Baits and techniques
Fishing in Germany: baits, baitfish and techniques
In Germany you fish with lures, natural baits or dead baitfish, because live baitfish are banned under state fishing law.
Guide sections: Learn to fish
LIVE BAITFISHCHECKED 2026-10-23
BANNED
Live baitfish are expressly banned in the states checked (Bavaria, Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia). In Brandenburg the fisheries authority can grant exceptions in individual cases. There is no federal ban; the rules come from state law.
Source: AVBayFiG § 15 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 (Bayern), gesetze-bayern.de (Text gültig ab 01.06.2025) · BbgFischO § 6 (Brandenburg), BRAVORS (zuletzt geändert durch Verordnung vom 24.08.2026 (GVBl. II/26, Nr. 39)) · LFischVO NRW § 6, recht.nrw.de (Fassung vom 03.07.2026, § 6 zuletzt geändert am 13.11.2014)
Lures
- Pike: soft swimbaits, crankbaits, spoons and spinners; shallow and slow in spring, bigger lures in autumn.
- Zander: soft shads on a jig head along the bottom, smaller and slower in winter.
- Perch: small soft plastics on a drop shot, spinners and small crankbaits, mainly in summer and autumn.
- Trout: small spinners, spoons and flies, plus paste baits at stocked trout lakes.
- Baltic cod: pirks and soft shads from charter or small boats.
Natural baits
- Lobworms and redworms for eel, perch and trout
- Maggots and sweetcorn for roach, bream and carp on the feeder or float
- Boilies and particles for carp
- Lugworm and ragworm on the North Sea and Baltic coast
- Fish strips and worm bunches for catfish and eel
Dead baitfish
A dead baitfish under a float or on a ledger rig is standard for pike, zander and eel. In Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia it may only be used in the water it came from, with exceptions set by the state.
More rules
Use baitfish only in the water or water system they came from. Brandenburg exempts frozen or preserved baitfish and dead sea fish, North Rhine-Westphalia exempts connected waters.
Source: BbgFischO § 6 (Brandenburg), BRAVORS (zuletzt geändert durch Verordnung vom 24.08.2026 (GVBl. II/26, Nr. 39)) · LFischVO NRW § 6, recht.nrw.de (Fassung vom 03.07.2026, § 6 zuletzt geändert am 13.11.2014)
North Rhine-Westphalia: you may not even carry live baitfish with you.
Source: LFischVO NRW § 6, recht.nrw.de (Fassung vom 03.07.2026, § 6 zuletzt geändert am 13.11.2014)
Techniques
Target species
Lures by species
Quick answers
Can I fish with live bait in Germany?
No. State fishing rules ban live baitfish, so you use dead baitfish or lures instead.
Can I take baitfish from one lake to another?
In several states only if the waters are connected or the fish are frozen. Check your state's fishing regulations and your permit.
Which bait is easiest for beginners?
A worm or maggot under a float catches fish almost anywhere. It teaches you to read bites before you move on to predators.
Other regions
Rules change and often apply to one country, state or water only. Check the permit for your water before you fish. No guarantee, every rule with its source.