Top 5 fishing spots in Germany
Top 5 fishing spots in Germany
Germany has definitely earned its place in the ranking of the best fishing spots in Europe. One of the most popular waters for fishing in Germany is the Danube. In the 8-kilometre-long Bavarian Danube basin, you can catch a wide variety of fish. If you prefer lake fishing, there are, for example, the Chiemsee or the Starnberger See. Both are quite deep, so pike, trout and bream are at home there.
Lake Starnberg
Lake Starnberg is located in Bavaria, southwest of Munich. Due to its considerable average depth, Lake Starnberg is the second largest of the German lakes after Lake Constance (which, however, is not entirely on German territory). Near the western shore, south of Possenhofen (in the municipality of Pöcking), is the Roseninsel (Rose Island).
The following municipalities border the lakeshore (clockwise from north):
The original name of the lake is Wirmsee, as a document by Emperor Lodovico the Bavarian (1282 - 1347) proves. This name comes from the name of the river Wirm, today called Würm, which is the only outlet of the lake. With the construction of the railway line to Munich's main station, the lake became an excursion destination for many of the city's citizens, who began to use the name Lake Starnberg, which only became official in 1962. The fame of the lake beyond the borders of Bavaria is linked to the mysterious death of King Ludwig II in 1886. A votive chapel was erected near the place of death and a cross in the water of the lake.
The lake basin was formed after the last ice age, thanks to the action of the Isar - Loisach glacier, which extended to the northern shore of the lake. The water created by the melting of the ice was largely channelled along the current courses of the Loisach and Isar rivers and this circumstance effectively prevented the burial of Lake Starnberg. It was only at the end of the ice age that the water began to burrow into the Würm valley.
The history of fishing on Lake Starnberg begins with the first settlements in the area, about 30,000 years ago. During archaeological excavations on Roseninsel, for example, a bronze fish hook was discovered. Also near Roseninsel, a cayuco from the 8th or 9th century BC was found in 1989. Today, fishing is practised both for sport and commercially. Most fish are caught in places where there are reliefs at the bottom of the lake. The local fishermen are often heirs to a long family tradition and live in old houses along the shores, some of which still bear the signs of the historic guild with the year of admission. While the first inhabitants fished freely according to their needs, the Bavarian nobility began to demand tribute from the serfs entitled to fish from 1000 AD. Later, the dukes of Bavaria awarded fishing rights to local lords or monasteries. The fish of the Bavarian lakes, along with gambling, occupied an important place at the tables of the rich. The fishermen's living conditions were extremely modest and their work was very hard and sometimes even dangerous. The commercial value of fish varied greatly depending on the species. Whitefish, trout and saithe were the most valuable fish, while amberjack, pike, carp, burbot and tilefish were considered inferior. Whitefish and pike were among the most common fish in the lake's waters and were the staple food of many families.
Lake Starnberg, along with other places associated with Ludwig II of Bavaria, plays an important role in the video game adventure Gabriel Knight 2, where the bench appears at the site of the votive chapel and the memorial cross.
The Chiemsee
Surrounded by the Alps of the Chiemgau, Lake Chiemsee with its islands is one of the most beautiful tourist areas in Germany. On the island of Herrenchiemsee, King Ludwig II of Bavaria built himself a luxurious castle.
Smaller but with its own charm, Fraueninsel has long been more than just a place of meditation and an artists' colony. All year round, boats take tourists from Prien on the western shore to the islands to visit monuments such as the Frauenwörth monastery. The beauty of the landscape was already immortalised by famous painters in the 19th century. The reasons for this can still be found today, perhaps with one exception: the old fishing boats have long since given way to modern pleasure boats.
This freshwater lake is the crossroads of three rivers.
Walchensee
Lake Walchensee is known as one of the deepest Alpine lakes in Germany. The crystal clear water has a depth of about 200 metres and the lake covers an area of 16 square kilometres.
The Ammersee
Planning a trip to Germany and not reading or hearing about the Ammersee in Munich is highly unlikely. Ammersee is the third largest lake in Bavaria and is located in the west, about 35 km from the city centre. There are many places on the Ammersee where you can spend an unforgettable time, but a very special one is the coast near Herrsching, with great fishing spots.