Fishing Lake Constance (Bodensee): the fish, the seasons, and the plan to catch them

What and where it is

Lake Constance, the Bodensee, sits where Germany, Austria and Switzerland meet, on the upper Rhine in the foothills of the Alps. It is one of Western Europe's largest lakes: about 536 km² of water, up to roughly 250 m deep, 63 km long. Deep, cold and clear, split into the big Obersee and the shallower Untersee.

The lake runs roughly west to east at about 395 m altitude. The Alpine Rhine pours in at the eastern end near Bregenz, carrying cold, silty meltwater, and the river leaves at the western end through Konstanz into the shallow Untersee and on toward Stein am Rhein. That shape matters for the fishing. The deep, clear main basin (the Obersee) is cold salmonid and whitefish water; the shallower, weedier, food-richer Untersee and the river-mouth zones are where the perch and pike fishing is strongest.

Three countries share the shore, which is the first thing to get your head around. The German shore (Baden-Württemberg in the west, Bavaria around Lindau in the east) holds Konstanz, Friedrichshafen and Lindau. Austria has a short stretch on the east shore at Bregenz, in the Vorarlberg. Switzerland holds the long south shore (Thurgau and St. Gallen) with Romanshorn, Kreuzlingen, Rorschach and Altenrhein. An international fisheries convention (the Internationale Bevollmächtigtenkonferenz für die Bodenseefischerei, IBKF) sets the headline rules for the Obersee, then each country and canton adds its own permits and details (source: Bodensee fisheries convention; cantonal fisheries vorschriften, as of 5 June 2026).

It is an easy lake to reach and a busy one. Lindau, Konstanz, Friedrichshafen and Bregenz are all on the rail network, ferries criss-cross the lake, and the shore is lined with promenades, swimmers, sailors and cycle paths through the summer. As on most clear alpine lakes, that means the early and late hours are when it is quiet and the fish feed.

The fish, and where, when and how to catch each

Perch and pike are the shore fish, with lake trout for the shore angler who works the cold months. Arctic char is a deep-water boat fish. The famous whitefish is under a catch ban until the end of 2026, so it is off the table for now. The cards below give you where, when and how for every species you can realistically target.

Others, for context. The lake and its river mouths also hold zander and wels catfish (Wels), which the predator guides target by boat, plus carp, tench, eel and other coarse fish. Several waters around the lake fish them harder than the open Obersee. They are not what most visiting anglers travel here for, so the cards above are the trip; if you want zander or catfish, book one of the predator guides in the boat section.

I have set each species out as a card. Read the one for the fish you want, then check the seasonal section for how its depth moves through the year, and follow the rig link to build the method. One thing to settle first, because it shapes the whole trip: the whitefish (Felchen), the fish the Bodensee is most famous for, is under a total catch ban until 31 December 2026 (see the card and the licence section). Plan around the fish you can keep.

How the fishing changes by season

Winter and early spring are for lake trout off the river mouths. Mid-spring brings a perch close season, then perch and pike fishing builds from late spring. Summer is shore perch and pike at dawn and dusk, with char deep by boat. Autumn is the best all-round window before the salmonid close seasons start in November.

Here is the year in plain terms.

• Winter (January and February). Lake trout are the shore target, off the river mouths in the cold, low light, once their close season ends on 10 January. Perch and pike fish slow but are open. Char are closed until the new year and reopen on 1 January. Whitefish closed (the ban).
• Early spring (March to mid-April). Pike fish along the warming margins and the river mouths. Perch start to feed up before their close season. Lake trout still take from the shore. A quieter, weather-dependent patch.
• Late spring (the perch close season, roughly 20 April to 10 May). Perch are shut to protect spawning, so plan around the dates. Pike stay open and fish the shallows. Lake trout fishing tails off as the water warms.
• Summer (June to August). Perch are the everyday fish, on harbour structure and the drop-offs at first and last light; the bright middle of a clear day is slow. Pike hold the weed and reed edges. Char are a deep boat fish worked with a sounder. This is when the boat earns its place for char.
• Autumn (September and October). Often the best all-round window: perch feed up hard, pike feed before winter, and the lake is quieter than in high summer. The salmonid close seasons have not yet started.
• Late autumn (November and December). The lake trout (from 1 November) and char (from 1 November) close seasons start, so the salmonids come off. Pike and perch carry on, with pike strong in the cold. Whitefish stay closed (the ban).

What you can eat (and what you must release or keep)

Perch is the eating fish here and is excellent. Lake trout and char are fine to keep above their minimum sizes and outside their close seasons. Whitefish must not be kept at all in 2026 (the catch ban). And a Bodensee quirk: pike and most fish you catch must be kept, not returned, because there is no general catch-and-release on the lake.

Two rules here are unusual and worth being exact about, because they cut against an angler's instincts.

The whitefish catch ban. You may not keep, sell or target whitefish (Felchen / Blaufelchen) on the Obersee until 31 December 2026 (the IBKF moratorium, in force since 1 January 2024). If you hook one by accident, return it carefully. The Bodensee is famous for whitefish on the plate, but for a 2026 trip the eating fish is the perch.

No general catch-and-release. German and Bodensee animal-welfare rules do not allow fishing purely to return fish for sport; you fish to take fish for the table within the rules. In practice, a fish of legal size that is not protected and not in its close season is one you intend to keep. Pike, in particular, have no minimum size and no close season on the Obersee, and the rules require landing what you catch rather than returning it for sport. This is the opposite of the catch-and-release culture on many waters, so know it before you go. (Confirm the exact wording for your zone, as the German shore, the Austrian shore and the Swiss cantons each phrase it slightly differently.)

A practical point on perch: from 10 May to 15 September every perch over 13 cm you catch must be kept (a rod limit of about 30 perch a day applies), so plan to take perch home through the summer rather than return them. Whatever you keep, fill in the catch book (the Fangbuch) that comes with your permit, handle fish in wet hands, dispatch quickly and humanely what you keep, and clean your kit between waters so you do not carry anything from one lake to the next.

Licence and rules

Yes, you need a permit, and it is zone-based: the lake has separate permit zones, and you buy the one for where you will fish. On the German shore you also need a fishing qualification (Fischereischein) to buy a permit. Tourist day, month and year permits are sold by the lakeside towns and cantons; the Swiss shore offers a permit-free shore option with one rod and natural bait.

The zone system. The Obersee is split into permit zones, and you buy the permit for the stretch you will fish. The four main German zones are Obersee-Überlingersee, Mainau, Konstanzer Fischwasser, and Rhein with Untersee, each needing its own permit. The Austrian (Bregenz / Vorarlberg) and Swiss (Thurgau, St. Gallen) shores sell their own permits for their stretches. There is no single ticket for the whole lake, so match your permit to your base (source: Lake Constance fishing guides; cantonal fisheries, as of 5 June 2026).

The qualification rule (German shore). To buy a permit on the German shore you must show a valid Fischereischein (the German fishing qualification, proof you have passed the fish-and-welfare test). A visitor without one cannot simply buy a German-shore permit, with one tourist exception below. On the Swiss shore the equivalent is the SaNa certificate (Sachkundenachweis) for most permits. Plan for this; it is the part that catches visitors out.

The tourist exception (no qualification). Some zones sell a short-term tourist permit to a visitor without a fishing qualification, typically for up to a month. Where it exists, it is the route for a visiting angler who does not hold a Fischereischein. Confirm with the specific town whether its tourist permit waives the qualification, because it varies by zone (source: Lake Constance fishing guides; Lindau Tourismus, as of 5 June 2026).

2026 tourist permit prices (German shore, Lindau / Bavaria example, via Lindau Tourismus, as of 5 June 2026).

These Lindau prices include the Fangbuch (catch book) and the sales fee, and are issued on showing a valid fishing licence. Other German zones price their own permits; check the town that covers your stretch.

2026 permit prices (Swiss shore, St. Gallen / Thurgau example, via the cantonal fisheries, as of 5 June 2026).

Non-residents typically pay double the resident rate on the Swiss shore, and most permits need the SaNa certificate. The Swiss shore also allows a permit-free shore option (Freiangelrecht): one rod, a fixed line, a single barbless hook and natural bait, from the bank. It is a genuine route for a casual shore session, within those limits (source: cantonal fisheries vorschriften, as of 5 June 2026).

The boat permit. A boat permit (Fischereierlaubniskarte / the Swiss boat permit) lets you fish from a boat, which is what opens up the deep char water. It is harder to obtain than a shore permit and, on the German shore, is limited, so for a visitor the realistic route to fishing from a boat is a guided trip (the guide carries the boat and the permits). See the boat section.

Sizes and close seasons (Obersee, source: angelpunkt.ch Bodensee rules; Baden-Württemberg 2026 Schonzeiten; IBKF, as of 5 June 2026). Close seasons on the Bodensee begin and end at 12:00 noon on the stated days:

• Perch: no minimum size, but a rod limit of about 30 perch a day, and from 10 May to 15 September every perch over 13 cm caught must be kept.
• Pike: no minimum size and no close season on the Obersee, with the landing requirement above. The Untersee may differ; check your zone.
• Arctic char: no minimum size (the 25 cm minimum was dropped for 2026), but a daily limit of about 5 char.
• Whitefish: banned outright in 2026. Do not target or keep it.

How to get a permit

• Decide where you will fish, and so which zone and country your base falls in (the access map shows the zones).
• On the German shore, take your Fischereischein to the town's tourist office or an approved seller (in Lindau, the Tourist Information at Alfred-Nobel-Platz 1) and buy the day, month or year permit. If you have no qualification, ask whether a tourist permit is available for your zone.
• On the Swiss shore, buy the cantonal permit (most need the SaNa certificate), or fish the permit-free shore option within its one-rod, single-barbless-hook, natural-bait limits.
• Carry the permit and the catch book, and record each kept fish as the rules require.

Other rules that matter

• The whitefish catch ban to 31 December 2026, above.
• No general catch-and-release, above: you fish to take fish within the rules, and pike landing is required.
• A maximum of two rods, two hooks each per angler in the German zones; daytime only (with a shore eel-fishing exception until 01:00 in Bavaria).
• Clean your kit between waters so you do not move invasive species (the lake already battles quagga mussels) or disease between lakes.

Where to fish from the shore

From the shore, the reliable spots are harbour walls and stone structures, the river mouths, and the drop-offs. Named: Lindau, Friedrichshafen and Konstanz on the German shore; Bregenz and the Rhine mouth at the Austrian east end; Romanshorn, Kreuzlingen, Rorschach, Goldach and Altenrhein on the Swiss south shore. Perch, pike and (in the cold months) lake trout are the shore fish.

The Obersee drops away fast, so from the shore you are fishing the harbour structure, the river mouths and the drop-offs. The Untersee is shallower and weedier, which suits the pike. These are the marks worth knowing (source: Lake Constance fishing guides; angelpunkt.ch, as of 5 June 2026):

• Lindau (German / Bavarian east shore). Harbour walls and promenade over deep water close in, and the tourist office sells the permit. A simple base for a shore perch session.
• Friedrichshafen and Konstanz (German shore). Konstanz sits at the Rhine narrows between the Obersee and the Untersee, with harbour structure, a long fishing history and tackle shops. The current-rich narrows hold perch and pike.
• Bregenz and the Alpine Rhine mouth (Austrian east shore). The river mouth brings cold, food-carrying water, so it draws perch, pike and (in season) trout. A productive eastern mark.
• Altenrhein (Swiss / St. Gallen). The Rhine mouth area, an excellent pike and predator spot, with perch shoals on the structure.
• Romanshorn (Swiss / Thurgau). A big harbour with stone structure ideal for perch, and good infrastructure for a shore base.
• Kreuzlingen (Swiss / Thurgau). The current-rich transition water by the Konstanz narrows, good for pike and trout.
• Rorschach and Goldach (Swiss / St. Gallen). Stone structures along the south-east shore, productive for perch in spring.

What depth means for method from the shore

• Harbour walls and stone structure (a few metres): perch, and pike along the edges. A drop shot hovering a lure off the bottom, or a sliding float rig with bait.
• The drop-off, where the bottom falls away (about 5 to 15 m): the productive seam for perch. A slip-float paternoster holds bait just off the bottom; a drop shot reaches it too.
• River mouths and the Untersee weed edges: pike and (cold months) lake trout. Spinning gear and the pike rig with a trace, or fly tackle at the river mouths for trout.

Shore vs boat, and the time of day

From the shore, target perch (and pike, and cold-month lake trout) at first and last light, on a drop shot, a float rig or the pike rig. From a boat you add the deep Arctic char (and the predator-guide species, zander and catfish), best in low light. The bright middle of a clear day is usually slow either way, and the boat is mostly a guided option here.

Plain version: if you only have the shore, fish perch at dawn and dusk, take pike along the weed edges and river mouths, and work the river mouths for a cold-month lake trout. A boat opens up the deep char water, but the boat permit is hard to get as a visitor, so the realistic boat route is a guided trip. Morning tends to edge evening for perch; pike often switch on as the light goes.

This table is the core decision the trip turns on. It lives on the cheat sheet too. Read it as: pick your fish, pick where you are and when, and it gives you the rig.

The boat: guided, hire, or your own

A boat opens up the deep Arctic char (and the predator-guide species, zander and catfish), but the boat permit is hard to get as a visitor, so the realistic route is a guided trip. The guides supply the boat, the tackle and the permits. Rates are on request, so book through the links below.

A boat is what opens up the deep water on the Bodensee, but the boat permit (Fischereierlaubniskarte / the Swiss boat permit) is limited and harder to obtain than a shore permit, so for a visiting angler a guided trip is the sensible way onto the water. The guide carries the boat and the permits, knows the marks, and supplies the tackle. The lake can also turn rough quickly off the open Obersee, so a local skipper is worth it.

Guided (recommended, and the realistic route)

Lake Constance guides run predator trips (pike, zander, wels catfish) and salmonid trips. Book directly:

• Bodensee-Angelguide (Stephan Förg) – guided trips on the Untersee and Gnadensee, the fish-richest parts of the lake. bodensee-angelguide.de.
• Fisch am Seil (Tobias Hechelmann) – predator trips from the Lindau / Bavarian end for pike, zander, catfish and perch, on a fully equipped boat. fisch-am-seil.de.
• Alpside Fishing – guided tours with vertical and pelagic methods. alpside.fishing.
• Angelzentrum Bodensee – guided fishing on the lake and nearby waters. angelzentrum-bodensee.de.

Rates are on request, so book direct and confirm the boat, the tackle and what else is included.

Hire your own / launch your own

Self-hire fishing boats and a private boat permit are both possible in principle, but the boat permit is the limiting factor: it is restricted and often needs a local connection or a waiting list, especially on the German shore. If you hold a boat permit and a craft, the lakeside marinas hire and launch; otherwise treat the guided trip as the way onto the water for a first visit. Confirm the current boat-permit position with the canton or town before counting on it.

Where to stay (and buy a permit locally)

To base yourself near the fishing, pick a shore town with good structure and a permit seller: Lindau on the German east shore, Konstanz at the Rhine narrows, or Romanshorn or Kreuzlingen on the Swiss south shore. All have harbours, accommodation and a tourist office or seller for the permit.

Stay near the water

• Lindau (German / Bavarian east shore) – an island old town with harbour fishing on the doorstep, plenty of hotels and guesthouses, and the tourist office that sells the permit. A good German-shore base.
• Konstanz (German shore, at the narrows) – the largest lakeside city, with harbour structure, tackle shops and a long fishing history, and easy reach of both the Obersee and the Untersee.
• Romanshorn and Kreuzlingen (Swiss / Thurgau south shore) – big harbours with strong perch structure and good infrastructure, and a base for the Swiss permit and the Untersee guides.
• Bregenz (Austrian east shore) – handy for the Alpine Rhine mouth fishing at the east end.

Buy a permit in person at the lakeside tourist offices and approved sellers. On the German shore, the town tourist office is the route (in Lindau, the Tourist Information at Alfred-Nobel-Platz 1, bring your Fischereischein). On the Swiss shore, the cantonal fisheries office and local sellers issue the permit (most need the SaNa certificate). Tackle shops around Konstanz and the south-shore towns also sell permits and local knowledge.

The methods, and the rigs to build them

A handful of rigs cover every fish you can target here, and they share most of their tackle. Drop shot is the all-rounder for perch, shore and boat. The two float rigs present bait from the shore. The pike rig adds a trace for pike. Fly and trolling cover the lake trout and char by boat. Each links to its own build page.

Map of fish, where and when, to a rig. The build instructions and the knots live on the rig pages, so I link rather than repeat them.

• Perch, from the shore, first and last light → drop shot. A lure hovering just off the bottom, worked actively along the harbour wall or the drop-off. The most versatile rig here, and the one to learn first. Lighter weight from the shore, heavier from a boat.
• Perch on bait, from the shore → sliding float rig. Presents worm or maggot at a set depth over deep water. A bobber stopper sets the depth, so you fish deep but still cast and land.
• Perch holding deep, tight to the bottom over a drop-off → slip-float paternoster. A slip float sets the depth; a dropper loop holds the bait just off the bottom while a small weight anchors it. No three-way swivel needed.
• Pike, shore or boat → pike rig. A wire or heavy fluorocarbon trace, then either a big soft shad on a jighead (lure version) or a deadbait under a float (bait version). The trace is the one non-negotiable for pike.
• Lake trout from the shore at the river mouths → pike rig frame (spinning) or fly fishing. Spinning spoons and plugs, or a streamer on fly tackle in the cold months.
• Arctic char from a boat → gambe / sabiki or trolling. A string of small nymphs lowered to the shoal depth, or deep trolling. A boat-and-sounder method, so book a guide (see the trolling rig).

