Sørøya cheat sheet

Every fish, the no-licence rules and the export limit, the rigs and the heavy kit. One page to take to the water.

Fishing Dan · cheat sheet

Sørøya

Every fish, the no-licence rules and the export limit, the rigs and the heavy kit. One page to take to the water.

By Dan · read the full guide

Checked 5 June 2026

fishingdan.com/spots/soroya

What's on

Cod (Skrei + resident) all year, peak Jan – Apr

Halibut summer into autumn

Coalfish spring – autumn

Peak In season Slow Closed (law)▎This month

Cod all year, peak in the Skrei run (roughly Jan to Apr). Halibut summer into autumn. Coalfish spring to autumn. Long summer daylight; the weather is the variable.

Licence

No licence. Recreational sea fishing in Norway is free for tourists, with handheld gear only (a rod and line). Confirm the current rules with the Directorate of Fisheries (Fiskeridirektoratet) and Visit Norway before you travel.

The rules (2026)

Minimum sizes: cod 55 cm, halibut 84 cm, redfish 32 cm. Halibut over 2 m released. Export 15 kg twice a year, and only via a registered tourist fishing camp (the old 18 kg allowance was removed for 2026; it drops to 10 kg in 2027). Fish clear of fish farms. As of 5 June 2026.

Release / handle with care

Release halibut over two metres, and consider releasing oversized breeding cod and halibut. Measure before you keep. Bleed and chill fish for the table, and handle releases in the water.

Bank vs boat · season · time → rig

Fish	From the boat	From the shore	Best time	Rig
Cod (resident)	Yes, the main ground	Possible from the rocks, smaller fish	Settled summer days; any hour in midnight-sun daylight	Jigging rig
Cod (Skrei run)	Yes, the deep ground	No, a boat fishery	Late winter to spring, weather permitting	Jigging rig (heavy)
Halibut	Yes, the proper method, drifting bait	No	Summer into autumn, settled weather	Inshore bait rig (heavy running-leger)
Coalfish	Yes, jigged through the water	Yes, spun from the rocks	Spring to autumn, often best mid-water	Jigging rig or surf rig (shore)

Shore only is a weather-day spin for coalfish and the odd cod from the rocks. A boat is the whole island: cod and coalfish over the drop-offs and halibut on the drift.

The rigs

Jigging rig

Heavy braid → FG knot → heavy leader → a pirk (200–500 g) or a big shad (15–30 cm) on a heavy jighead, worked over the drop-off with a lift-and-drop

FG knot · Palomar

Inshore bait rig

Heavy braid → FG knot → heavy leader → a strong running-leger (sliding boom/sinker, bead, swivel) → a big bait (a whole coalfish) on a snelled hook, on the bottom

FG knot · snell knot

Surf rig

Braid PE 1.5–2.5 → FG knot → mono/fluoro leader → a heavy spinning lure (40–80 g) cast and retrieved from the rocks for coalfish and cod

FG knot

What you need

Rod & reel

Boat outfit (usually supplied) a heavy boat/jigging rod and a strong reel loaded with heavy braid

Shore spinning outfit 2.7 – 3.0 m (9 – 10 ft) medium-heavy spinning rod, 4000 – 6000 reel

Lines

Boat main line heavy braid, PE 3 to 6 (about 30 – 80 lb)

Leader heavy mono or fluorocarbon (about 40 – 130 lb depending on target), joined with an FG knot

Shore main line braid PE 1.5 to 2.5 (about 20 – 30 lb) with a mono/fluoro leader

Terminal tackle

Pirks (metal jigs) a range of weights (200 – 500 g for the deep cod ground; lighter for coalfish higher up)

Big shads 15 – 30 cm soft plastics on heavy jigheads

Heavy running-leger components a strong sliding boom/sinker, beads, a strong swivel, a heavy trace

Bait hooks strong large hooks (snelled for the halibut leger)

Shore spinning lures heavy spinners, pirks and shads (40 – 80 g)

Strong swivels and split/solid rings rated for big fish

Other kit

Warm waterproof Arctic layers good waterproofs (it is cold and wet on the open sea even in summer), gloves and a hat

Polarised sunglasses, an unhooking tool and a measure a sturdy unhooking tool and a measure for the minimum sizes

On a guided boat the operator usually supplies the heavy outfits. Bring the shore-spinning gear, warm waterproofs, a measure and any pirks or lures you like.

The knots

Knot	Ties	Used by
FG knot	The slim, strong braid-to-leader join, the one to learn.	Every heavy saltwater join
Palomar	A quick, strong join for jigs and rings.	Jigs and rings
Snell knot	Lays the line down the hook shank for a strong hold.	The halibut bait hooks

Learn the FG knot first and practise it at home before the trip. Wet every knot before you pull it tight. Each rig page links to the knots it needs.

Want the cod and halibut ground? You need a boat. Most anglers book a hosted package or a lodge with guided boats. See the boat options in the full guide →

Fishing Dan · fishingdan.com/spots/soroya · Last checked 5 June 2026 · Confirm licences, seasons and boat hire with the authorities named in the full guide before you travel.

The printable

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.