Species › Europe, UK & Ireland · Freshwater › European Eel

Freshwater

European Eel

Anguilla anguilla · Eel, Yellow eel, Silver eel (migrating)

Water temp
61–75°F
Peak season
Jun–Aug
Best light
Night
IGFA record
8 lb 8 oz (3.85 kg)
European Eel (New Zealand longfin eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii) Piha.jpg)

Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

European eels are long, cylindrical fish with a continuous dorsal-anal fin, tiny embedded scales and a slimy skin; freshwater "yellow" eels are olive-brown and the migrating "silver" stage turns dark-backed with a white belly and enlarged eyes. They spawn in the Sargasso Sea, drift to Europe as leaf-shaped larvae, enter rivers as glass eels and live 10–30 years in rivers, lakes, canals and estuaries from Iceland and Scandinavia to North Africa and the Mediterranean. Eels feed at night on worms, insect larvae, crayfish and dead fish. Recruitment has collapsed by over 90 percent since the 1980s, so the species is critically endangered, but a 5 lb (2.3 kg) eel remains one of the hardest specimens in European coarse fishing.

Typical size1–2 lb (0.5–1 kg); 18–30 in
Trophy4 lb+ (1.8 kg+); 6 lb+ is exceptional
Table fareMostly catch & release — critically endangered; smoked eel is a traditional food where legal

Where & when

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Eels feed from late spring to early autumn when water is above 60°F (16°C), with warm, humid, overcast nights in June–August the peak; they go dormant in cold water.

Norfolk Broads, United KingdomShallow lakes and rivers with large eelsLough Neagh, United KingdomNorthern Ireland; Europe's largest wild eel fisheryComacchio Lagoons, ItalyPo Delta; historic eel culture and fishing

How to catch

Ledgered worm or dead bait at nightFish a bunch of lobworms or a small dead fish section on a size 4–6 hook with a running lead on a quick-release or resistance-free rig, cast to deep margins, snags and drop-offs after dark. Strike at the first steady run to avoid deep-hooking, and use a large unhooking mat and wet hands.
Freelined bait in canals and drainsIn shallow canals and drains, freeline a lobworm or fish strip beside lock gates and bridge shadows on a still, warm night. Watch the line or use a light bobbin and strike at a positive pull.

Gear

Rod12' 2–2.5 lb test-curve specimen rod
Reel4000–5000 baitrunner spinning
Line12–15 lb mono; 15–20 lb braid hooklink or light wire

Baits

LobwormsSmall dead fish or fish sectionsMaggots (small eels)

Regulations

European eel is critically endangered and anglers in England and Wales must release every eel they catch; most EU countries ban or heavily restrict recreational eel fishing and have closed seasons. A rod licence and venue permission apply as for other coarse fish.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: 8 lb 8 oz (3.85 kg) — River Lyckeby, Sweden, 1988. State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

Why are European eels endangered?

Glass eel arrivals in European rivers have fallen by more than 90 percent since the 1970s, driven by dams and weirs that block migration, loss of wetlands, pollution, a parasitic swim-bladder worm, illegal export of glass eels and changes in ocean currents. Eels breed only once, far out in the Sargasso Sea, so recovery is slow, and anglers now release every one.

Bite forecast — European Eel

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to European Eel.

Pin: