Lake Constance (Bodensee) cheat sheet
Every fish, the zone permit and the qualification rule, the rigs and the one box of tackle. One page to take to the water.
Lake Constance (Bodensee)
Whitefish is banned all 2026. Autumn is the best all-round window. Lake trout and char close on 1 November.
Permit
Zone-based. Buy the permit for where you fish. German shore (Lindau example, 2026): day €15, month €40, year €75, incl. catch book, and you need a Fischereischein to buy it (ask about a tourist permit if you have none). Swiss shore: cantonal permit (SaNa needed), or a permit-free shore option (one rod, single barbless hook, natural bait). Confirm with Lindau Tourismus or your cantonal fisheries office.
Sizes and seasons
Pike no minimum, no close season (landing required); perch no minimum, closed ~20 Apr to 10 May, keep over 13 cm from 10 May to 15 Sept; lake trout 60 cm, closed 1 Nov to 10 Jan; char no minimum size, closed 1 Nov to 31 Dec.
Whitefish & release
Whitefish (Felchen): total catch ban to 31 Dec 2026. Do not target or keep it. There is no general catch-and-release here, so keep the legal fish you catch; fill in the catch book; dispatch humanely.
Bank vs boat · season · time → rig
| Fish | From the shore | From a boat | Best time | Rig |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perch | Yes, the main shore fish | Yes | First light, last hour of daylight | Drop shot or sliding float rig |
| Perch (deep, tight to bottom) | Yes, over the drop-off | Yes | Dawn and dusk | Slip-float paternoster |
| Pike | Yes (weed edges, river mouths, harbour mouths) | Yes, the plateaus and drop-offs | Low light; strong in the cold months | Pike rig |
| Lake trout | Yes, off the river mouths in the cold months | Yes, trolling | Cold, low light; salmonid season | Pike rig (lure) or fly from shore; trolling by boat |
| Arctic char | No | Yes, deep in the Obersee | Salmonid season, by sounder | Gambe / sabiki or trolling (book a guide) |
| Whitefish | Banned 2026 | Banned 2026 | Do not target | Gambe / sabiki (when the ban lifts only) |
Shore only is mainly a perch and pike trip at dawn and dusk, plus cold-month lake trout. A boat (guided) adds the deep char.
The rigs
PE 0.8 braid → 0.22 fluoro leader → small soft lure on a hook in-line, weight on the tag (3–14 g)
PalomarMain line → bobber stopper → bead → float (~11.5 g) → split shot → swivel → hook with worm or maggot
PalomarBobber stopper → bead → slip float → dropper loop with the hook → weight on the end
Palomar · dropper loopWire or heavy fluoro trace → big soft shad on a jighead (lure), or a deadbait under a float (bait)
Palomar · non-slip loopA string of small nymphs on dropper loops → a weight on the bottom, lowered to the shoal (char by boat; whitefish only when the ban lifts)
Palomar · dropper loopSpoons and plugs trolled at depth for lake trout and char, or a streamer at the river mouths for shore trout
Non-slip loop · PalomarWhat you need
One spin outfit and one small box of terminal tackle build nearly all of it. The pike trace, spoons for trout, and a Hegene for a char boat trip are the only extras.
The knots
| Knot | Ties | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| Palomar | The workhorse, every rig. | Every rig |
| Dropper loop | A standing loop in the line for a hook branch. | Slip-float paternoster, gambe / sabiki |
| Non-slip loop | A fixed loop at a lure or jighead. | Jigheads, lure links |
Learn the Palomar first; it ties most of this. Wet every knot before you pull it tight.
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.