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Fish in Germany

Closed seasons

Each federal state sets its own closed seasons. For 8 commonly fished species you can compare all 16 states here; the black line marks today.

Closed today, 4 Nov 2026

Federal state In closed season
Baden-Württemberg Brown Trout (until 28 Feb), European Eel (until 1 Mar)
Bavaria Brown Trout (until 15 Mar), European Eel (until 31 Dec)
Berlin Brown Trout (until 30 Apr)
Brandenburg Brown Trout (until 15 Apr)
Bremen Brown Trout (until 15 Mar)
Hamburg Brown Trout (until 15 Feb)
Hesse Brown Trout (until 31 Mar), European Eel (until 1 Mar)
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Brown Trout (until 31 Mar)
Lower Saxony Brown Trout (until 15 Feb)
North Rhine-Westphalia Brown Trout (until 15 Mar)
Rhineland-Palatinate Brown Trout (until 15 Mar)
Saarland Brown Trout (until 31 Mar)
Saxony Brown Trout (until 30 Apr)
Saxony-Anhalt Brown Trout (until 31 Mar)
Schleswig-Holstein Brown Trout (until 28 Feb)
Thuringia Brown Trout (until 31 Mar), European Eel (until 28 Feb)

Only species with a closed season. Species protected all year are listed on each state's page.

Closed season for Brown Trout

Species page
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Baden-Württemberg
25 cm · 1 Oct – 28 Feb
25 cm
Bavaria
26 cm · 1 Oct – 15 Mar
26 cm
Berlin
30 cm · 1 Oct – 30 Apr
30 cm
Brandenburg
30 cm · 16 Oct – 15 Apr
30 cm
Bremen
30 cm · 15 Oct – 15 Mar
30 cm
Hamburg
20–40 cm · 15 Oct – 15 Feb
20–40 cm
Hesse
25–60 cm · 1 Oct – 31 Mar
25–60 cm
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
30 cm · 1 Oct – 31 Mar
30 cm
Lower Saxony
25 cm · 15 Oct – 15 Feb
25 cm
North Rhine-Westphalia
25 cm · 20 Oct – 15 Mar
25 cm
Rhineland-Palatinate
25 cm · 15 Oct – 15 Mar
25 cm
Saarland
25 cm · 1 Oct – 31 Mar
25 cm
Saxony
28 cm · 1 Oct – 30 Apr
28 cm
Saxony-Anhalt
25 cm · 15 Sep – 31 Mar
25 cm
Schleswig-Holstein
30 cm · 1 Oct – 28 Feb
30 cm
Thuringia
30 cm · 1 Oct – 31 Mar
30 cm
Closed season Today (4 Nov 2026)

Closed season for Common Carp

Species page
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Baden-Württemberg
35 cm
35 cm
Bavaria
35 cm
35 cm
Berlin
35 cm
35 cm
Brandenburg
35 cm
35 cm
Bremen
no rule
Hamburg
35 cm
35 cm
Hesse
45–60 cm · 15 Mar – 31 May
45–60 cm
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
40 cm
40 cm
Lower Saxony
no rule
North Rhine-Westphalia
35 cm
35 cm
Rhineland-Palatinate
35 cm
35 cm
Saarland
35 cm
35 cm
Saxony
40 cm
40 cm
Saxony-Anhalt
35 cm
35 cm
Schleswig-Holstein
35 cm
35 cm
Thuringia
35 cm
35 cm
Closed season Today (4 Nov 2026)

Closed season for European Eel

Species page
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Baden-Württemberg
50 cm · 15 Sep – 1 Mar
50 cm
Bavaria
50 cm · 1 Oct – 31 Dec
50 cm
Berlin
50 cm
50 cm
Brandenburg
50 cm
50 cm
Bremen
45 cm
45 cm
Hamburg
45–75 cm
45–75 cm
Hesse
50–70 cm · 15 Sep – 1 Mar
50–70 cm
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
50 cm · 1 Dec – 28 Feb
50 cm
Lower Saxony
35 cm
35 cm
North Rhine-Westphalia
50 cm
50 cm
Rhineland-Palatinate
50 cm
50 cm
Saarland
50 cm
50 cm
Saxony
50 cm
50 cm
Saxony-Anhalt
50 cm
50 cm
Schleswig-Holstein
50 cm
50 cm
Thuringia
50 cm · 1 Nov – 28 Feb
50 cm
Closed season Today (4 Nov 2026)

Closed season for European Perch

Species page
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Baden-Württemberg
no rule
Bavaria
no rule
Berlin
no rule
Brandenburg
no rule
Bremen
15 cm · 1 Feb – 15 May
15 cm
Hamburg
10–35 cm
10–35 cm
Hesse
no rule
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
17 cm
17 cm
Lower Saxony
no rule
North Rhine-Westphalia
no rule
Rhineland-Palatinate
no rule
Saarland
no rule
Saxony
no rule
Saxony-Anhalt
no rule
Schleswig-Holstein
no rule
Thuringia
no rule
Closed season Today (4 Nov 2026)

