Kosovo
Kosovo Lakes & Rivers Fishing Map
Find your stretch of water. Explore the lakes and rivers, get to know the species and plan your next day by the water.
Lakes and riversAll 23 grounds on the map
01 / Discover the waters
Kosovo Lakes & Rivers fishing spots 23
Choose a place, explore its details or go straight to its pin on the map.
A total of 23 grounds; the first 23 of them are below.
Matching grounds:
Show 17 more grounds
Južna Morava river-Bujanovac village (Gjilan)
View on map
Gjilan · Južna Morava river-Bujanovac village
Explore ground →No matching grounds. Try another place or explore all grounds on the map.
02 / Species
What can you catch in the lakes and rivers of Kosovo?
Meet the species recorded in these waters. Open a species for its techniques, bait and fishing grounds.
Matching species:
Common carp
Cyprinus carpio
Brown trout
Salmo trutta
Northern pike
Esox lucius
Common bream
Abramis brama
European perch
Perca fluviatilis
Wels catfish
Silurus glanis
Barbel
Barbus barbus
Tench
Tinca tinca
Roach
Rutilus rutilus
European chub
Squalius cephalus
Grayling
Thymallus thymallus
Danube barbel
Barbus balcanicus
Rainbow trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss
Pumpkinseed
Lepomis gibbosus
Common nase
Chondrostoma nasus
Vimba bream
Vimba vimba
Crucian carp
Carassius carassius
Goldfish
Carassius auratus
Rudd
Scardinius erythrophthalmus
Grass carp
Ctenopharyngodon idella
No matching species. Try another name or see every species in the catalog.
In season · October
Kosovo Lakes & Rivers 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 lakes and rivers of Kosovo in Aug, Sep, Jun — the strip shows how many species are productive in each month.
- 0 Jan
- 0 Feb
- 4 Mar
- 2 Apr
- 9 May
- 16 Jun
- 16 Jul
- 17 Aug
- 17 Sep
- 9 Oct
- 5 Nov
- 3 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 lakes and rivers of Kosovo month by month
For each month, the species in season — the most seasonal ones first.
- Jan
- No records
- Feb
- No records
- Apr
- Brown trout, Rainbow trout
- May
- Brown trout, Tench, Goldfish, Crucian carp, Rudd, Common carp and 3 more species
- Jun
- Pumpkinseed, Brown trout, Wels catfish, Tench, Barbel, Danube barbel and 10 more species
- Jul
- Pumpkinseed, Wels catfish, Tench, Barbel, Danube barbel, Grass carp and 10 more species
- Aug
- Vimba bream, Pumpkinseed, Wels catfish, Tench, Barbel, Danube barbel and 11 more species
- Sep
- Vimba bream, Brown trout, Wels catfish, Barbel, Danube barbel, Grass carp and 11 more species
- Oct
- Northern pike, Common bream, European perch, Grayling, Common carp, European chub and 3 more species
- Dec
- Northern pike, Roach, Rainbow trout
What bites in the lakes and rivers of Kosovo this month
Ranked by this month’s research score at the lake and river spots of this region.
Very good
- European perch 73/100 at 4 spots
- Northern pike 70/100 at 7 spots
- Roach 70/100 at 3 spots
- Grayling 70/100 at 2 spots
Good
- Rainbow trout
- Common carp
- Common bream
- European chub
- Barbel
- Common nase
- Danube barbel
- Brown trout
- Rudd
- Vimba bream
+5 more species
Weak
A 0–100 score from season, water temperature, habitat and local records; a general trend, not a guarantee.
Before you cast
Rules specific to this region 8
The entries are summaries compiled from that country’s fishing legislation; each lists its legal basis and official source. The official text is binding, and rules can vary by state and by water. Check the rules on your permit before you fish.
Legal framework and permits
Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture (02/L-85 (2006 period, entered into force under UNMIK administration). A draft amendment aligning the penalty articles (Art. 59, 62 etc.) with the Law on Minor Offences 05/L-087 was approved by the Government on 24.11.2021 (decision 11/45); whether it was adopted by the Assembly could not be verified.). Fishing zones and users, commercial/recreational fishing, licences and permits (Art. 25, 28), gear used in fishing (Art. 38), management programme (Art. 40), protection of fish stocks and protective measures during the natural spawning period (Art. 21, 41, 42), wardens (Art. 45) and penalties. Closed seasons and minimum sizes are left to the ministry's secondary regulations (Udhëzim Administrativ). Permit: A permit (leje) is mandatory for fishing. According to 2024 practice reported in the press, the annual permit for lakes is 30 EUR; those caught without a permit are charged a daily permit fee of 10 EUR. Wardens of the federation and associations carry out permit checks. Competent authority: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development (MBPZHR); for fishing wardens, the Kosovo Sport Fishing Federation and its associations.
