Slovenia is one of the most geographically diverse countries in the world. This is also reflected in the wonderful sport of fishing. Our country is home to some of the most beautiful rivers in Europe, pristine natural lakes and the calm part of the Adriatic Sea. Due to a favourable climate, fish species flourish in Slovenian waters and grow exceptionally fast. No wonder the average size of fish is bigger here than in other European countries. In addition, we have a few indigenous species, the most notable among them being the Marble trout and the Huchen.
In this article, we will focus on some of the main fishing activities in Slovenia: fly fishing, carp fishing, spin fishing and sea fishing.
FLY FISHING
Fly Fishing on Unca River
The most popular type of fishing in Slovenia is undoubtedly fly fishing. The numerous predators swimming in Slovenia’s rivers and lakes pose a considerable challenge for local as well as foreign fly fishermen. And that’s why they love it! Visitors flock to Slovenia to catch the famous Marble trout or ‘the fish of a thousand casts’, the Huchen. High on the list of prized catches are also the Grayling and various types of Trout, like Brown trout, Rainbow trout and even Lake trout.
The tradition of fly fishing might not be as longstanding in Slovenia compared to other countries, but it certainly is a rich one. This is, as mentioned above, thanks to the country’s unique geographical location and, consequently, lush fish population with excellent specimens. It is precisely why Slovenia has been put on the fly-fishing map as a country that fishermen from around the world are very fond of and where many fishing matches and championships have been held recently.
A special feature of Slovenia’s waters is that the country’s river basins are divided into two main watersheds – the Adriatic and the Danube watershed. In the former, which is smaller, the rivers flow into the Adriatic Sea. Reigning over these is the famous Soča River with its amazing Marble trout. Rivers belonging to the Danube or Black Sea watershed flow into the Danube. This is the realm of the mighty Huchen.
Other important rivers, the detailed descriptions of which can be found on our website and are included in our fishing offer, are: Unica, Idrijca, Krka, Radovna and Savinja.
CARP FISHING
Fishing guide holding a carp
Carp fishing has been part of the Slovenian fishing tradition for a long time. Our country has successfully kept up to speed with modern Carp fishing, offering a few spectacular Carp fishing destinations which attract foreign fishermen who never leave disappointed. Trophy sized specimens are far from scarce in Slovenia and with certain lakes designated primarily for Carp fishing, Slovenia has a great deal to offer in this particular line of fishing.
Leading the way in Carp fishing in Slovenia are definitely Lake Bled and Šmartinsko Lake. Carp Fishing on Lake Bled has been location of superb catches over the years, with several specimens passing the magical mark of 30 kg. The Šmartinsko Lake even holds the Slovenian record of a whacking 34 kg Carp.
In addition to these two lakes, there are other, very appealing lakes that are also rich in fish, like Slivnica Lake, Rudniško Lake, Cerknica Lake, Mola Lake, Vogršček Lake and others.
As for the fish that you can groundfish for, the most common in this country is as mentioned above, a Carp. The weight of these can reach over 30 kg, but the most commonly caught are between 10 and 20 kg. That said, it is not unlikely for an over 20 kg beast to appear in your net. In addition to Carp, amur or the grass carp can also be found swimming in Slovenian lakes.
Although not as common, specimens of enviable size of the latter can be caught. Catfish, a very desirable fish for some and a headache for others, can also bite in our waters. In fact, our catfish can grow more than 2 m in length and weigh over 100 kg.
As the preservation of our waters receives more and more attention and ‘catch and release’ is becoming increasingly widespread in Slovenia’s lakes, Carp fishing has a very bright future in this country, with the number of trophy sized fish bound to grow.
SPIN FISHING
Spin Fishing at Lake Bled
Due to a large number of elusive predators that can be caught with artificial baits, spin fishing is one of the most popular techniques among local fishermen in Slovenia.
The list of fish caught by spin fishing in Slovenia is long. The undisputed king is of course the Huchen. Catching one of these monsters is every fisherman’s dream. This fish can’t be found just anywhere and Huchen fishing is forbidden during certain months of the year, making catching one even more special. Besides the Danube salmon, fishing for Pike is very popular. The largest Pike caught in Slovenian waters came at a length of 134 cm. The record Wels Catfish was measured at a staggering 266 cm and weighed 99 kg. Then there’s Bolen or Asp and the lake-dwelling Zander and Lake trout.
One of the main advantages of spin fishing in Slovenia is that the season is open all-year-round. Only the types of fish are limited to particular months. During autumn and winter, it’s Huchen time, from May to February is Pike season, and all the other predators are up for grabs any time in between. Fishing enthusiasts have the entire year to catch one of these freshwater monsters.
The main go-to fishing area remains the famous Lake Bled where most of the aforementioned fish can be caught. The rivers Sava, Ljubljanica, Krka, Kolpa and the Reško Lake are Huchen and Pike territory, while the Vipava River is home to the Catfish.
SEA FISHING
Adriatic sea with clouds and pine trees
Although the coastline of Slovenia is less than 50 km long, sea fishing in Slovenia is still very popular. According to many experienced fishermen, the Adriatic Sea is the best fishing area in the world.
Many different types of fish can be caught in the Adriatic and done so in many different ways. Among the most popular fishing techniques are drifting, bottom fishing, trolling, and fly fishing is also possible. In terms of bait, dead baits, worms, sardines, artificial baits, flies and others are used.
We do not need a fishing permit to fish from the shore in Slovenia, but fishing from a boat requires a fishing permit, but it’s far from expensive.
The Adriatic Sea is home to larger Tuna fish that can weigh up to 200 kg, dentex, the Mahi-Mahi, etc. Slightly smaller, but no less fierce fish are the sea bass, gilthead, scorpionfish, eel, etc. The small fish that are caught closer to the coastline are Sea Bass, Salp, Ribbonfish, Mackerel and others.
The season is also on during winter months, when the fishermen’s main target are calamari and cuttlefish.
Fishing Guides Slovenia offer includes big game fishing and other sea fishing trips. Big game fishing is done in Croatia, right on the Slovenian border. Our target is tuna, though many larger fish can also be caught.
A half-day sea fishing trip is a relaxing fishing experience. It involves fishing down the Slovenian coastline and is a great way of livening up your seaside holiday.
