Species
Sea trout
The silver, migratory form of the trout, which feeds at sea and runs up rivers to spawn; a sought-after fish on the Baltic coast and in its long inlets (Förden).
Salmo trutta trutta
Photo: Wolfgang Striewski, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain, adjusted to 3:2
- Spawning
- In winter (general guide, varies by region)
- German Red List
- threatened
- Typical method
- Lure fishing (spinning) on the coast
- Top bait
- Coastal spoon
How to recognise it
- Torpedo-shaped body with grey-silver flanks and a white belly
- Black spots, often X-shaped, mainly above the lateral line
- Small adipose fin, strong tail root
Easily confused with: Easily mistaken for the salmon: the sea trout has a stronger tail root and its mouth reaches back behind the eye. Fish that stay in the river for longer turn brown and then look like the brown trout.
How to catch it
Methods: Lure fishing (spinning) on the coast, Fly fishing on the coast, Sbirolino or float fishing with worm
Baits: Coastal spoon, Slim plug (crankbait), Shrimp or bristle worm fly, Ragworm
Mainly in spring and autumn when the water is cool, ideally at dusk and when the sea is slightly choppy.
Habitat and food
Coastal waters of Europe from the Norwegian Sea across the North Sea and Baltic Sea to the Bay of Biscay. At sea it usually roams close to the coast, and to spawn it runs up into small rivers with a gravel bed.
At sea mainly small fish, crustaceans and shrimp; young fish in the river eat insects.
Size and age
On average around 60 cm; in good conditions up to 130 cm and 20 kg (Wikipedia). For the whole species Salmo trutta, FishBase gives a maximum of 140 cm, a heaviest published weight of 50 kg and a maximum age of 38 years; these figures include all forms of the trout.
Protection and rules
Sea trout: closed season and minimum size by German state
These rules apply in Germany only. Fishing in the UK, the USA or elsewhere? The local rules apply there (link below).
- Baden-Württembergprotected all year
- Bavariaprotected all year only in some waters
- Berlinprotected all year
- Brandenburgprotected all yearminimum size 60 cm · closed season 16.10. to 15.04. only in some waters
- Bremenminimum size 50 cm · closed season 15.10. to 15.03. only in some waters
- Hamburgminimum size 40 cm · closed season 15.10. to 15.02.
- Hessekeep only from 25 to 60 cm · closed season 01.10. to 31.03.
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomeraniaminimum size 45 cm · closed season 01.09. to 31.03.minimum size 48 cm · closed season 15.09. to 14.12. (coast) only in some watersminimum size 48 cm · closed season 01.06. to 15.09. (coast) only in some waters
- Lower Saxonyprotected all year · minimum size 40 cm · closed season 15.10. to 15.02. only in some watersminimum size 40 cm · closed season 01.10. to 15.02. (coast)
- North Rhine-Westphaliaprotected all year
- Rhineland-Palatinateprotected all yearprotected all year only in some waters
- Saarlandprotected all yearprotected all year only in some waters
- Saxonyminimum size 60 cm · closed season 01.10. to 30.04.
- Saxony-Anhaltprotected all year
- Schleswig-Holsteinminimum size 40 cm · closed season 01.10. to 28.02.minimum size 40 cm · closed season 01.10. to 31.12. (coast) only in some waters
- Thuringiaprotected all year
From the official state fisheries regulations, retrieved 2026-10-11. All rules by state
In Germany, closed seasons and minimum sizes are set by each state and can be stricter for single waters. All German rules by state, with the legal source. Outside Germany, the local rules apply: licence and agency by country.
In the kitchen
Firm, flavourful flesh, good pan-fried, cured or smoked; spawned-out fish (kelts, Absteiger in German) are lean and dry and are usually released.
Sources (3)
- de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meerforelle
- fishbase.se/summary/Salmo-trutta.html
- rote-liste-zentrum.de/detail/pdf/91294
Last checked 2026-10-18. Found a mistake? Write to [email protected].
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