Skip to content
Piscatorium
Sign in
The Aegean Sea coast Representative image

Türkiye

Turkish Aegean Fishing Map

Clear water for gilthead seabream, two-banded seabream and saddled seabream. The rocky bottom and the indented shoreline make shore fishing possible all year round.

Explore the mapDiscover the coast
377Fishing grounds 100Species 2Local rules
Map preview Aegean Sea Aegean SeaAll 377 grounds on the map

What sets the Aegean apart?

The Aegean is the sea with the widest range of species in the catalog and the longest season. There is a seven-month plateau running from April to November: in every month of that stretch more than fifty species are at their peak. Instead of the sharp winter peak of the Black Sea or the late-summer concentration of the Mediterranean, what you get here is a wide, steady window.

The reason is geography. An indented coastline, countless coves, islands and peninsulas; each one offers a different depth, current and bottom. One cove can be rough while the one beside it stays calm.

Rocky bottom, different technique

The Aegean bottom is mostly rock and weed. What that does to technique is clear: jigging comes third in this sea — striking, given that it comes last in the Black Sea. Trolling sits at the same level, because the channels between the islands and the tips of the headlands suit working from a fast boat.

The bottom rig is in first place again, but the quarry is different: whiting and turbot in the Black Sea; gilthead seabream, common two-banded seabream and common pandora in the Aegean. The same technique, an entirely different fish.

Bait follows the inshore species

The dominant inshore species of the Aegean feed on crustaceans and mollusks. For gilthead seabream, common two-banded seabream and white seabream, mud shrimp, razor clam, crab and mussel are the first choice; those sit far down the Black Sea list. The staple Black Sea baits, on the other hand — European anchovy and European sprat — are secondary here.

How it spreads along the coast

In the spread of recorded fishing grounds İzmir is well ahead, with Muğla next. The shores of Çanakkale, Balıkesir and Aydın are busy too. Of the four seas, the Aegean holds the most fishing-ground records — both the length of its coast and how reachable it is explain that.

The gulfs of Saros and Edremit in the north, the Gulf of İzmir and the Çeşme peninsula in the middle, the Bodrum – Datça line in the south: each works like a region of its own, with its own season and its own species.

01 / Discover the coast

Turkish Aegean fishing spots 377

Choose a place, explore its details or go straight to its pin on the map.

A total of 377 grounds; the first 90 of them are below.

All 377 grounds on the map ↗
Show 84 more grounds

02 / Species

What can you catch in the Turkish Aegean?

Meet the species recorded in these waters. Open a species for its techniques, bait and fishing grounds.

See all 100 species ↗
Atlantic horse mackerel

Atlantic horse mackerel

Trachurus trachurus

Mediterranean horse mackerel

Mediterranean horse mackerel

Trachurus mediterraneus

Gilthead seabream

Gilthead seabream

Sparus aurata

Annular seabream

Annular seabream

Diplodus annularis

Bogue

Bogue

Boops boops

Bluefish

Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix

Saddled seabream

Saddled seabream

Oblada melanurus

Picarel

Picarel

Spicara smaris

Sand steenbras

Sand steenbras

Lithognathus mormyrus

European barracuda

European barracuda

Sphyraena sphyraena

Pompano

Pompano

Trachinotus ovatus

Garfish

Garfish

Belone belone

In season · October

Turkish Aegean 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 Aegean in Oct, Sep, May — the strip shows how many species are productive in each month.

  1. 40 Jan
  2. 40 Feb
  3. 40 Mar
  4. 50 Apr
  5. 60 May
  6. 57 Jun
  7. 57 Jul
  8. 58 Aug
  9. 63 Sep
  10. 68 Oct
  11. 59 Nov
  12. 42 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.

In season · October

Mediterranean horse mackerelAtlantic horse mackerelAnnular seabreamGilthead seabream

What is caught in the Turkish Aegean month by month

For each month, the species in season — the most seasonal ones first.

Oct
Atlantic bonito, Atlantic mackerel, Albacore, European sardine, European anchovy, Atlantic chub mackerel and 62 more species

What bites in the Turkish Aegean this month

Ranked by this month’s research score at the spots of this sea. Bait: first choice in the sea’s typical water (Clear).

Very good

  1. Gilthead seabream Shrimp 96/100 at 373 spots
  2. Common two-banded seabream Diopatra tube worm 95/100 at 357 spots
  3. Bluefish Stickbait · Clear, Silver, Blue-green back 93/100 at 368 spots
  4. Atlantic chub mackerel Sabiki rig · Silver, Blue-green back, White 93/100 at 228 spots
  5. Shi drum Shrimp 92/100 at 362 spots
  6. Comber Soft shrimp · Silver 92/100 at 302 spots
  7. White seabream 91/100 at 358 spots
  8. Flathead grey mullet 91/100 at 370 spots
  9. Garfish 90/100 at 349 spots
  10. Leerfish 90/100 at 370 spots
  11. European barracuda 90/100 at 376 spots
  12. Little tunny 90/100 at 340 spots

+45 more species

Good

+13 more species

Weak

+4 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

Bottom33 speciesLRF24 speciesJig13 speciesTrolling13 speciesFloat12 speciesSpin12 speciesSabiki8 speciesSurf5 speciesDrifting1 speciesPopping1 species
Shrimp 31Sardine 22Squid 19Worm 14Fish flesh 13Mamun 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 2

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) →

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
15 March – 15 June
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) →

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 Aegean?

100 species are on record in the Turkish Aegean: Atlantic horse mackerel, Mediterranean horse mackerel, Gilthead seabream, Annular seabream, Bogue, Bluefish, Saddled seabream, Picarel and others.

What can you catch in the Turkish Aegean in each month?

The month with the most species in season is October (68 species). By season: winter: European anchovy and Atlantic horse mackerel; spring: Pontic shad and Shi drum; summer: Albacore and European sardine; autumn: Atlantic bonito and Atlantic mackerel.

What can you catch from the shore in the Turkish Aegean?

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 Aegean?

The most common techniques: Bottom, LRF, Jig, Trolling and Float.

Which baits are used in the Turkish Aegean?

The most common natural baits: Shrimp, Sardine, Squid, Worm and Fish flesh.

How many fishing grounds are there in the Turkish Aegean?

There are 377 fishing grounds on record in the Turkish Aegean; each has its own page with the location, the species caught and the conditions that suit it.

Aegean Sea

A little planning. A better day at sea.

Explore the map ↗

Other regions

Black Sea ↗ Sea of Marmara ↗ Mediterranean ↗ Inland waters ↗
Open map· 377 Fishing grounds ↗

Pisca AI

Members only

Ask about this region

Turkish Aegean · Türkiye

Works with Piscatorium data: spot scores, seasonal species and tackle recipes. Type your question and the chat opens in the side panel.

What can you ask?

Weigh the answers together with their sources.

Ask Pisca AI

Pro membership

PRO MEMBERSHIP