Representative image
Coasts of 6 countries
What can you catch in the North Sea?
North Sea — coastal countries: Norway, Germany, England, Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium. This page compares the coasts; fishing spots and local rules are on each coast’s own page.
01 / Discover the coast
North Sea coasts
The coast with the most fishing spots first. Each coast’s page lists its spots, local rules and its own calendar.
02 / Species
North Sea fish species
Sorted by how many countries’ coasts they are recorded on: the most widespread first.
Matching species:
Atlantic cod
Gadus morhua · on 7 coasts
European seabass
Dicentrarchus labrax · on 7 coasts
Atlantic mackerel
Scomber scombrus · on 7 coasts
Garfish
Belone belone · on 7 coasts
Whiting
Merlangius merlangus · on 7 coasts
European flounder
Platichthys flesus · on 7 coasts
European plaice
Pleuronectes platessa · on 7 coasts
Common sole
Solea solea · on 7 coasts
Common dab
Limanda limanda · on 7 coasts
Turbot
Scophthalmus maximus · on 7 coasts
Atlantic horse mackerel
Trachurus trachurus · on 6 coasts
Thicklip grey mullet
Chelon labrosus · on 6 coasts
Atlantic herring
Clupea harengus · on 5 coasts
European sprat
Sprattus sprattus · on 5 coasts
Pollack
Pollachius pollachius · on 5 coasts
Saithe
Pollachius virens · on 5 coasts
European anchovy
Engraulis encrasicolus · on 4 coasts
Tub gurnard
Chelidonichthys lucerna · on 4 coasts
European conger
Conger conger · on 4 coasts
Greater weever
Trachinus draco · on 4 coasts
Ballan wrasse
Labrus bergylta · on 4 coasts
Pouting
Trisopterus luscus · on 4 coasts
Shorthorn sculpin
Myoxocephalus scorpius · on 2 coasts
Corkwing wrasse
Symphodus melops · on 2 coasts
Viviparous eelpout
Zoarces viviparus · on 2 coasts
Rainbow trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss · on 2 coasts
European squid
Loligo vulgaris · on 2 coasts
Goldsinny wrasse
Ctenolabrus rupestris · on 2 coasts
Brown trout
Salmo trutta · on 2 coasts
Round goby
Neogobius melanostomus · on 2 coasts
Common cuttlefish
Sepia officinalis · on 2 coasts
Striped red mullet
Mullus surmuletus · on 2 coasts
Black goby
Gobius niger · on 2 coasts
European sardine
Sardina pilchardus · on 2 coasts
Lesser weever
Trachinus vipera · on 2 coasts
Black seabream
Spondyliosoma cantharus · on 2 coasts
Small-spotted catshark
Scyliorhinus canicula · on 2 coasts
Brill
Scophthalmus rhombus · on 2 coasts
Cuckoo wrasse
Labrus mixtus · on 1 coasts
Common ling
Molva molva · on 1 coasts
Grey gurnard
Eutrigla gurnardus · on 1 coasts
Haddock
Melanogrammus aeglefinus · on 1 coasts
No matching species. Try another name or see every species in the catalog.
In season · November
North Sea 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 North Sea in Jul, Aug, Sep — the strip shows how many species are productive in each month.
- 21 Jan
- 21 Feb
- 23 Mar
- 28 Apr
- 33 May
- 33 Jun
- 34 Jul
- 34 Aug
- 34 Sep
- 27 Oct
- 22 Nov
- 20 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 North Sea month by month
For each month, the species in season — the most seasonal ones first.
- Jan
- Common ling, Atlantic cod, Viviparous eelpout, Rainbow trout, Brown trout, European flounder and 15 more species
- Feb
- Common ling, Atlantic cod, Viviparous eelpout, Rainbow trout, Brown trout, European flounder and 15 more species
- Mar
- Common ling, Atlantic cod, Viviparous eelpout, Atlantic herring, Rainbow trout, European seabass and 17 more species
- Apr
- Common ling, European squid, Garfish, Corkwing wrasse, Goldsinny wrasse, Viviparous eelpout and 22 more species
- May
- Cuckoo wrasse, Tub gurnard, Greater weever, European squid, Common cuttlefish, Atlantic mackerel and 27 more species
- Jun
- Lesser weever, Black seabream, Atlantic horse mackerel, Tub gurnard, Greater weever, Common cuttlefish and 27 more species
- Jul
- European sardine, European anchovy, Lesser weever, Black seabream, Atlantic horse mackerel, Tub gurnard and 28 more species
- Aug
- European sardine, European anchovy, Lesser weever, Black seabream, Atlantic horse mackerel, Tub gurnard and 28 more species
- Sep
- Grey gurnard, European anchovy, Black seabream, Atlantic horse mackerel, Tub gurnard, Greater weever and 28 more species
- Oct
- Atlantic horse mackerel, European squid, Atlantic cod, Atlantic mackerel, Striped red mullet, Black goby and 21 more species
- Nov
- European squid, Atlantic cod, Viviparous eelpout, Rainbow trout, European seabass, Brown trout and 16 more species
- Dec
- Atlantic cod, Viviparous eelpout, Rainbow trout, Brown trout, European flounder, Whiting and 14 more species
Frequently asked
What can you catch in the North Sea?
42 species are on record in the North Sea: Atlantic cod, European seabass, Atlantic mackerel, Garfish, Whiting, European flounder, European plaice, Common sole and others.
What can you catch in the North Sea in each month?
The month with the most species in season is July (34 species). By season: winter: Atlantic cod and Viviparous eelpout; spring: Common ling and European squid; summer: Lesser weever and Black seabream; autumn: Atlantic horse mackerel and Grey gurnard.
What can you catch from the shore in the North Sea?
The easiest species to catch from the shore: European seabass, Garfish, Atlantic horse mackerel, Thicklip grey mullet, Greater weever and European squid.
Which coast has the most fishing spots in the North Sea?
Ranking: West Coast of Norway (267), followed by German North Sea Coast – Germany (215), North East Coast of England (100), Dutch North Sea Coast – Netherlands (82), East Coast of England (60), Danish North Sea Coast – Denmark (20) and Belgian North Sea Coast – Belgium (18).
How many fishing grounds are there in the North Sea?
There are 762 fishing grounds on record in the North Sea; each has its own page with the location, the species caught and the conditions that suit it.
