🎣 Fishing & smoking

Herring and plaice: fishing on the North Sea and Baltic coast

3 min read · Season: Spring · October 5, 2026

Herring and plaice are two of the most accessible fish on the German coast. In spring, herring come into the fjords and harbours in large shoals; plaice live as flatfish on sandy ground and can be caught from the beach, the pier or a boat.

What to check first

Fishing licence: According to the state information sheet, Schleswig-Holstein generally requires a fishing licence – the sheet covers the rules for inland and coastal waters. As an exception, visitors can buy a temporary holiday fishing licence. On top of that comes the fishing levy. Other German states have their own rules – check with the responsible authority before your first cast
Minimum sizes and closed seasons (Schleswig-Holstein, according to the information sheet, as of February 2026; measured from the tip of the head to the end of the tail fin):
- Plaice: North Sea 27 cm, Baltic 25 cm; female plaice in the Baltic protected from 1 February to 30 April
- Herring: North Sea 20 cm
Cod: According to the state of Schleswig-Holstein, recreational fishing for cod in the western Baltic remains banned in 2026 – release any by-catch immediately and carefully
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania publishes its own minimum sizes (LALLF); it also lists 25 cm for plaice

The rules change frequently. Check the current status with the state before every season.

Fishing for herring

When: In spring, when the herring move into shallow coastal waters to spawn
Where: Harbour piers, bridges and fjords where the shoals pass by
Rig: A herring rig (paternoster) with several small, shiny hooks and a lead weight at the end. Cast, let it sink and retrieve in short twitches
When they bite, several often hang on at once – only keep as many as you can process

Fishing for plaice

When: From late spring into autumn
Where: Sandy ground off beaches and piers; from a boat over sandbanks
Rig: Ledger rig with a running lead or a flatfish spoon, baited with lugworm or ragworm
Plaice often swim off calmly with the bait – do not strike too early

Killing and handling

According to the Schleswig-Holstein information sheet, flatfish such as plaice are killed by severing the spine with a quick cut. Before that, the fish must be stunned in line with animal-welfare rules, according to the sheet. Chill your catch immediately. According to the BVL, raw fish keeps for about a day in the fridge at four degrees.

In the kitchen

Cook it through: According to the BVL, raw fish can contain live parasites that reach herring through the marine food chain. Fish is cooked when it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork
Raw or marinated: If fish is to be eaten raw, it must be frozen at –20 °C for several days, according to the BVL. This also applies to home-pickled herring that is not heated
Herring: Fried, as fried pickled herring or smoked. For smoking, see "Hot-smoking fish"
Plaice: Classically pan-fried, for example "Finkenwerder style" with bacon

Sources

Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Areas, European Affairs and Consumer Protection Schleswig-Holstein: Merkblatt zur Ausgabe in Verbindung mit einem Urlauberfischereischein, as of Feb 2026, accessed 5 Oct 2026
State of Schleswig-Holstein: Freizeitfischerei auf Dorsch in der westlichen Ostsee auch im Jahr 2026 verboten, accessed 5 Oct 2026
State Office for Agriculture, Food Safety and Fisheries Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (LALLF): Mindestmaße/Schonzeiten, accessed 5 Oct 2026
Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL): Hygienischer Umgang mit Fisch, accessed 5 Oct 2026

The sources support individual statements in this article. The organisations named have neither reviewed nor endorsed it.