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Fishing in Mediterranean

Warm water for bluefin tuna, white grouper and common dentex. Late summer and early autumn are the most productive stretch.

98
Species
295
Fishing ground
1
Regulations

What sets the Mediterranean apart?

The Mediterranean is the warmest and the saltiest of the seas of Türkiye. Those two properties set the fishing calendar directly: the catalog is at its fullest in late August and September — the time when the season is starting to close in the other three seas.

The high water temperature brings species here that the northern seas do not hold. Warm-water fish such as common dentex, white grouper and Atlantic bluefin tuna are the defining part of the Mediterranean records.

Depth builds fast

The continental shelf is narrow along the Mediterranean coast: a few hundred meters out from the shore, the depth climbs quickly. That makes shore fishing different from the Aegean — there is little room to work by walking long distances over a shallow plateau, but deep-water species can be reached from points close in.

The bottom rig and LRF lead the technique order, and that trolling and jigging appear on the list at all has to do with this structure: inshore and deep-water fishing can both be done in the same area.

Month by month

  • March – June: common dentex, common two-banded seabream and gilthead seabream open up; as the water warms, the variety widens.
  • July – September: the peak of the year. Atlantic bluefin tuna, Atlantic bonito and bluefish in the same stretch.
  • October – November: European seabass and bluefish keep going, and as the temperature drops the season narrows.
  • December – February: the quietest stretch; shore fishing is largely limited to European seabass and flathead grey mullet.

Few grounds on record so far

The list of fishing grounds on this page is noticeably short next to the other three seas, and every record on it sits on the Muğla coast. No records have been entered yet for the shores of Antalya, Mersin, Adana and Hatay — that is a gap in the data, it does not mean there is no fishing on those coasts.

The species, season and regulation information holds for the whole Mediterranean; what is missing is only the point-by-point ground records. If you know a ground, you can write to us about it.

What is caught in Mediterranean in September

Season calendar

Mediterranean yields the most species in Sep, Aug, Apr — the strip shows how many species are productive in each month.

  1. 39 Jan
  2. 40 Feb
  3. 51 Mar
  4. 61 Apr
  5. 58 May
  6. 58 Jun
  7. 59 Jul
  8. 63 Aug
  9. 67 Sep
  10. 59 Oct
  11. 41 Nov
  12. 39 Dec

The height of the strip is the number of productive species in that month; it is not a guarantee of a catch. The turquoise column is the current month.

Techniques used

  1. Bottom 32 species
  2. LRF 24 species
  3. Jig 13 species
  4. Trolling 13 species
  5. Float 12 species
  6. Spin 11 species
  7. Sabiki 7 species
  8. Surf 5 species
  9. Drifting 1 species
  10. Popping 1 species

The numbers are how many species use that technique in this sea. The order changes from sea to sea.

Natural baits

  1. Shrimp 30 species
  2. Sardine 22 species
  3. Squid 19 species
  4. Worm 13 species
  5. Fish flesh 11 species
  6. Mamun 11 species
  7. Bread 9 species
  8. Anchovy 8 species
  9. Mussel 8 species
  10. Cuttlefish 5 species
  11. Crab 4 species
  12. Live bait 3 species
  13. Horse mackerel 3 species
  14. Sülünez 3 species
  15. Seaweed 3 species
  16. Octopus 2 species
  17. Mackerel 2 species
  18. Garfish 2 species
  19. Chicken 1 species
  20. Prawn 1 species

The numbers are how many species use that bait in this sea. The order changes from sea to sea.

Species caught in Mediterranean

This sea has 98 species on record. Protected species are not in this list — they have their own section below.

See all 98 species

In the species catalog you can filter by month, technique and bait.

Frequently asked

Which fish are caught in Mediterranean?
98 species are on record in Mediterranean: İstavrit, Sarıkuyruk istavrit, Çipura, İspari, Kupez, Lüfer, Melanur, İzmarit and others.
Which techniques is fishing done with in Mediterranean?
The most common techniques: Bottom, LRF, Jig, Trolling and Float.
Which baits are used in Mediterranean?
The most common natural baits: Shrimp, Sardine, Squid, Worm and Fish flesh.
How many fishing grounds are there in Mediterranean?
Mediterranean has 295 fishing grounds on record; each has its own page with the location, the species caught and the conditions that suit it.

Fishing grounds

A total of 295 grounds; the first 90 of them are below.

See all 295 grounds on the map

Rules specific to this sea

Taken from the communiqué of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, not summarized. What binds is the official publication.

  • Regional closed season

    Catching and retaining are prohibited during the stated period.

    Legal basis: 6/2 md. 11/7 – Çizelge 6 communiqué text

    Regional closed season

    6/2 md. 11/7 – Çizelge 6

    Catching and retaining are prohibited during the stated period.

    The table in our records

    Closed season
    1 March – 31 May
    Gear and method
    All recreational fishing including rod and line
    Exception
    The start and end days are included in the ban

    The article text is taken from the communiqué. The table above was carried into our own records from the relevant rows of the communiqué and may be abridged. The official publication is what binds. Official communiqué (PDF) →

Species closed to fishing

This list applies to every sea, not to this one alone. The catalog holds 53 protected species in total; if one takes your hook, return it to the sea unharmed.

All 53 protected species

The other seas