Adriatic Sea Fishing – Guide for Fishing in Croatia

Are you visiting Croatia? Are you a passionate fisherman, or would you like to see if there is one hiding in you? You have endless possibilities when it comes to fishing in Croatia and exploring the coast.

The rich waters of the Adriatic offer excellent fishing sites. The many trenches, holes, and rocks along the coast, make the Adriatic a popular breeding ground for marine life.

First things first, get your license! Only kids under the age of 14 are allowed to fish in Croatia with no license. Just fill out the form and pay online, and you’re good to go. You can select between two types of licenses: sports or recreational. And opt for one-, three- or 7-day license. In order to apply for the sports license, you need to have a valid annual membership card of the Croatian federation for sport fisheries at sea or the sport fisheries’ federation of another country. If you don’t have your gear with you, contact our charter team to arrange for the perfect fishing set to wait for you on board your selected vessel.

Why Fish in The Adriatic?

With 1244 islands, islets and reefs, Croatia is often called ‘the country of a thousand islands’. The Adriatic is rich in fish and other marine species. It comes as no surprise that recreational fishing is a practiced sport in the area. It’s a popular industry in Croatia, but also a great way to wind down and relax. What better opportunity to experience this than while exploring the Adriatic aboard your Nava boat? However, keep in mind, the summer crowds and tourists tend to scare the fish and you might have more luck and bigger specimens to catch in late spring or early fall.

Try your luck!

Undoubtedly, expertise, good equipment and luck all play a part, but certainly the location is also an essential element. While many fishermen prefer to keep their best fishing spots, a secret, we’re here to help you get the most out of your adventure. Fishing in the Adriatic offers a wide array of species that are delicious!

It’s important to remember that the most significant skill for fishing is patience! Practice makes perfect, and with some luck you’ll be able to catch two-banded sea bream, sea bass, dentex and even gilt-head bream.

What fish you can expect to catch

• Gilthead (orada/komarca) – probably the best habitat
• Brown meagre (kavala)
• White sea bream (sarag)
• Dentex (zubatac) – specimens smaller than 30 cm should be released back into the sea
• Sheepshead bream (pic)
• Red scorpionfish (skarpina)
• European conger (ugor) – if you catch one smaller than 40 cm you need to release it
• Lobsters and crabs
• Squid (lignja) and garfish (iglica) in the winter periods
• Amberjack (gof)
• European hake (oslic or mol)
• mullet (cipal)
• saddled seabream (usata)
• Two-banded bream (fratar)
• Brown wrasse (vrana)
• Grouper (kirnja)
• Common seabream (pagar)

How to Catch the Fish

When you are trying to catch your lunch or dinner, you’re likely to come across one of the 400 Adriatic sea fish species native in Croaita. Some of these fish include sea bass, sea bream, pandora, mackerel, sardines, sprats, red mullet, and monkfish among others. If you’re lucky, you may even find Mahi Mahi or swordfish at the end of your line!

Big game fishing is very popular in Croatia, and the North Adriatic as well. However, a boat for big game should be equipped for this type of fishing. So, if this is your goal we recommend booking a big game adventure with local connoisseurs that have all the necessary equipment, licenses, knowledge, and experience.

Bottom Fishing

Sea Bass (Lubin or Brancin, in Croatian) is one of the most appetizing fish found in the Adriatic. Skip the restaurants and catch this fish in shallow waters close to the shore. Check if you can taste the difference when catching it and cooking it yourself! Moreover, on a crewed charter, your experienced chef is likely to make it into  a memorable meal. The best way to attract delicious sea bass is bottom fishing or jigging – give it a try! Using this technique, you’re also likely to attract some other fish such as cuttlefish, sea bream, dentex and mackerel.

Spearfishing

Looking for some adrenaline? You could also try spearfishing for a delicious labor-intensive catch. Dinner will taste even better after a long day at sea. According to Croatia’s Maritime and Fishing rules, you can spearfish only during daylight, for obvious reasons. No oxygen bottles are allowed and you can only have 2 spearguns. You require a sport fishing license (this means you need to be a member of a sports fishing federation). Despite its thrilling nature, this activity requires excellent physical and mental capability because of the diving and weapon use. The best time for this activity is in the late summer and early fall when you ought to find the most rewarding catch on the rocky seabed.

The Best Fishing Spots in Croatia

Undoubtedly, fishing in Croatia combines perfectly with a crewed charter vacation. Certainly, the main advantage is that you have your professional “guide/skipper/fisherman” right with you onboard. This means hitting the best spots. Here’s a selection of of crewed boats:

However, if you’re chartering your vessel bare boat, we’ve compiled some of the best spots for recreational fishing.

