Representative image
Türkiye
Turkish Mediterranean Fishing Map
Warm water for bluefin tuna, white grouper and common dentex. Late summer and early autumn are the most productive stretch.
MediterraneanAll 295 grounds on the map
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.
01 / Discover the coast
Turkish Mediterranean fishing spots 295
Choose a place, explore its details or go straight to its pin on the map.
A total of 295 grounds; the first 90 of them are below.
Matching grounds:
Show 84 more grounds
No matching grounds. Try another place or explore all grounds on the map.
02 / Species
What can you catch in the Turkish Mediterranean?
Meet the species recorded in these waters. Open a species for its techniques, bait and fishing grounds.
Matching species:
Atlantic horse mackerel
Trachurus trachurus
Mediterranean horse mackerel
Trachurus mediterraneus
Gilthead seabream
Sparus aurata
Annular seabream
Diplodus annularis
Bogue
Boops boops
Bluefish
Pomatomus saltatrix
Saddled seabream
Oblada melanurus
Picarel
Spicara smaris
Sand steenbras
Lithognathus mormyrus
European barracuda
Sphyraena sphyraena
Pompano
Trachinotus ovatus
Garfish
Belone belone
European seabass
Dicentrarchus labrax
Golden grey mullet
Chelon auratus
Thinlip grey mullet
Chelon ramada
Thicklip grey mullet
Chelon labrosus
Flathead grey mullet
Mugil cephalus
Leaping mullet
Chelon saliens
Mediterranean sand smelt
Atherina hepsetus
Meagre
Argyrosomus regius
Big-scale sand smelt
Atherina boyeri
Black goby
Gobius niger
Brown meagre
Sciaena umbra
Common two-banded seabream
Diplodus vulgaris
White seabream
Diplodus sargus
Salema porgy
Sarpa salpa
Striped red mullet
Mullus surmuletus
Greater weever
Trachinus draco
European anchovy
Engraulis encrasicolus
European squid
Loligo vulgaris
European sardine
Sardina pilchardus
Yellowmouth barracuda
Sphyraena viridensis
Common smooth-hound
Mustelus mustelus
Common octopus
Octopus vulgaris
Leerfish
Lichia amia
Devil firefish
Pterois miles
Silver-cheeked toadfish
Lagocephalus sceleratus
Red mullet
Mullus barbatus
Small red scorpionfish
Scorpaena notata
European hake
Merluccius merluccius
Por's goatfish
Upeneus pori
Red gurnard
Chelidonichthys cuculus
Common sole
Solea solea
Dusky spinefoot
Siganus luridus
Red porgy
Pagrus pagrus
Atlantic stargazer
Uranoscopus scaber
Shore rockling
Gaidropsarus mediterraneus
Mediterranean rainbow wrasse
Coris julis
Comber
Serranus cabrilla
Comber
Serranus cabrilla
Tentacled blenny
Parablennius tentacularis
Black scorpionfish
Scorpaena porcus
Half-smooth golden puffer
Lagocephalus spadiceus
Atlantic horse mackerel
Trachurus trachurus
Small-spotted catshark
Scyliorhinus canicula
Swordfish
Xiphias gladius
Tub gurnard
Chelidonichthys lucerna
Lessepsian lizardfish
Saurida lessepsianus
Atlantic chub mackerel
Scomber colias
European conger
Conger conger
Giant goby
Gobius cobitis
Spotted weever
Trachinus araneus
Bluespotted cornetfish
Fistularia commersonii
White grouper
Epinephelus aeneus
White grouper
Epinephelus aeneus
Common dolphinfish
Coryphaena hippurus
Brown wrasse
Labrus merula
Peacock wrasse
Symphodus tinca
Red scorpionfish
Scorpaena scrofa
Atlantic lizardfish
Synodus saurus
Blotched picarel
Spicara maena
Common pandora
Pagellus erythrinus
Shi drum
Umbrina cirrosa
Musky octopus
Eledone moschata
Mediterranean moray
Muraena helena
Atlantic bluefin tuna
Thunnus thynnus
Atlantic bonito
Sarda sarda
Mediterranean parrotfish
Sparisoma cretense
Damselfish
Chromis chromis
Goldband goatfish
Upeneus moluccensis
Yellowspotted puffer
Torquigener flavimaculosus
Greater amberjack
Seriola dumerili
Common dentex
Dentex dentex
Sharpsnout seabream
Diplodus puntazzo
Marbled spinefoot
Siganus rivulatus
Common cuttlefish
Sepia officinalis
Ornate wrasse
Thalassoma pavo
Grey triggerfish
Balistes capriscus
Bullet tuna
Auxis rochei
Pink dentex
Dentex gibbosus
Flying gurnard
Dactylopterus volitans
Atlantic mackerel
Scomber scombrus
Albacore
Thunnus alalunga
Common stingray
Dasyatis pastinaca
Black-barred halfbeak
Hemiramphus far
Painted comber
Serranus scriba
Little tunny
Euthynnus alletteratus
Round sardinella
Sardinella aurita
No matching species. Try another name or see every species in the catalog.
In season · October
Turkish Mediterranean fishing calendar
Species with a productive season this month. Seasonal data is a guide, not a guarantee of a catch.
Species counts peak in the Turkish Mediterranean in Sep, Aug, Apr — the strip shows how many species are productive in each month.
- 39 Jan
- 40 Feb
- 51 Mar
- 61 Apr
- 58 May
- 58 Jun
- 59 Jul
- 63 Aug
- 67 Sep
- 59 Oct
- 41 Nov
- 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.
What is caught in the Turkish Mediterranean month by month
For each month, the species in season — the most seasonal ones first.
