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1. River Ebro, Spain

The River Ebro is well-known as Spain’s longest river and is home to, among other fish, the Wels Catfish.

This is probably the largest freshwater fish in Europe to date, and you can land up to 240lb of fish.

Whether you are heading to Spain exclusively for fishing or as part of a family holiday you intend to do some fishing, River Ebro is surely a great place to include in your itinerary.

As the river is extremely long and vast, the best strategy to find the right fishing spots is probably to invest in a guided tour to enjoy the best experience when visiting both the River Ebro and its delta.

Local experts will be able to recommend the best spots to have a chance of catching these monstrous beasts.

What could be better than sunny Spanish weather, a good Paella Spanish, the laidback Spanish way of life, and an stimulating challenge to catch a monstrous Wels Catfish? 😉

2. River Tay, Scotland

Scotland’s longest river, the Tay, flows down from Ben Lui’s slopes on the west side of the country and into the North Sea, just south of Dundee on the east side.

The remarkable body of water is 188km long, and its drainage area is around 5,200 square km.

The star catch of the Tay is undoubtedly the freshwater salmon. 

Fans of the British TV Show “Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing” will know that it is one of the pair’s favorite fishing spots due to the stunning scenery and the plentiful supply of salmon and sea trout.

For foreign fishermen which never been to Scotland, visiting the Tay is a fantastic opportunity to combine with your hoilday both some fishing and a visit to the nearby cities of Edinburgh (gorgeous!), Dundee, and Glasgow.  

 

3. Lake Bled, Slovenia

Located in northwestern Slovenia, Lake Bled is situated in the upper Carniolan region of the country and flows through the Julian Alps found there. It adjoins Bled, a town where it gets its name from.

The lake is not huge, but it’s tremendously touristic because of the castle located on a tiny island in the middle of the lake, which makes all panorama very picturesque, out of a medieval tale!

What many people don’t know about Lake Bled though, it’s that it is inhabited by large carp, pikes, lake trout and catfish and it’s a very well-known and sought-after destination by freshwater fishermen.

If you’re looking for a place in the Alps to put your skills to the test while enjoying some traditional Carniolan sausages, this is the place you should check out!

 

4. The Netherlands

If you are looking for an outstanding experience fishing for perch, and are okay with a bit of traveling, then one place you need to head to is The Netherlands.

According to many fishing enthusiasts and experts, there is nowhere else in Europe and potentially the world where you will have the best chance to land some of the most impressive perch you have ever caught.

Depending on your destination, you can catch perch of all sizes, from big to small and everything in between.

Some of the best cities you should consider visiting for perch fishing in The Netherlands include De Woude, where you will find 7 fishing charters and a multitude of options, Amsterdam, where there are a total of 9 charters, Wijk Bij Duurstede, where there are 6 charters and Medemblik where there are 7 fishing charters.

Street fishing is another incredibly popular thing in The Netherlands and can help you land medium-sized perch. If you are more of a fan of fishing close to the shoreline, then the cities and canals have spots where you can partake in a little bit of fishing.

This means you can stay within the city’s liveliness to experience quality perch fishing.

In this video, you can get a feeling of how fishing in the Netherlands feels like by watching the YouTuber Angler Carl from “Fish With Carl” perch fishing.

 

5. Carp Heaven Lake, Hungary

If you prefer to take on carps when you are angling (fishing with a rod), and you want to enjoy your favorite pastime in more exotic surroundings, Hungary offers some truly spectacular experiences.

Carp Heaven is a stunning lake in the country that gives you ample space to fish on and provides some of the best carp in the world and family-orientated facilities.

Although the lake is over 40 years old, it has only been used for fishing since 2012.

This means that many of the carp that have been there since it was set up 40 years ago have the potential to be exceptionally big.

If that wasn’t enough, the lake’s owner has added around 12,000 extra carp.

While the average size of the carp in this lake is approximately 10kg, several are over 20kg, and some just under 30kg. The coastline for the lake is 3km, and the total water surfacer is a staggering 24 hectares.

In just this spot, you will find 25 swims with 15 square meters of pier each. All swims come with complimentary accessories like 2 markers, a weigh stand and weigh sling, a carp mat, Wi-Fi, a boat, electricity, and a place to have a barbecue (so organized!:O)

At 12 of the swims, you will find fully insulated wood-built chalets with heating, air conditioning, a microwave, a fridge, and 4 beds. Its remaining 13 swims are bivvy swims.

The lake is found in Hungary’s northeast and is approximately 10km from the nearest city of Nyiregyhaza. You are allowed to fish with 3 rods.

The renowned and popular angler Alan Blair fished at Carp Heaven Lake and here is a video of his deeds.

 

Conclusion

It’s clear that if you are looking for an unforgettable fishing experience, there are plenty of options both in Mainland Europe and in the UK.

Said that, today we saw 5 of the most peculiar and interesting spots for freshwater fishing in Europe, where you could spend a great holiday in nature while combining your passion for fishing (and attempting those epic huge catches! 😉 ).

Of course, Europe is vast, and there are maaaany more incredible fishing spots than the five listed, just take those as a great starting point, especially if you are new to fishing or you are looking to expand your horizons and find better challenges.

If you want to look for something closer to home, take a look at Fishery Guide, an incredibly complete website where you can find over 2700 locations listed around the UK and beyond!

As always, I hope this short article was of use to you 🙂

Before going I’d like to ask you what you think about this article. Do you like fishing? Do you have any feedback? Have you tried or seen any of the mentioned places before? 

If yes, then let me know in the comments below! (I always like chatting and meeting new people!).

As a last note, just remember: fishing is a recreation activity which can have many positive benefits on health, and its always important to conduct it with respect toward the place you are in and toward the animals you are fishing. 

Thanks for reading, and I wish you a happy life!

See you in the next article 🙂