Closed season for Grayling

Species page
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Baden-Württemberg
30 cm · 1 Feb – 30 Apr
30 cm
Bavaria
35 cm · 1 Jan – 30 Apr
35 cm
Berlin
30 cm · 1 Dec – 31 May
30 cm
Brandenburg
30 cm · 1 Dec – 31 May
30 cm
Bremen
35 cm · 1 Mar – 15 May
35 cm
Hamburg
1 Jan – 15 May
Hesse
30–45 cm · 1 Mar – 15 May
30–45 cm
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
30 cm
30 cm
Lower Saxony
30 cm · 1 Mar – 15 May
30 cm
North Rhine-Westphalia
30 cm · 1 Mar – 30 Apr
30 cm
Rhineland-Palatinate
30 cm · 15 Feb – 30 Apr
30 cm
Saarland
30 cm · 1 Mar – 30 Apr
30 cm
Saxony
35 cm · 1 Jan – 15 Jun
35 cm
Saxony-Anhalt
30 cm · 1 Dec – 15 May
30 cm
Schleswig-Holstein
35 cm · 1 Jan – 30 Apr
35 cm
Thuringia
35 cm · 1 Feb – 31 May
35 cm
Closed season Today (4 Nov 2026)

Closed season for Northern Pike

Species page
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Baden-Württemberg
50 cm · 15 Feb – 15 May
50 cm
Bavaria
50 cm · 15 Feb – 30 Apr
50 cm
Berlin
45 cm · 1 Jan – 30 Apr
45 cm
Brandenburg
45 cm · 1 Feb – 31 Mar
45 cm
Bremen
60 cm · 1 Feb – 15 May
60 cm
Hamburg
45–75 cm · 1 Feb – 31 May
45–75 cm
Hesse
50–90 cm · 1 Feb – 15 Apr
50–90 cm
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
45 cm
45 cm
Lower Saxony
40 cm · 1 Feb – 15 Apr
40 cm
North Rhine-Westphalia
45 cm · 15 Feb – 30 Apr
45 cm
Rhineland-Palatinate
50 cm · 1 Feb – 31 May
50 cm
Saarland
50 cm · 15 Feb – 31 May
50 cm
Saxony
50 cm · 1 Feb – 30 Apr
50 cm
Saxony-Anhalt
50 cm · 15 Feb – 30 Apr
50 cm
Schleswig-Holstein
45 cm · 15 Feb – 15 Apr
45 cm
Thuringia
50 cm · 15 Feb – 30 Apr
50 cm
Closed season Today (4 Nov 2026)

Closed season for Pike-perch (Zander)

Species page
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Baden-Württemberg
45 cm · 1 Apr – 15 May
45 cm
Bavaria
50 cm · 15 Feb – 30 Apr
50 cm
Berlin
45 cm · 1 Jan – 31 May
45 cm
Brandenburg
45 cm · 1 Apr – 31 May
45 cm
Bremen
40 cm · 1 Feb – 15 May
40 cm
Hamburg
45–75 cm · 1 Feb – 31 May
45–75 cm
Hesse
50 cm
50 cm
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
45 cm
45 cm
Lower Saxony
35 cm · 15 Mar – 30 Apr
35 cm
North Rhine-Westphalia
40 cm · 1 Apr – 31 May
40 cm
Rhineland-Palatinate
45 cm · 15 Mar – 15 May
45 cm
Saarland
45 cm · 15 Feb – 31 May
45 cm
Saxony
50 cm · 1 Feb – 31 May
50 cm
Saxony-Anhalt
50 cm · 15 Feb – 31 May
50 cm
Schleswig-Holstein
45 cm · 15 Mar – 15 May
45 cm
Thuringia
45 cm · 1 Apr – 31 May
45 cm
Closed season Today (4 Nov 2026)

Closed season for Wels Catfish

Species page
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Baden-Württemberg
no rule
Bavaria
no rule
Berlin
75 cm
75 cm
Brandenburg
no rule
Bremen
no rule
Hamburg
no rule
Hesse
no rule
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
70 cm · 1 May – 30 Jun
70 cm
Lower Saxony
50 cm
50 cm
North Rhine-Westphalia
no rule
Rhineland-Palatinate
no rule
Saarland
no rule
Saxony
no rule
Saxony-Anhalt
no rule
Schleswig-Holstein
no rule
Thuringia
50 cm
50 cm
Closed season Today (4 Nov 2026)

Rules for every species are listed for Brandenburg. Statewide rules for anglers as of 24 Oct 2026, without guarantee. Clubs and waters can set stricter rules; the ordinance text is binding.