Top 10 Fishing Spots in Latvia
Latvia is a country where fishing is woven into the national identity. The red-and-white flag has flown over coastal fishing communities for centuries, and the country's rivers — the Gauja, the Daugava, the Venta, and dozens of smaller tributaries — have supported both subsistence and sport fishing across generations. The Gauja, coursing through sandstone gorges in the Gauja National Park, is the jewel of Latvian river fishing: one of the few Baltic rivers still holding self-sustaining populations of wild Atlantic salmon. The Daugava is wider and more powerful, a route for sea trout runs in autumn. And the Baltic coast, from the Gulf of Riga to the Latvian stretch of the Curonian Lagoon, offers cod, flounder, and sea trout in the surf.
Gauja River Brown Trout and Salmon
The Gauja flows 452 kilometres from its source in the Vidzeme Upland to the Gulf of Riga at Carnikava, and the section through the Gauja National Park between Valmiera and Sigulda is its finest fishing water. Atlantic salmon — a protected and recovering population — are present from late August through October, and a limited number of catch-and-release licences are issued each year by the national fisheries authority. Brown trout of 1 to 4 kg inhabit the gravelly runs year-round, responding best to nymphs and small spinners in spring and early autumn. The river runs through 15-metre-high red sandstone cliffs draped in ferns, making it among the most beautiful river landscapes in the Baltic states.
Daugava Sea Trout Runs
The Daugava enters Latvia from Belarus in the east and reaches the Baltic at Riga. Sea trout enter the river from September onwards, pushing upstream through the Plavinas hydroelectric reservoir and into the lower reaches accessible from the bank below the dam. Fish average 1.5 to 3.5 kg, though specimens to 6 kg are recorded. Spinning with silver and copper spoons of 15 to 25 grams on a 10 to 12 foot medium-action rod is the standard approach in the faster water. Fly fishing with intermediate lines and streamer patterns in white, chartreuse, and copper is increasingly popular. National sea trout licences are required and are available from the Latvian State Forests fisheries department.
Baltic Cod off Ventspils
Ventspils is Latvia's second port and the base for the most active charter sea fishing fleet on the Latvian coast. Atlantic cod inhabit the deeper offshore banks 20 to 40 nautical miles from port in 30 to 70 metres of water. From October to March, cod averaging 1.5 to 4 kg are caught on pirks, deep-diving jigs, and bait rigs with Baltic herring. The annual cod quota is closely managed; charter boats comply with ICES regulations and participate in tagging programmes. In summer, when cod move deeper, the same boats target turbot over sandy ground at 20 to 30 metres. The sea fishing season for cod is generally October to May.
Venta River Grayling
The Venta flows westward through Latvia's Kurzeme region before entering Lithuania and reaching the Baltic at Klaipėda. The upper Latvian section near Kuldīga — site of the widest natural waterfall in Europe, the Rumba at nearly 250 metres across — holds grayling populations that sustain a local fly fishing culture. Grayling averaging 300 to 600 grams respond well to upstream nymphs, spider patterns, and size 14 to 18 dry flies from April through October. The river is shallow and clear, requiring careful wading and a delicate approach. Access is unrestricted on public banks; a freshwater licence covers the full river.
Lake Engure for Coarse Fishing
Lake Engure on the Gulf of Riga coast is a shallow, brackish lake designated as a Ramsar wetland. It covers roughly 41 square kilometres and averages only 0.8 metres in depth, making it a unique habitat for rudd, bream, and tench in the weedy channels. The permitted fishing zone covers the southern and eastern shores; motorised boats are prohibited in most of the lake. Float fishing with bread and maggot over clouded, warm water in July and August produces excellent sport with roach to 1 kg and bream to 2.5 kg. The lake is also notable for its spring and autumn migration of waterfowl, adding birdwatching to the fishing experience.
Salaca River Sea Trout
The Salaca runs only 95 kilometres but packs in one of Latvia's finest sea trout runs. It enters the Gulf of Riga near Salacgrīva and sea trout push upstream from September to November, with October generally the peak month. The lower 20 kilometres are the productive section — a series of pools separated by shallow gravel runs, ideal for a 10 to 11 foot single-handed rod with a sink-tip line and a Sunray Shadow or Cascade tube fly. The Salaca also holds a small salmon run, and catch-and-release regulations apply to all salmon. The river is managed by the Salacgrīva angling association, which issues weekly permits.
Coastal Flounder at Jūrmala
The sandy beaches south of Jūrmala, the resort town 30 kilometres west of Riga, are a productive surf fishing mark for Baltic flounder from June to October. Flatfish of 200 to 600 grams are abundant in the first surf line, and specimens to 1.2 kg appear after autumn storms. Beachcasting with a standard two-hook paternoster baited with ragworm or frozen Baltic mussel produces consistent results. The beach at Majori is easily accessible, and several sections of the Jūrmala coastline are managed as public fishing beaches. No sea permit is needed for shore angling.
Abava River Fly Fishing
The Abava in western Kurzeme is a chalk-influenced river with a stable, clear flow that supports brown trout and grayling year-round. The valley through which it flows is protected as the Abava Ancient Valley nature reserve, and the river's character changes markedly between the limestone-influenced headwaters near Sabile and the wider, deeper lower reaches near Kandava. Dry fly fishing is particularly effective from May to July when sedge hatches bring fish to the surface. Brown trout average 300 to 700 grams, but local reports of fish to 2 kg from the deeper pools are credible. A single national freshwater licence covers the full river.
Rāzna Lake for Pike and Perch
Lake Rāzna in eastern Latvia's Latgale region is the country's second-largest lake at 57 square kilometres and one of the most productive pike fisheries in Latvia. Pike to 15 kg inhabit the reed-fringed margins, and autumn is the most productive season when fish chase roach into the shallows. Rubber lure fishing from a boat — 3 to 5 inch shads on 14 to 20 gram jig heads in natural perch, roach, or chartreuse colours — produces consistent results. Perch to 1.5 kg school on the rocky points on the north shore, and vertical jigging with small metal spoons accounts for them through summer. Boat hire is available at the resort village of Rēzekne.
Explore on the Map
Latvia's fishing stretches from the banks of the Gauja through sandstone gorges to the open Baltic coast — the interactive map plots the full extent of these waters. Find river access points, charter ports, and lake fishing zones across Latvia on the map, and filter by species or season to match the right water to your visit. Every permit office, angling club, and charter port in the Latvian network is a click away on the map.