Vis Island Fishing

Vis Island is a top destination for deep-sea fishing, especially for those seeking bluefin tuna and swordfish. Located far from the mainland, Vis has some of the richest fishing grounds in the Adriatic, making it ideal for both shore and boat fishing. The island’s underwater topography, with its deep trenches and nutrient-rich waters, attracts a variety of large fish. The best fishing spots on Vis: Komiza Bay, and Bisevo Island.

Pakleni Islands

Just off the coast of Hvar, the Pakleni Islands are an excellent location for catching sea bream, amberjack, squid, and octopus. The islands are known for their vibrant marine life, with deep channels and rocky seabeds. Don’t miss the best fishing spots such as Palmizana, on Sveti Klement island, and Vodnjak Reef

Brac Island

Brac is a diverse fishing destination, offering both deep-sea and shore fishing opportunities. The area around Zlatni Rat Beach and other interesting sites are home to sea bass, dentex, and groupers.

Zadar Archipelago (Dugi Otok, Ugljan, and Pasman)

The Zadar Archipelago offers a mix of deep-sea and inshore fishing, with Dugi Otok being famous for tuna and grouper, while Ugljan and Pasman provide fantastic shore fishing experiences (sea bass and mullet).

Peljesac Peninsula

Pelješac Peninsula is a fantastic spot for catching squid, octopus, dentex, and sea bass. What’s more dingac, excellent red wine, grows on the peninsula so you must try it when dining fish.

Moreover, Mali Ston Bay is famous for its oysters and mussels, so we highly recommend to enjoy the full seafood experience.

Mljet Island

Mljet is one of Croatia’s most untouched islands, making it a great spot for anglers. The clear waters are perfect for seabream, cuttlefish, and sea bass. Parts of the island are within a national park, so fishing is allowed only in limited areas and with a special permit from the National Park.

Rovinj – Pula

This area in Istria is a prime spot for mackerel, mullet, sea bream, and John Dory. The town is known for its fishing heritage, and both sport and spearfishing are popular activities. Sea currents around Lim Bay create nutrient-rich waters, making it a hotspot for fish.

Sibenik Archipelago (Kornati and Zirje Islands)

The waters around the Sibenik Archipelago, especially near Kornati National Park and Žirje Island, are teeming with tuna, swordfish, and dentex. These islands provide excellent big-game fishing opportunities.

The fishing industry around Kornati is big. The rich waters and marine biodiversity is a great advantage for fish and fishing enthusiasts alike. It is important to mention that fishing within the Kornati National Park is allowed by law, but strictly a no-fishing zone according to the regulations of the national park. So, in order to avoid a fine, we recommend doing it outside the park limits. Expect to catch here common dentex, grouper, red scorpionfish, white sea bream, common pandora, sea bass, gilthead and many other species.

Lastovo Island

Remote and still not too crowded with tourists, Lastovo Island offers some of the best fishing grounds in Croatia. Dentex, amberjack, and snapper thrive in the deep surrounding waters.

Be Sustainable!

Fishing methods are usually passed down from generation to generation. In case you charter our boat with our local skipper, know that they are well-versed in the best tips for fishing and some have their own equipment (if not, you can rent fishing gear with Nava, just reach out to our booking team before your charter start). Most skippers are happy to assist and guide you through your fishing adventures!

When partaking in recreational fishing, please remember that, unfortunately, we humans often bring disbalance and sometimes threaten marine wildlife. Thus, in recent years, more native species have become endangered. Keep in mind to release specimens that have not reached the required length or weight. In any case, only catch what you mean to eat. And bear in mind that the daily limit is 5 kilograms.

Protected sea species

The following species are protected in the Adriatic waters: ocean sunfish, fan mussel, date mussel, Caspian gull, green wrasse, Holothuroidea, Mediterranean monk seal, common bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, all whales, all sea turtles, some shellfish, Triton’s Trumpet and Neptune Grass. Find the full list of species on the Croatian Tourist Board website.

The charms of this sport are certainly its unpredictable nature and the mixture of luck and skill necessary for a successful fishing adventure. If you would like to give it a try during your charter, contact our charter team at charter@navaboats.com or call Nautika Centar Nava at +385 021 407 700. We’ll be happy to help you select the perfect boat for you and prepare a fishing set on board your chosen boat.