Chorrilla
2
59,20 ft
Deltebre, Tarragona (ES)
From
340,00 €
Fishing in Ebro Delta
The Ebro Delta is one of the most famous deltas in Europe. Here, the Ebro - Spain's largerst river - meets the Mediterranean Sea. After hundreds of years, large amounts of water brought sediments and formed this wonderful wetland in the western Mediterranean. It contains the famous rice fields and 320 square kilometres of Natural Park.
The Delta isn't only a mecca for bird watching fanatics, it's also a great place for sport fishing. In fresh water there's carp, blackbass, sander and catfish.
The salt water species are bluefish, leerfish, sea bass, amberjack and bluefin tuna just to name a few.
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9 Charter in Ebro Delta
Tips & Tricks, bait and more
Considering this, it’s no wonder that the Delta del Ebro is considered one of the best places for fishing along the Catalan coast, if not the very best place along all of Spain’s Mediterranean coast. Here are the top 5 fish species from the Delta.
Bluefin tuna: One of the most sought after species in the Delta del Ebro, bluefin tuna can grow up to 3.7m and weigh more than 600kg. Bluefin tuna are very strong and are well known amongst anglers for struggling when caught. They tend to dive deep, emptying the fishing rod’s reel.
When the tuna surfaces, you can use spinning techniques and throw larger lures so that when the tuna is close enough, poppers, stick baits and vinyl can be used to catch it. There’s certainly a lot of action when catching bluefin tuna and it can be spectacular to watch.
Another popular technique used to catch tuna is to drive a fishing boat at 7-10 knots and drag lures behind. However, perhaps the best technique to fish larger tuna is chumming, when you use a boat offshore and put sardines and mackerel overboard to attract the tuna. The best time to try this method is from April to September.
Bluefish: Bluefish are one of the finest species in the Delta del Ebro. One of the best techniques used to fish them is trolling, especially using artificial lures and natural bait such as small barracuda or garfish. Another technique to try is to fish using a boat in well-known areas, trying to provoke the fish to take a bite with stick baits, lures or poppers.
Bluefish can be found in the Delta del Ebro throughout the year but between April and October, they are found in abundance particularly close to the coastline and in shallow waters between 7-15m.
Leerfish: On the bucket-list of anglers and fishing enthusiasts is fishing for leerfish in the Ebro river and it's river mouth, as these brave fighters can reach up to 30kg! To catch them, you can use surface lures and poppers, but these large fish prefer a natural bait. Using espet/barracuda, needles and curricando, they can be caught in waters 4-15m deep. Leerfish first appear from early June.
Sea bass: During winter, you can fish for sea bass throughout the day with vinyl line in the river. If you catch a female sea bass, it’s advisable to drop it back as the females are breeding at this time of the year. The sea bass is most active during the morning and at dusk.
Catfish: As a freshwater fish, fishing for catfish in the Delta del Ebro will be concentrated upstream. Catfish go for bait and pellets (a manufactured bait that’s compressed with fish food) and they tend to be out during dusk and nighttime.
You can fish either from the shore or from a boat using well-chosen and strategically placed mounts. Catfish can be caught throughout the year, although the best time is from April to November when the water is usually above 12°C.
Top sport fishing species in Ebro Delta
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The dentex (Dentex dentex) is a common saltwater fish in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and sometimes they appear in the Canary Islands, Morocco and Senegal. They have very strong teeth to feed on fish, squid and mollusca. Dentex are a great species for sportfishing and are targetted mainly trolling or jigging. The larger fish are 1m long and can weigh up to 15 kg (35 lb).
MORE INFO >Dentex
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The Little tunny or False Albacore (Euthynnus alletteratus) is easily identified by the dark spots under its pectoral fins. They like warm temperate and tropical waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The larger Little Tunny weigh up to 35lb and can reach 1,2m.
MORE INFO >Little tunny
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Atlantic Bonito (Sarda sarda) is a rapid fish species known for being great hunters. They have striping on their backs with silver-coloured undersides and they grow up to 30 inches long. They have a hydrodynamic body shape, even more so than larger tuna.
MORE INFO >Atlantic Bonito
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Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) or simply mackerel have a great back with irregular black bands. They're very common and like the temperate waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and the northern Atlantic Ocean. Mackerel are typically between 25-35cm.
MORE INFO >Atlantic Mackerel
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The Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) is known by anglers as being a fast, aggressive and strong fish of the ocean. They are fun to target and give a real challenge to anyone who comes across them while fishing. They inhabit temperate and subtropical waters around the world. Bluefish have extremely powerful jaws with razor sharp teeth. They can grow over a meter and weigh over 10kg.
MORE INFO >Bluefish
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The leerfish (Lichia amia) is known by anglers as being a fast, aggressive and strong fish of the Mediterranean Sea and the coastal waters from Western Africa to south Africa. Leerfish are generally found in small and loose groups rather than large schools of fish. They can grow up to 1,70m (5.5ft) and weigh up to 25kg (55lb).
MORE INFO >Leerfish
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The sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is for many sport fishermen a trophy fish because of the nice fight they offer but also because they're an excellent eating fish. Sea bass, also known as European bass, are found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, from northern Norway to Senegal, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. They can grow up to 1 metre and weigh up to 12kg.
MORE INFO >Sea bass
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The Amberjack species are a game fish that are found both in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Jigging and live bait fishing are the best techniques to target these magnificent fighters. Greater Amberjack can weigh up to 170 lb (80 kg).
