Sea fish
European smelt
Osmerus eperlanus
Get to know the species, pick your region, find your spot.
Choose your region
The information changes with the region you choose.
Where is European smelt caught?
Explore the regions or go straight to the map.
Baltic Sea fishing spots
30East coast fishing spots
238Archipelago Sea and Åland fishing spots
113West coast and islands fishing spots
40Baltic Sea fishing spots
42Gulf of Riga fishing spots
47Gulf of Bothnia fishing spots
166Gulf of Bothnia fishing spots
107Baltic Sea fishing spots
146North Sea fishing spots
20Gulf of Riga fishing spots
32West coast fishing spots
69Gulf of Finland fishing spots
78South coast fishing spots
66Gulf of Finland fishing spots
28South coast fishing spots
26Kattegat and Skagerrak fishing spots
34West coast fishing spots
26630 fishing grounds
- Abborreudden Kalmar
- Ådalen · shore Kalmar
- Älvsnäs · shore Uppsala
- Åmunnen · shore Kalmar
- Ängsudden · shore Stockholm
- Åsättrafladen Stockholm
- Askänge · shore Gotland
- Äspenäs · shore Blekinge
113 fishing grounds
40 fishing grounds
42 fishing grounds
47 fishing grounds
- Älandsbro · shore Västernorrland
- Alvik · shore Västerbotten
- Axmar bruk · shore Gävleborg
- Bäckfjärdens båtklubb Västernorrland
- Barstahamn · shore Västernorrland
- Båtmacken Västernorrland
- Bergsviken Västerbotten
- Bjurön · shore Uppsala
107 fishing grounds
146 fishing grounds
20 fishing grounds
32 fishing grounds
- Åskloster · shore Halland
- Båtevik Västra Götaland
- Finnsbo · shore Västra Götaland
- Forsbäck · shore Halland
- Galtabäcks Hamn Halland
- Gårda Brygga Halland
- Gorrviken Västra Götaland
- Gullmarsvik Västra Götaland
78 fishing grounds
66 fishing grounds
28 fishing grounds
- Brygga A Skåne
- Ystad Marina Skåne
- Ålabodarnas hamn Skåne
- Borstahusens hamn Skåne
- Cafébryggan Skåne
- Grönslätts båtförening Blekinge
- Helsingborg (Centrum) Skåne
- Hittarp · shore Skåne
34 fishing grounds
266 fishing grounds
No fishing ground or region matches your search.
A listed spot is not a guarantee of a catch.
Baltic Sea
Season and suitable conditions
Check the season information for the region you chose.
Peak months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec
East coast
Season and suitable conditions
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Peak months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec
Archipelago Sea and Åland
Season and suitable conditions
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Peak months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec
West coast and islands
Season and suitable conditions
Check the season information for the region you chose.
Peak months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec
Baltic Sea
Season and suitable conditions
Check the season information for the region you chose.
Peak months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec
Gulf of Riga
Season and suitable conditions
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There is no season data for this species yet.
Missing data does not mean an unproductive period.
Gulf of Bothnia
Season and suitable conditions
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There is no season data for this species yet.
Missing data does not mean an unproductive period.
Gulf of Bothnia
Season and suitable conditions
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There is no season data for this species yet.
Missing data does not mean an unproductive period.
Baltic Sea
Season and suitable conditions
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There is no season data for this species yet.
Missing data does not mean an unproductive period.
North Sea
Season and suitable conditions
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There is no season data for this species yet.
Missing data does not mean an unproductive period.
Gulf of Riga
Season and suitable conditions
Check the season information for the region you chose.
There is no season data for this species yet.
Missing data does not mean an unproductive period.
West coast
Season and suitable conditions
Check the season information for the region you chose.
There is no season data for this species yet.
Missing data does not mean an unproductive period.
Gulf of Finland
Season and suitable conditions
Check the season information for the region you chose.
There is no season data for this species yet.
Missing data does not mean an unproductive period.
South coast
Season and suitable conditions
Check the season information for the region you chose.
There is no season data for this species yet.
Missing data does not mean an unproductive period.
Gulf of Finland
Season and suitable conditions
Check the season information for the region you chose.
There is no season data for this species yet.
Missing data does not mean an unproductive period.
South coast
Season and suitable conditions
Check the season information for the region you chose.
There is no season data for this species yet.
Missing data does not mean an unproductive period.
Kattegat and Skagerrak
Season and suitable conditions
Check the season information for the region you chose.
There is no season data for this species yet.
Missing data does not mean an unproductive period.
West coast
Season and suitable conditions
Check the season information for the region you chose.
There is no season data for this species yet.
Missing data does not mean an unproductive period.
Season information is no guarantee of a catch.
Habitat
Where it lives and in what kind of water: ranges compiled by the research.
Depth
0–30 m
mostly 0–10 m
Water temperature
0–25 °C
ideal 5–15 °C
Salinity
Migrates between fresh and salt water
0–35 ‰
Shore types
- Sandy beach
- Delta / alluvial shore
- Cove / inner bay
- Breakwater / jetty
- Pier / quay
- River / stream mouth
- Lagoon / weir mouth
- Channel / strait link
- Inside harbours
- Harbour mouth
- Reclaimed shore
Bottom
Lives in open water
- Sand
- Sand and gravel
- Gravel
Ranges from FishBase, AquaMaps and the literature; a general tendency, not a hard limit.
Confidence: shore type medium, temperature medium
Fishing rules
The regulation holds no separate minimum size or closed season entry for this species. The provisions for Türkiye as a whole apply.
Before you go, check local area and method restrictions.
Species profile
- Scientific name
- Osmerus eperlanus
- Water type
- Diadromous
- Other names
- European smelt
Frequently asked questions
Which seas is European smelt found in?
In our records European smelt appears in these seas: East coast — Sweden, Archipelago Sea and Åland — Finland, West coast and islands — Estonia, Baltic Sea — Latvia, Baltic Sea — Lithuania.
In which months is European smelt at its peak?
Peak periods by sea: Baltic Sea — Lithuania November–April; East coast — Sweden November–April; Archipelago Sea and Åland — Finland November–April; West coast and islands — Estonia November–April; Baltic Sea — Latvia November–April.
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