The three knots that tie these rigs are the Palomar (the workhorse), the dropper loop (the paternoster and the gambe) and the non-slip loop (jigheads and lures). Each rig page links to the knots it needs.

Build your kit (the kit builder and the shopping list)

Pick your fish and whether you are on the shore or in a boat, and the kit builder trims the shopping list and the rigs to exactly what you need. One light spinning outfit and a small box of terminal tackle build almost everything; the cold-month lake trout adds spinning or fly gear, and the deep char is a guided boat method. The full list is below, grouped, with no brands and no prices.

That is the whole list. One spinning outfit, one 2500 to 3000 reel, one spool of braid, one spool of leader, and a small box for the swivels, hooks, weights, jigheads, floats, spoons and soft plastics. Add the pike trace for pike, spoons or fly gear for the cold-month trout, and a Hegene only if you book a boat trip for char. Buy generic sizes and types; you do not need a named brand to catch a perch.

A trip checklist

Before you go: check your dates against the close seasons and the whitefish ban, sort the qualification and buy the right zone permit, decide shore or boat and book a guide if you want the deep water, pack the one shared kit, and note the limits. Then print the cheat sheet and take it with you.

Do this in order:

1. Check your dates against the seasons. Confirm the fish you want is open on your days (the "what's on" strip above). Whitefish is banned all 2026. Perch closes roughly 20 April to 10 May; lake trout closes 1 November, char 1 November. Autumn is the best all-round window.
2. Sort the qualification, then buy the permit for your zone. On the German shore you need a Fischereischein to buy a permit (or a tourist permit where one is offered); on the Swiss shore most permits need the SaNa certificate, or you can fish the permit-free shore option (one rod, single barbless hook, natural bait). Buy the zone permit for your base, with the catch book. Carry both.
3. Decide shore or boat, and book it. Shore only: target perch at dawn and dusk, pike along the weed edges and river mouths, and the river mouths for cold-month lake trout. Want the deep char (or zander and catfish): book a guide (links above), because the boat permit is hard to get as a visitor.
4. Pack the one kit. Rod, 2500 to 3000 reel, braid, fluoro leader, the small terminal box, soft plastics, spoons, net, unhooking mat and a priest. The shopping list above (trimmed by the kit builder) is your packing list. Add the pike trace and, for the cold trout, fly gear.
5. Note the limits and the keep rules. Lake trout 60 cm (closed Nov to 10 Jan), char no minimum size (closed Nov to Dec, 5 a day), pike no minimum but landing required, perch no minimum but keep fish over 13 cm from 10 May to 15 Sept (30 a day). Whitefish banned. Fill in the catch book, dispatch kept fish humanely.
6. Print the cheat sheet and fold it into the box. Get the printable cheat sheet

Common mistakes

The big ones: turning up expecting to keep whitefish (it is banned in 2026), arriving on the German shore without a Fischereischein, buying the wrong zone's permit, expecting catch-and-release pike (the rules require landing them), fishing the bright middle of a clear day, and bringing the wrong line. None is hard to avoid once you know.

• Expecting to fish for whitefish. The Felchen, the lake's famous fish, is under a total catch ban until 31 December 2026. Plan your trip around perch, pike, lake trout and char, and return any whitefish you hook by accident.
• Arriving on the German shore without a qualification. A German-shore permit needs a valid Fischereischein, unless the zone offers a tourist permit that waives it. Sort this before you travel, or base yourself where a tourist permit or the Swiss permit-free shore option is available.
• Buying the wrong zone's permit. The lake is split into permit zones across three countries; a permit covers its stretch, not the whole lake. Match the permit to where you will actually fish.
• Expecting catch-and-release. There is no general sport catch-and-release here, and pike landing is required (no minimum size, no close season). You fish to take fish within the rules, so bring an unhooking mat and a priest, not just a camera.
• Fishing the middle of a bright day. This is a clear, deep, busy lake. A sunny midday is slow. Fish the first and last hours and rest in between.
• Bringing the wrong line. Braid main line with a fluorocarbon leader is what makes the clear-water perch fishing work. For pike, a wire or heavy fluoro trace is essential, because pike teeth cut a light leader.
• Counting on a boat permit. The boat permit is limited and hard to get as a visitor. If you want the deep water, book a guide rather than assuming you can hire and launch on a tourist permit.

Frequently asked questions

The questions travelling anglers ask most about Lake Constance: what is here, the zone permit and the qualification rule, prices, the whitefish ban, the seasons, shore versus boat, the keep rules, the best shore spots, getting on the water by boat, and the kit.