- Jan
- Atlantic horse mackerel, European hake, Atlantic stargazer, Shore rockling, Common sole, Small-spotted catshark and 33 more species
- Feb
- Shi drum, European hake, Atlantic stargazer, Shore rockling, Common sole, Small-spotted catshark and 34 more species
- Mar
- Atlantic bluefin tuna, Shi drum, Atlantic stargazer, Peacock wrasse, Shore rockling, Brown wrasse and 45 more species
- Apr
- Albacore, Atlantic chub mackerel, Mediterranean moray, Atlantic lizardfish, Damselfish, Swordfish and 55 more species
- May
- Albacore, Atlantic chub mackerel, Common dolphinfish, Mediterranean moray, Atlantic lizardfish, Damselfish and 52 more species
- Jun
- Albacore, Atlantic chub mackerel, Common dolphinfish, Mediterranean moray, Atlantic lizardfish, Damselfish and 52 more species
- Jul
- Atlantic bonito, Albacore, Atlantic chub mackerel, Common dolphinfish, Mediterranean moray, Atlantic lizardfish and 53 more species
- Aug
- Atlantic bonito, Albacore, Atlantic chub mackerel, Common dolphinfish, Mediterranean moray, Atlantic lizardfish and 57 more species
- Sep
- Atlantic bonito, Albacore, Atlantic chub mackerel, Common dolphinfish, Mediterranean moray, Atlantic lizardfish and 61 more species
- Oct
- Atlantic bonito, Common dolphinfish, Atlantic horse mackerel, Swordfish, Little tunny, White grouper and 53 more species
- Nov
- Atlantic bonito, Atlantic horse mackerel, Shi drum, European hake, Atlantic stargazer, Shore rockling and 35 more species
- Dec
- Atlantic horse mackerel, European hake, Atlantic stargazer, Shore rockling, Common sole, Small-spotted catshark and 33 more species
What bites in the Turkish Mediterranean this month
Ranked by this month’s research score at the spots of this sea. Bait: first choice in the sea’s typical water (Slightly coloured).
Very good
- Silver-cheeked toadfish Spoon · Pink, White, Red 96/100 at 281 spots
- Gilthead seabream Shrimp 94/100 at 292 spots
- Marbled spinefoot Seaweed 92/100 at 221 spots
- Dusky spinefoot Sea lettuce 91/100 at 177 spots
- Bluefish Stickbait · White, Silver, Clear 90/100 at 290 spots
- European barracuda Stickbait · White, Clear, Pink 90/100 at 284 spots
- Flathead grey mullet 89/100 at 292 spots
- Pompano 89/100 at 281 spots
- Common two-banded seabream 87/100 at 273 spots
- Blue runner 87/100 at 279 spots
- White seabream 85/100 at 286 spots
- Comber 85/100 at 174 spots
+21 more species
Good
- Thicklip grey mullet
- Yellowspotted puffer
- Shi drum
- Black goby
- Common pandora
- Big-scale sand smelt
- Mediterranean parrotfish
- Common sole
- Common stingray
- European squid
+28 more species
Weak
- Devil firefish
- Blue crab
- Goldblotch grouper
- Pearly razorfish
- Red scorpionfish
- Flying gurnard
- Tripletail
- White grouper
- Greater amberjack
- Goldband goatfish
+9 more species
A 0–100 score from season, water temperature, habitat and local records; a general trend, not a guarantee.
Your coastal field guide
Techniques & bait
Bottom32 species
LRF24 species
Jig13 species
Trolling13 species
Float12 species
Spin11 species
Sabiki7 species
Surf5 species
Drifting1 species
Popping1 speciesShrimp 30Sardine 22Squid 19Worm 13Fish flesh 11Mamun 11Bread 9Anchovy 8Mussel 8Cuttlefish 5Crab 4Live bait 3Horse mackerel 3Sülünez 3Seaweed 3Octopus 2Mackerel 2Garfish 2Chicken 1Prawn 1
Find your tackle ↗
Before you cast
Rules specific to this sea 1
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
Before you cast
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.
Mediterranean monk sealCushion coralAlakır troutBluntnose sixgill sharkBatman loachWhite gorgonianWhite gorgonianOceanic whitetip sharkGreat white sharkBasking sharkTope sharkSmooth hammerhead
All 53 protected species ↗
Frequently asked
What can you catch in the Turkish Mediterranean?
98 species are on record in the Turkish Mediterranean: Atlantic horse mackerel, Mediterranean horse mackerel, Gilthead seabream, Annular seabream, Bogue, Bluefish, Saddled seabream, Picarel and others.
What can you catch in the Turkish Mediterranean in each month?
The month with the most species in season is September (67 species). By season: winter: European hake and Atlantic stargazer; spring: Albacore and Atlantic chub mackerel; summer: Common dolphinfish and Mediterranean moray; autumn: Atlantic bonito and Atlantic horse mackerel.
What can you catch from the shore in the Turkish Mediterranean?
The easiest species to catch from the shore: Atlantic horse mackerel, Mediterranean horse mackerel, Gilthead seabream, Annular seabream, Bogue and Bluefish.
Which techniques are used for fishing in the Turkish Mediterranean?
The most common techniques: Bottom, LRF, Jig, Trolling and Float.
Which baits are used in the Turkish Mediterranean?
The most common natural baits: Shrimp, Sardine, Squid, Worm and Fish flesh.
How many fishing grounds are there in the Turkish Mediterranean?
There are 295 fishing grounds on record in the Turkish Mediterranean; each has its own page with the location, the species caught and the conditions that suit it.
