Montenegro has both fresh water fishing (trout and carp) in the mountains, streams, rivers and lakes, as well as sea fishing off the Dalmatian coast. Chartered boats can be hired for big game fishing (tuna, dog-fish and swordfish) in the Adriatic around the coastal cities like Budva. The Tara River is particularly good for trout fishing.

Fly fishing

Typical for every Montenegrin river is that they are all very clear. Their water is literally gin-clear. In fact, for its clarity and incredible mixes of turquoise to emerald color in the deeper eddies, they are leading in Europe. Tara, Ljuča, Lim, Moraca, Mrtvica, Zeta… all these rivers are of pure incredible beauty. They are a salmonid heaven on Earth. Brown trout, grayling, Danube salmon, marbled trout and lake trout are widespread throughout Montenegro. So, it’s a fly fishing paradise too. Rivers of such clarity may require a specific approach to fly fishing. For success, you may need a fine equipment, presentation and flies.
During summer months fish can be tippet-shy and selective. That is an additional challenge for fly fisherman. Often, fish are exclusively fed on tiny flies. Best dry flies are Blue Winged Olive (in variety of body-colors and wing materials – CDC, poly wings…), Quills, Midges, Griffith’s Gnat, Grizzly Palmer, Witch, Sulphur, Red Spinner, Sedges (various)…on hook sizes 12-20. Most useful hook size is # 16. You can fish wet flies, nymphs and streamers too. Well known patterns such as Pheasant Tail, Hare’s Ear, Hydropsyche Pupa, Bead Head Nymphs (various) and various streamers such as Muddler Minnow and Woolly Bugger are proven on montenegrin rivers.

Tara river

Tara, known as the `Tear of Europe` for its extremely clean water, is rich with Salmonidae fish. Fishing is best within the area of The National park Durmitor and the Tara River canyon which is the second deepest canyon in the world (the highest point of the canyon is 1300 m). In combination with wild, untouched nature and beautiful beaches, fishing in Montenegro is a beautiful adventure. Fishing on Tara is allowed only with artificial baits.

Morača river

Morača canyon, 38 km long, 1050 m deep, is an extremely beautiful place due to its landscapes, flora and the erosion that has created it. Morača belongs to the Adriatic basin and offers an amazing experience. This river is rich with noble (Salmonidae family) types of fish: stream trout, grayling, huchen, and the special breed called marble trout. Fishing on Morača is allowed only with artificial baits.

Skadar lake

Probably unique in the world, the Skadar lake hosts life in all its forms. It’s one of the few places in Europe where pelicans can still be found. Among them, each year, a quarter of a million birds are returning here from hot countries. Skadar lake is a paradise for ornithologists from all over Europe. Over 270 species nest on its shores. The lake is 44 km long and 7 km wide. Two thirds of it is in Montenegro, the remainder in Albania. On the east bank is the Albanian city of Shkodra, which gave the name of the beautiful seascapes. From May to March you can fish. The lake is full of fish: carp, eel, trout, in total 40 species. It’s interesting that saltwater fish species can be found in Skadarsko Jezero. Carp is the most attractive species for fishermen. Carp get caught in both, deep and shallow waters, near stream and rivers estuaries, in cryptodepressions (Lake “oka”) and around lake isles.
For bait they most used is corn seed or ball of paste with artificial smell and taste which is made for carp fishing (so called “boil” bait). The fishing season on Skadar Lake lasts almost for whole year but there are some restrictions according to species. Fishing season for bleak is from 31st of October until 15th of March (four and a half months or 135 days of which 30% of the days are unfavorable for fishing so the real number of fishing days is 95), during bleak autumn migration to their wintering habitats and during bleak wintering in Lake “oka” (Lake cryptodepressions) and other deeper part of the lake under strong influence of fresh water with relatively constant temperature. In other part of the year fishing of bleak is forbidden. Carp and all other species fishing season is from 1st of June until 1st of March (fishing of carp and all other fish species is forbidden for three months, March, April and May during spawning period) and season last for 9 months or 270 days. During this period 30% of the days are unfavorable for fishing (heavy rains in autumn and winter followed by strong north wind during autumn, winter and first month of spring). So the real number of fishing days is around 190 days.

Big Game fishing on the Adriatic sea

Tunas are the most frequently big game fishing targets at the Adriatic. Big game fish species are the bluefin tuna, albacore tuna, little tunny, sharks, swordfish, amberjacks and dorados. The month of April is right for little tunnis moving in shoals and wirh with an average weight of 10-15 kg. This period offers great possibilities for a rich catch. The end of May and beginning of June its shark hunting season (bluesharks and thresher sharks). In the beginning of August it’s bluefin tuna time; average weight of 70-80 kg up to 500 kg. In this period with the sea temperature rising, more and more dorados can be found. That’s at the same time the best fishing season (from August to November), where the chances for a big catch is very high. Off-course, it should be mentioned that the fishing seasons mostly depend on the sea temperature, the concentration of small blue fish and the salinity (depending on rainfall and inflow of sweet water).