MORE INFO >Amberjack
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Mahi Mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) are also commonly referred to as dorado, dolphin or dolphinfish. They are recognizable by their bluntly shaped heads, long dorsal fin and their bright colouring, dark blue and green on their dorsal side and yellow on their sides and underside.
MORE INFO >Dorado
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Black bass (Micropterus) is a common name for several species like the largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and spotted bass for example. Famous for its great fighting skills, they are a very sought after game fish. Black bass are found in fresh water in the Canada, United States, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and France. Black bass are mostly caught spinfishing. They can grow up to 60 cm / 25 in.
MORE INFO >Black Bass
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Carp (Cyprinus carpio) originally come from Asia, but since ages they are native to Europe. In the Middle Ages, monks introduced carp into ponds and lakes for food. Carp thrive in virtually any environment and can grow up to 80lb! Carp fishing is extremely popular in the U.K. and in Western Europe.
MORE INFO >Carp
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Catfish are a diverse group of fish which have one thing in common: their barbels. They exist in all kinds of colours and sizes, ranging from the Mekong giant catfish in Asia, the wels catfish in Eurasia to the piraiba in South America. Catfish are the largest freshwater fish and they can grow up to 5m and weigh over 300kg!!
MORE INFO >Catfish
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The zander (Sander lucioperca) is a sought after game fish in Europe and western Asia. It's a common fresh water fish distributed from Spain to Finland and from Britain to Kazakhstan. They can be caught with spinfishing, dead bait and live bait fishing. Zander can grow bigger than 1 meter and weigh up to 15kg.
MORE INFO >Zander
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Gilt-head Bream (Sparus aurata) is a common species in the Mediterranean Sea and also in the Atlantic Ocean from Britain to Cape Verde. Popular in the Mediterranean cuisine, the fish is easily recognized by the gold bar marking between its eyes. The largest gilt-head bream are 1 metre long and can weigh up to 7kg (15lb).
MORE INFO >Gilt-head Bream
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The horse mackerle (Trachurus trachurus) is a common species found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off Europe from Norway to South Africa and into the south-eastern Indian Ocean to Mozambique. They are normally between 20 and 30 cm, although the larger fish can grow up to 70 cm and weigh around 2-3kg.
MORE INFO >Horse Mackerel
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The the European barracuda (Sphyraena sphyraena) is also known as the Mediterranean barracuda. This predator is common in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. They can grow up to 1,65m and weigh over 3,5kg.
MORE INFO >European Barracuda
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The Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) is a pelagic fish that can grow up to 500kg (1000lb). The biggest Bluefin Tuna every caught was 780kg (1496lb). These great fighters can be caught trolling, jigging, casting or drifting; mainly off-shore.
MORE INFO >Bluefin Tuna
FISHING SEASON IN Ebro Delta
Spring: During springtime, the Ebro River Delta begins to come alive with freshwater and saltwater species (and also, an increase of plankton-feeding small species that are eaten by larger predators). During April and May, you can start trolling and jigging to catch bluefin tuna and little tunny. It’s also a good time to catch leerfish and bluefish using dead bait (small barracuda or a garfish) in depths of 7-15m.
Summer: This is the best time of year for fishing in the Delta del Ebro. During July, August and September, the waters are full of activity with large amounts of sea gulls hovering over the frenzies. Again, the fishing will be in both freshwater and saltwater, and it’s a good time to fish bluefin tuna just offshore. Closer to the coast, you can try trolling with natural bait (squid or mackerel) to catch types of fish like barracuda, bluefish, dentex or leerfish.
Autumn: Fishing in Delta del Ebro during autumn is an excellent time of year, particularly for trolling along the coast with small lures and feathers to catch mackerel, melva, little tunny and dolphinfish usually in waters 40-50m deep. It’s also a good time to fish barracuda with a garfish to catch leerfish or bluefish in depths ranging from 7-15m.
Winter: During wintertime the marine fisheries are calmer. However, in good weather conditions, Ebro Delta fishing can still be a very productive place to fish. The most common species to be found here are black spot sea bream, forkbeard, conger eel, Atlantic wreckfish and grouper.
During winter it’s better to fish in the River Ebro because, although the temperature is lower and there is a chance of storms, the river remains calm and sheltered. January to March is also an excellent time to fish for sander and catfish as the water is clearer.
TOP FISHING TECHNIQUES IN Ebro Delta
OUR USERS IN Ebro Delta
TOURISM & OTHER ACTIVITIES
Ebro Delta National Park: The Ebro Delta, one of the most important wetlands in the Mediterranean, is one of the best spots for birdwatching in Spain. Over 300 different species of birds are either resident or migratory to the Ebro Delta. Observe wonderful species like the Great Reed Warbler, Red crested Pochard, Black-necked Grebe and of course the Greater Flamingo.
Other activities in the Ebro Delta National Park: Kayak, Windsurfing, Kite Surfing, Hiking...
Visit Poble Nou, l'Ampolla, the beach of Riumar.
LEGISLATION / REGULATIONS
You need a fishing license for Ebro Delta fishing, (fresh water and salt water) which can be obtained on the website from the Generalitat de Catalunya:
remember that the fishing charters or your fishing guide normally have the fishing license included in the price, so you don't need to buy one if you're chartering a boat.
