Fishing in Germany

A Fischereischein usually requires passing a state exam, which makes casual visiting difficult — except in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which sells an exam-free tourist licence.

5 researched spots — 3 Freshwater, 2 Saltwater.

Licences and permits in Germany

Germany is the hardest country on this list to fish on impulse, and it is worth understanding why before booking. Fishing law is made by each federal state, and the standard route to a Fischereischein is passing a state fishing examination covering fish species, tackle, law and animal welfare — not something a visitor arranges in a fortnight. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern deliberately built an exception: its state authority issues a Touristenfischereischein to people who do not hold an exam-based licence, valid in the state's coastal and inland waters for up to 28 consecutive days, extendable more than once in the same calendar year, and available from local authorities and issuing offices or digitally since December 2024. No exam is required; instead you receive an information brochure and are obliged to learn from it. In every German state, the licence is only half of it — you also need an Erlaubnisschein for the particular water.

When to fish in Germany

German fishing runs on a temperate calendar with real closed seasons behind it. On the Müritz lakes, autumn is the pike window from September to November, zander fish best at dusk, and spring fishing opens up after the closed season ends. The Rhine at Karlsruhe is a summer-nights and autumn-feeding river, and it responds to a rise in water. Pike and zander both carry closed seasons and minimum sizes, and because the dates are set by each state rather than nationally, the same species can be open on one side of a state boundary and closed on the other. Night fishing rules and permitted baits vary the same way, so read the rules for the specific water.

What the fishing is like

The five published German spots split between freshwater and the coast. Inland, the Müritz lakes in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are a large, connected, beginner-friendly lake district for northern pike, zander and perch, and the one part of Germany a visitor can realistically fish without an exam. The Rhine at Karlsruhe is big, industrialised river water for carp, pike and wels catfish, and the Elbe at Hamburg is a tidal working river through a port city, where zander hold along harbour walls and fish best after dark. On the coast, Rügen is Germany's premier sea trout shoreline, best in the cold months, and Sylt is the North Sea option, where bass have become a genuine target in warm summers. If you are coming to Germany specifically to fish, the licensing rules alone argue for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Guides covering Germany

  • Where to fish if you have never fished — Most of what gets written about these destinations assumes you already fish. This is the opposite list — real places, drawn straight from AnglerDeck's own spot pages, that are genuinely built for a first trip, plus a short list of what to save for later.
  • A year of fishing seasons, by country — Nineteen countries don't share one calendar — half run on the northern hemisphere's clock, some on the tropics' wet and dry seasons, a few on their own statutory closures entirely. This lays the year out month by month, so a trip gets planned around when a country actually fishes well, not just when it's convenient to fly.
  • Fishing licences in Europe, compared — Nine European countries, and nine different answers to "what do I actually need to fish here". Some issue a licence nationally, some regionally, some through a local association, and one makes you sit an exam. Every claim traces to the agency that made the rule.

Species you can target

  • European bass
  • bream
  • carp
  • cod
  • flounder
  • garfish
  • mackerel
  • northern pike
  • perch
  • pike
  • sea trout
  • wels catfish
  • zander

Fishing spots in Germany

  • Rhine at Karlsruhe — Baden-Württemberg. Freshwater, Intermediate. Target species: carp, pike, wels catfish.
  • Müritz Lakes — Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Freshwater, Beginner. Target species: northern pike, zander, perch.
  • Rügen Sea Trout — Rügen, Baltic Coast. Saltwater, Intermediate. Target species: sea trout, cod, garfish.
  • Elbe at Hamburg — Hamburg. Freshwater, Intermediate. Target species: zander, wels catfish, bream.
  • Sylt North Sea — Sylt, Schleswig-Holstein. Saltwater, Intermediate. Target species: European bass, mackerel, flounder.

Official sources

Licence requirements and closed seasons change regularly. Always confirm with the relevant fisheries authority before you fish — each spot page links to its source.

Fishing regulations and licences by country · Fishing guides · View the fishing map