Lake Balaton cheat sheet
Every fish, the two tickets and the rules, the rigs and the box of tackle. One page to take to the water.
Lake Balaton
Fogas best in autumn (closed 16 Feb – 30 Apr); carp spring to autumn (closed 4 – 29 May); pike spring and autumn (closed 2 Feb – 30 Apr); catfish June to September (closed 4 May – 15 Jun).
Licence
Two documents: the Hungarian state fishing licence (the 90-day tourist version, 3,500 HUF ≈ €9) plus a Balaton territorial ticket from balatonihal.hu. Which area ticket: coastal-area (bank and small craft to 1,500 m) or general (whole lake from a registered boat). Confirm 2026 prices before you buy.
The limits
Fogas 35 cm, 3/day, one over 70 cm. Pike 45 cm, 3/day, one over 75 cm. Carp 35 cm, 3/day, all over 70 cm released. Annual quota: up to 100 fish, max 60 predators, max 10 fogas of 5 kg or more. Record your catch.
Release / handle with care
Every carp over 70 cm goes back. Anything under its minimum size goes back. Wet hands, unhook in the water where you can, clean your kit between waters.
Bank vs boat · season · time → rig
| Fish | From the bank | From a boat | Best time | Rig |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fogas (pike-perch) | Yes, harbours, gravel drop-offs, channels | Yes, the deep drop-offs (the real edge) | Dawn, dusk and into the night | Vertical jig (boat) or drop shot (bank) |
| Carp | Yes, the main bank fish, south shelves and reed edges | Yes, baiting the shelves | First and last light, warm nights | Carp hair rig |
| Pike | Yes, reed bays, harbour mouths, weed edges | Yes, the reed lines and bays | Low light, spring and autumn | Pike rig |
| Wels catfish | Yes, deep holes, harbours, channels after dark | Yes, the deep water and channels | Warm summer nights | Catfish rig |
| Perch / asp | Yes, harbour walls, gravel, fry runs | Yes | Low light; asp in bright summer | Drop shot (perch), light lure (asp) |
Bank only (coastal-area ticket) is carp on the southern shelves and fogas, pike and night catfish on the northern gravel, reeds and harbours. A registered boat on the general ticket adds the open-lake fogas drop-offs and the deep channels.
The rigs
0.8 braid → swivel → 0.22 fluoro → 15 g jighead (2/0) + 4" paddletail, yellow or blue, lift-and-drop over the deep edges
Palomar · snell0.8 braid → swivel → 0.22 fluoro → hook in-line point-up, tag to a 3 – 21 g weight, hovered just off the bottom
PalomarMono or braided main → method or open-end feeder / running lead → wide-gape hook with a boilie or corn on a short hair
Snell · PalomarWire or heavy fluoro trace → a big soft shad on a jighead (lure), or a roach under a float (bait)
Palomar · snellStrong braid → heavy leader (FG knot) → heavy running lead or float paternoster → strong single on a heavy trace, large bait
FG knot · snellWhat you need
One light lure outfit and a small terminal box build the fogas and perch fishing. Add a feeder/carp rod and hair-rig bits for carp, and a heavy outfit with a strong trace for catfish.
The knots
| Knot | Ties | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| Palomar | The workhorse, every light rig. | Drop shot, vertical jig, the light rigs |
| Dropper loop | A standing loop in the line for a branch. | Droppers and paternosters |
| Snell knot | A strong hook tie down the shank. | The hair-rigged carp hook and the catfish single |
| FG knot | A slim braid-to-leader join. | Braid to the heavy catfish leader |
Learn the Palomar first. Wet every knot before you pull it tight. The FG knot takes practice; tie it at home before the trip.
This one page is the printable I take to the water.
Give me an email and I will show it to you, ready to print. A one-page reference: what's on by month, the licence and rules, a rig for every fish, the shared tackle box and the knots.
I'll send you the cheat sheet, and email you when I add a new place to fish. Nothing else.