Grayling
Thymallus thymallus
DE: Äsche
- Maximum Size
- 55 cm
- Waters
- 8
Distinguishing Features
Large, colourful, sail-like dorsal fin, slender silvery body, small inferior mouth.
Habitat
Fast-flowing, oxygen-rich rivers and streams with gravel bottom.
Red List Germany
2 · EndangeredStrongly declining or already greatly reduced in Germany.
- Red List of freshwater fish:
- Freyhof et al. 2023 · Rote-Liste-Zentrum
- IUCN global:
- LC · Least Concern
Fishing rules by federal state
Can I keep it?| Federal state | Minimum size | Closed season | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baden-Württemberg | 30 cm | 1 Feb – 30 Apr |
Does not apply to Lake Constance, which has its own rules. |
| Bavaria | 35 cm | 1 Jan – 30 Apr |
Districts may set different rules. |
| Berlin | 30 cm | 1 Dec – 31 May | |
| Brandenburg | 30 cm | 1 Dec – 31 May | |
| Bremen | 35 cm | 1 Mar – 15 May | |
| Hamburg | none | 1 Jan – 15 May |
Harvest slots: only fish between the minimum and maximum size may be kept. |
| Hesse | 30–45 cm | 1 Mar – 15 May |
Harvest slots: only fish between the minimum and maximum size may be kept. |
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | 30 cm | none |
Values for inland waters; coastal waters have their own ordinance. |
| Lower Saxony | 30 cm | 1 Mar – 15 May |
Values for inland waters; coastal waters have their own rules. |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | 30 cm | 1 Mar – 30 Apr |
Also protected year-round in designated river sections. |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | 30 cm | 15 Feb – 30 Apr |
Many waters (incl. Rhine, Mosel, Lahn) have additional closed seasons. |
| Saarland | 30 cm | 1 Mar – 30 Apr |
Night fishing is prohibited. |
| Saxony | 35 cm | 1 Jan – 15 Jun |
1 Feb – 30 Apr: fishing with predator baits is prohibited. |
| Saxony-Anhalt | 30 cm | 1 Dec – 15 May |
The fisheries authority may allow different minimum sizes for individual waters. |
| Schleswig-Holstein | 35 cm | 1 Jan – 30 Apr |
Values for inland waters; coastal waters have their own ordinance. |
| Thuringia | 35 cm | 1 Feb – 31 May |
Statewide rules for anglers as of 24 Oct 2026, without guarantee. Clubs and waters can set stricter rules; the ordinance text is binding.
Waters
Map: Natural Earth (public domain); © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Expected in these federal states
Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Brandenburg
Expected occurrence, modelled from each water's fish zones, habitat type and the federal states the species lives in, and checked against GBIF records — not a record of observations.