Species › Europe, UK & Ireland · Saltwater › Turbot

Saltwater

Turbot

Scophthalmus maximus · European turbot, breet, butt

Water temp
50–63°F
Peak season
May–Aug
Best light
Daytime
IGFA record
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Turbot (Psetta maxima Luc Viatour.jpg)

Photo: Luc Viatour · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Turbot are almost circular, left-eyed flatfish with a scaleless, bony-tubercled brown back that matches sand and gravel, found from Norway to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, with the English Channel, North Sea and Irish Sea banks the classic grounds. They lie in ambush on the edges of sandbanks and in tidal runs, feeding on sandeels, sprats and small gadoids. Fish over 20 lb (9 kg) exist but are rare; a double-figure turbot from a boat or an 8 lb fish from a surf beach is a serious prize, and few fish are better on the plate.

Typical size2–6 lb (0.9–2.7 kg); 14–22 in
Trophy15 lb+ from a boat; 8 lb+ from the shore
Table fareExcellent — firm, white, widely rated the finest European flatfish

How to catch

Drifting a long flowing traceDrift the bank edge with a 6–10 ft trace behind a boom, a weight that bounces bottom and a long thin strip of mackerel or a whole sandeel on a 2/0–4/0 hook. When the rod tip knocks, give slack for a few seconds and then lift steadily; turbot take a bait slowly.
Surf casting on sand beachesFrom North Sea and Channel beaches, cast a single-hook running ledger with a sandeel or a long fish strip into gullies and the edges of sandbars on a flooding tide. Keep the bait moving occasionally and fish through dusk.

Gear

Rod7–8' 12–20 lb-class boat rod, or 12–13' beachcaster rated 4–6 oz
ReelMultiplier or 6000–8000 spinning
Line20–30 lb braid; 20–30 lb mono or fluorocarbon trace

Lures

white or pearl soft-plastic sandeelsslim paddle tails on jigheadsflashy flatfish spoons

Baits

sandeelmackerel striplauncesquid strip

Regulations

No sea angling license is needed in the UK or Ireland, but EU minimum landing sizes apply and Denmark, Germany and Sweden enforce minimum sizes and local closures. Check national marine agency rules before keeping fish.

Records

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

Frequently asked

How do you tell a turbot from a brill?

Turbot are rounder and thicker with a rough back covered in bony tubercles and no scales; brill are more oval, smoother and have small scales and a frilled front edge to the dorsal fin. Both are left-eyed and caught on the same banks, but turbot grow far larger and are the more valuable catch.

Bite forecast — Turbot

Recent catches

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

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