Legal basis: Ligji Nr. 02/L-85 për Peshkatari dhe Akuakulturë (Zakon br. 02/L-85 o ribarstvu… communiqué text
Legal framework and permits
Sharr Mountains National Park Law (04/L-087 (December 2012; cited as 03/L-087 in some sources)). Declares the park at approximately 53,469 ha (Kaçanik, Suhareka, Prizren, Štrpce/Shtërpcë, Dragash). Restricts activities according to protection zones and the internal rules regulation (Nr. 21/2013). Licence: Fishing in park waters only subject to park management permission and the zone regime (unverified). Competent authority: NP Sharri Management Directorate (Prizren) - AMMK / MMPHI.
Legal basis: Ligji Nr. 04/L-087 për Parkun Kombëtar 'Sharri' communiqué text
Legal framework and permits
Law on the Bjeshkët e Nemuna (Prokletije) National Park (2012 (promulgated January 2013)). 62,488 ha; 4 zones from strict protection to sustainable use and a 50 m buffer belt along the park boundary. The tasks of the park directorate include preventing illegal hunting and fishing. Competent authority: NP Bjeshkët e Nemuna Directorate (AMMK).
Legal basis: Ligji për Parkun Kombëtar 'Bjeshkët e Nemuna' communiqué text
Legal framework and permits
Administrative Instruction on the prohibition, restriction or conditioning of certain activities along the state border line (QRK 15/2013). Instruction prohibiting certain activities along the border line or making them subject to authorisation. May affect fishing in border waters (e.g. the section of Gazivoda/Ujmani extending into Serbia, the White Drin on the Albanian border). Content not reviewed. Competent authority: Government / Ministry of Internal Affairs / Border Police.
Legal basis: Udhëzim Administrativ (QRK) Nr. 15/2013 për ndalimin, kufizimin ose kushtëzimin… communiqué text
General closed season
According to a press report, all fish caught in lakes during the spawning period (March-May) must be released (catch and release). The law includes an obligation to apply protective measures during the spawning period (Art. 21); no secondary regulation setting exact dates was found. Period: March-May (spawning period).
Legal basis: Ligji 02/L-85 Art. 21 (protective measures during the natural spawning period); implementation: Feder… communiqué text
Methods and bait
Fishing with explosives (dynamite), generators/electricity and poisoning is prohibited; possession of explosives or a generator is considered an offence. Setting nets during the spawning season is prohibited. Period: All year.
Legal basis: Ligji 02/L-85 (Art. 38 permitted gear; penal provisions) and Criminal Code communiqué text
General provision
Unauthorised fishing prohibited. Around 90 wardens of the federation and its 18 member associations carry out inspections together with the police (Badovc, Gazivoda/Ujmani, etc.). Period: All year.
Legal basis: Ligji 02/L-85 (licence requirement, Art. 45 wardens) communiqué text
Closed season and minimum size
All species (catch-and-release period) (-), Lakes and reservoirs — Closed season: 01.03 – 31.05. News 21.03.2024: 'the spawning period is from March to May; during this time all fish must be caught and released'. Applied as a retention ban, not a full fishing ban.
Legal basis: Ligji 02/L-85 Art. 21; Federation practice (press) communiqué text
Frequently asked
What can you catch in the lakes and rivers of Kosovo?
20 species are on record in the lakes and rivers of Kosovo: Common carp, Brown trout, Northern pike, Common bream, European perch, Wels catfish, Barbel, Tench and others.
What can you catch in the lakes and rivers of Kosovo in each month?
The month with the most species in season is August (17 species). By season: winter: Northern pike and Roach; spring: Rainbow trout and Brown trout; summer: Pumpkinseed and Wels catfish; autumn: Grayling and Vimba bream.
How many fishing grounds are there in the lakes and rivers of Kosovo?
There are 23 fishing grounds on record in the lakes and rivers of Kosovo; each has its own page with the location, the species caught and the conditions that suit it.
