Angling Seasons – Germany

Winter

The diverse coastal waters around Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are great for recreational fishing all year round. In winter (December/January/February), after the closed season for salmon and sea trout has ended, fishing for salmonids can be promising (closed season within the coastal waters: 15 September–14 December). Winter is also a good time to catch pike within the brackish lagoons. Cod can be caught in the Baltic Sea nearly all year long, but you should be aware of the closed season in February and March, in which a lower bag limit for this species exists (from 1 February to 31 March it’s 3 fish per day, 5 fish per day during the rest of the year).

Spring

As water temperatures rise in spring (March/April/May), the chances of catching sea trout are great, and seasonal guests come to the coasts around Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In March and April herring swarms and from the end of April until June garfish migrate to the coastal waters. In summer (June/July/August), you can catch mackerel in the Baltic Sea.

Summer and autumn

During summer and autumn, the coastal lagoons are quite interesting for fishing pikeperch, perch and pike – but take the closed seasons for pike (1 March–30 April) and pikeperch (23 April–22 May) into account. Big herring can be caught in autumn (September/October/November) again. Additionally, this time of the year is really great for catching cod and flatfish like flounder, dab and plaice – especially if you prefer fishing directly from the coast, like surfcasting or wading. Be aware of the bag limit of 5 fish per day for cod during this season.

]For further information about closed seasons and the minimum sizes of the species mentioned, click here. Before fishing, always check the current regulations concerning closed seasons and bag limits at lallf.de.