which still bears his name, Beigaðarhóll. Ever since then the lake has been called Svínavatn or hogs lake.

In the wintertime the Lake often freezes over. Back in the day people used to make shortcuts over the ice when they traveled. Occasionally people would fall through the ice and drown. After a few priests had fallen through the ice and drowned while traveling between two churches that are on either side of the lake a fairly strong superstition was born. That something evil lurked underneath the surface of the water and was snatching people though the ice, many stopped traveling over the ice because of it.

A fair amount of freshwater fish lives in the lake, mostly brown trout but also Artic Char. Fishing is popular in the summertime. The fishing season starts on the 1st of June and last until the 31st of August. A fishing license is needed which can be bought at www.Veidikortid.is

• Fishing Potential: Brown trout is the most common catch, yet char can be expected as well.
• Fishing hours: Fishing is allowed from dawn to dusk.
• Fishing season: June 1st and August 31st.
• Bait: All bait is allowed: Fly, worm and lure.
• Best time of day: There is an equal distribution throughout the season.
• Rules: Littering and off-road driving is strictly prohibited.  Please have the Fishing Card handy when landlord visit.

Get fishing card here