Season Calendar: Which Fish Bites When

Fishing Calendar – The Best Time for Every Fish

Spring (March–May)

• Pike — very active after spawning, but protected – in North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, from 15 February to 30 April
• Perch — moves into shallow areas
• Grayling — spawns in spring and is protected then, in some states even all year round; where it's open, late summer to autumn is its time
• Observe closed seasons (brown trout, for example in North Rhine-Westphalia from 20 October to 15 March)

Summer (June–August)

• Carp — loves warm water, night fishing recommended
• Catfish — prefers warm nights
• Eel — best time June to September
• Avoid the midday heat: fish hold deep and bite poorly

Autumn (September–November)

• Pike — absolute peak season
• Zander — October and November are prime
• Trout — September is excellent; in many states the closed season starts in October

Winter (December–February)

• Burbot — one of the few winter spawners, loves the cold
• Perch — even under ice with tiny baits
• Slow bait presentation and patience are key

Important: check closed seasons in the fishing rights calendar for your state!

Sources

• State of North Rhine-Westphalia: Landesfischereiverordnung (LFischVO), as of version in force from 9 Dec 2025, accessed 5 Oct 2026

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