Fishing in French Riviera

FIND AND BOOK YOUR FISHING CHARTER

Known for its captivating scenery, fine cuisine, charming villages and overall Mediterranean way of life, the French Riviera is also a great place to fish. ...

Known for its captivating scenery, fine cuisine, charming villages and overall Mediterranean way of life, the French Riviera is also a great place to fish.

Going out on a fishing trip in the French Riviera to come back to port to enjoy a fantastic lunch with extraordinary wine, is uniquely chic.

The climate is moderate nearly year-round and going out on a fishing trip in Menton, Monaco, Nice, Cannes, Saint Tropez, Le Lavandou or Hyères is the best way to discover the Côte d'Azur.

Inshore you can fish for reef fish such as snapper, seabream, jack, scorpion fish and nice predators like dentex, amberjack, seabass and pink dentex. Offshore, from April to October, massive tuna, skipjack and spearfish are caught drifting or trolling.

SEE AVAILABILITY FROM FISHING CHARTER
SEARCH
Fill out a number.

Most popular fishing boats charters in French Riviera

Her du Large II

4 19,69 ft

Le Lavandou, French Riviera (FR)

From $513
Deposit non-refundable

Papeete II

6 42,65 ft

Beaulieu-sur-Mer, French Riviera (FR)

From $1946
FREE Cancellation 14 days notice

Twin Peche Sportive

4 21,33 ft

Golfe Juan, French Riviera (FR)

From $432
Deposit non-refundable

Reviews from the users

The captain was really helpful and experienced, fishing was abit difficult but was still really fun ,would definitely go again.
Joshuq ducker

3 boats for charter near by French Riviera

Tips & Tricks, bait and more

There is a vast variety of fish species in the French Riviera, ranging from small reef fish to massive offshore pelagic predators. Here are the top fish species from the Côte d'Azur.

TOP SPECIES

Dentex

In the French Riviera, dentex can be found between 0 and 200m deep, with the young closer to the shore and the old out deeper. Dentex feed mainly on fish, crabs, molluscs and their favourite, squid. You can deep trolling with natural bait to catch them. You can fish dentex practically all year, although April and May are usually very good months to catch them.

Bluefin Tuna

Bluefin Tuna (thunnus thynnus) can weigh more than 500kg, making it one of the most prized species by the fishermen involved in fishing in the French Riviera. You can fish them with the trolling technique from April to September or early October, though you can also catch them by chumming in July and August.

Fishing tuna in the French Riviera is a highly spectacular activity, especially catching fish between 20 and 100kg by casting poppers, jigs and other artificials.

Grouper

The grouper fish is perfectly camouflaged to the reefs of the French Riviera, so the best technique to catch them is trolling natural bait (especially with a downrigger) and reef fishing with a live bait. Grouper can be found all year round.

Gilthead Sea Bream

The gilthead sea bream, its french name is dorade, use to come to coastal areas when the waters warm up looking for worms, crabs and molluscs. They like areas with sand and rocks where they use to hide. Gilthead sea bream are a very good eating fish.

Top sport fishing species in French Riviera

FISHING SEASON IN French Riviera

Spring

Offshore trolling and spinning can be practiced from April and May. Using these techniques we can fish bluefin tuna, albacore and little tunny. Drifting or anchored you may catch dentex, grouper, jack, scorpion fish, seabream and snapper on the reef.

Summer

The French Riviera in summer is a good time to fish bluefin tuna by chumming sardines and mackerel for example. This technique can be done offshore. Inshore, life bait fishing in the French Riviera can be done by trolling or drifting using natural baits such as squid, mackerel or horse mackerel.

Autumn

This is an excellent season for inshore trolling with small lures and feathers to fish for various species such as bonito, mackerel, little tunny and dolphin fish.

Winter

The winter is ideal for deep sea fishing and bottom fishing in the French Riviera. With deep sea bottom fishing (using electric reels), you can find a wide range of species such as the largest bream, codling, conger eel, grouper and hake.

Year round

All year round you can go deep sea fishing or reef fishing in the French Riviera, producing all kind of smaller reef fish such as jack, scorpion fish, snapper, sea bream and conger eel.

TOURISM & OTHER ACTIVITIES

Visit great places in the French Riviera such as Cannes, Saint Tropez, Monaco and Nice.

LEGISLATION / REGULATIONS

You need a fishing license to fish in fresh water and salt water. The fishing charters in the French Riviera normally have the fishing license included in the price, so you don't need to buy one if you're chartering a boat.

Key takeaways

Avg Capacity: 5 people
Popular fishing techniques: Jigging, Tuna fishing, Trolling
Average price: $0 per day
Low season price: $1946 per day
High season price: $2595 per day
Included: Fishing tackle, Fishing License, Bait & lures

Frequently asked questions about fishing in French Riviera

According to our customers, some of the most popular fishing charters in French Riviera are:
Her du Large II
Papeete II
Twin Peche Sportive

Depending on the boat, a fishing charter in French Riviera can accommodate up to 6 passangers, although most charters are for 5 people.

Typically in a charter in French Riviera, a fishing boat charter will include the use of the boat, Fishing tackle, Fishing License, Bait & lures. Some charters may also include Snacks and Drinks, while others may allow you to bring your own.

On average, the prices for a fishing trip in French Riviera are around $218 per hour. However, prices can vary depending on factors such as the duration of the trip, the size of the boat, and the number of people. For shorter fishing trips and smaller boats, prices can start as low as $432 for 4 hours and 4 people. During the high season, prices can increase up to $2595 for a 10-hour-trip with 6 people.

In French Riviera, you can fish:
Bluefin Tuna
Dentex
Little tunny
Atlantic Bonito
Amberjack
. Fishing regulations may vary, so make sure to check them before you go to French Riviera. We recommend Catch & Release, especially for undersized fish (for example using barbless hooks).

In French Riviera you can do a variety of fishing methods including Jigging, Tuna fishing, Trolling, Spin Fishing, Deep sea fishing, Live bait fishing. Regulations and restrictions vary depending on the species.

WHY FISH WITH

GET TO KNOW OTHER FISHING DESTINATIONS

Want to increase bookings for your fishing charter?

Tom’s Catch is your expert. We’ll help you have a higher visibility for free.

“I increased my bookings 20% with Tom’s Catch”

Oscar Santos, captain from Luna in Marbella.