Species › Asia › Mahseer

Freshwater

Mahseer

Tor spp. · golden mahseer, humpback mahseer, Tor putitora

Water temp
64–79°F
Peak season
Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov
Best light
Dawn · Dusk
IGFA record
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Mahseer (Arundo.donax2web.jpg)

Photo: Forest and Kim Starr · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Mahseer are large, thick-lipped cyprinids with oversized scales and golden to copper flanks belonging to the genus Tor, with the golden mahseer (Tor putitora) of the Himalayan foothills and the humpback mahseer (Tor remadevii) of the Cauvery basin in South India the two most sought. They live in fast, boulder-strewn rivers and the reservoirs that dam them, eating fish, crabs, insects and fruit and running upstream to spawn on the monsoon floods. British colonial anglers rated them above salmon for fighting power, and today they are a protected, catch-and-release trophy pursued in India, Nepal and Bhutan.

Typical size5–20 lb (2.3–9 kg); 20–36 in
Trophy40 lb+ golden mahseer; humpback mahseer historically over 100 lb (45 kg)
Table fareMostly catch & release — protected in India, Nepal and Bhutan

Where & when

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Himalayan rivers fish best in the pre-monsoon (March–May) and post-monsoon (October–November) windows when water is clear and 60–75°F (16–24°C); the monsoon floods of June–September make rivers unfishable.

Ramganga River, Jim Corbett area, IndiaClassic Himalayan golden mahseer riverCauvery (Kaveri) River, IndiaKarnataka; home of the critically endangered humpback mahseerKarnali River, NepalBig, wild western Nepal river with large golden mahseer

How to catch

Spinning heavy spoons and plugsCast large spoons, spinners and deep-diving plugs into the heads and tails of rapids, eddies behind boulders and the junctions of pools, retrieving across the current. Mahseer take hard and run downstream immediately, so stand where you can follow.
Ragi paste and natural baitsOn South Indian rivers, fish a ball of ragi (millet) paste, or a dead fish or crab, on a heavy running ledger in deep pools and below rapids. Let the fish move off with the bait before setting the hook and expect a long, powerful first run.

Gear

Rod9–10' heavy spinning rod rated 40–100 g
Reel5000–6000 spinning or heavy baitcaster
Line40–60 lb braid; 40–60 lb mono leader

Lures

large spoonsheavy inline spinnersdeep-diving plugs

Baits

ragi pastedead fishcrabearthworms

Regulations

Mahseer are protected species in India and Nepal, and angling is permitted only on licensed beats or in designated zones, almost always strictly catch and release with barbless hooks. Permits are issued by state forest departments or local camps; several Indian rivers have closed angling entirely.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: not listed. State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

Why are mahseer so highly rated as a game fish?

Because they live in fast, rocky water and use it: a hooked mahseer turns downstream through the rapids with a first run that has broken more rods and emptied more reels than almost any other freshwater fish. Add their size, their golden armor of scales and the remote Himalayan and South Indian rivers they live in, and the colonial-era reputation as the 'tiger of the river' still holds.

Bite forecast — Mahseer

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Mahseer.

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