Best Times & Seasons to Fish in Greece (A Complete Guide)
Greece is one of the true fishing paradises on earth and there are certain times of the year when fishing really peaks. Understanding the best time and seasons to go fishing in Greece will make a huge difference in your success rate.
The best time to fish in Greece is spring for barracuda, dentex, and bluefin tuna. The fall is best for amberjack, mahi-mahi, and for swordfish in Greece.
Greece has gained huge popularity among travelers and fishermen. The destination offers world-class angling opportunities and impresses with the stunning beauty of nature. Greece is surrounded by the Ionian Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Aegean Sea. These three seas are full of fish.
Best Time to Fish Greece
Anglers can experience fishing in the country year-round. Generally speaking, fishing in Greece is good in the late spring, summer, and fall. However, the best time of the year to fish in Greece depends on a variety of factors.
First and foremost, you have to decide what species you are going to target during your fishing adventures in Greece. Plan your fishing trip with the target species in mind.
Spring is a great time of the year to target barracuda, dentex as well as bluefin tuna, and skipjack tuna. Such fish species as dentex, swordfish, tuna, and others get active during the summer months.
Fall offers spectacular fishing opportunities in the country. Amberjack, dentex, squid, tuna, and swordfish bite well in the waters around Greece during the fall months.
Greece Species Breakdown: Best Times
Amberjack
The season to catch amberjack starts in March and finishes in August. The peak season is May – June. Iraklio is one of the top amberjack fishing destinations in Greece.
Albacore tuna
Albacore tuna fishing season begins in April and finishes in November. The best months to catch albacore tuna in Greece are July and September.
Oftentimes, anglers get bites of albacore tuna between dusk and dawn. Ios is one of the best places to target albacore tuna in the country.
Barracuda
Barracuda is the most active during the spring, fall, and winter months. Barracuda bite well in the early morning and late evening. Barracuda can be found near Santorini.
Dentex
The best time of the year to fish for dentex is between March and July. Dentex can be found near Paliouri.
Dusky Grouper
Fishing for dusky grouper in Greece is the most productive between the late spring and the late summer. Go to Thera if you would like to catch dusky grouper during your Greece fishing adventures.
Common Pandora
Common pandora is active year-round. The season to catch common pandora is between March and June. Fishing for common pandora is the most productive near Agios Nikolaos.
Bluefin Tuna
Bluefin tuna fishing in Greece is good between April and October. Bluefin tuna feeds actively early in the morning. Paros is one of the best places to fish for bluefin tuna in the country.
Mahi-mahi
The season to catch mahi-mahi in Greece starts in March and ends in October. Mahi fishing in Greece is best between the late spring and the late summer. Agios Nikolaos is the perfect place to target mahi-mahi in the region.
Skipjack tuna
Fishing for skipjack tuna is the best during the summer months and in the early fall. Zante is a popular skipjack tuna fishing location in Greece.
Swordfish
The season to catch swordfish begins in July and ends in October. Swordfish can be found near swordfish.
I recommend this Penn Pursuit Spinning Rod & Reel combo (available on Amazon) for inshore and nearshore fishing. It can handle everything from redfish to snapper and king mackerel. The Penn Battalion Series Spinning Rod and the Penn Battle Spinning Reel are fantastic if you want to create your combo.
Recommended Fishing Charters in Greece
These Greece-based charters have earned great reviews from anglers and will offer you a tremendous service. The captains are knowledgeable, friendly, and are sure to put you on fish. By clicking the links below, you will be taken to the charter’s respective profile on Fishing Booker where you can read reviews, learn more about the charter, view photos, and book online at the best rate.
| Recommended Fishing Charters | Location |
| Giorgaros Fishing Tours Santorini | Santorini, Greece |
| Bertram 31′ Fishing Crete Island | Agios Nikolaos, Greece |
| Crete Yacht Cruises | Agios Nikolaos, Greece |
| Paros Fishing Trips | Piso Livadi, Greece |
| Seaze The Day – 24′ | Chania, Greece |
| Golden Rib Cruises | Ormos Panagias, Greece |
| Seaze The Day – 35 | Chania, Greece |
Greece Regions: Best Fishing Times
Athens
Fishing in Athens is the most productive between March and November.
Crete
The best months to go fishing in Athens are May – June.
Corfu
The fishing season in Corfu starts in the early spring and ends in the early fall.
Milos
Fishing in Milos is the best between the early summer and the early fall.
Best Time of Day to Fish Greece
It’s possible to fish in Greece during the morning, afternoon, and evening hours. Some anglers choose to go fishing during the nighttime. The best time of day to fish in Greece depends on such factors as target fish species, the season of the year, and angler’s preferences.
Anglers should study the bite times of their target fish species carefully and plan their fishing adventures in Greece with the bite times in mind.
If you are going to fish in Greece during the hot summer months, then you should go fishing in the morning or at night.
If you plan fishing adventures in Greece for the spring or fall months, then you should give a preference to fishing in the afternoon and evening hours.
Are you an early bird? If so, you should go fishing during the morning hours. Or, maybe, you don’t like to wake up early? In this case, you should go fishing either in the afternoon or in the evening.
Greece Fishing & Tidal Impacts
Incoming tides create the ideal conditions for fishing. There is water movement during the rising tides that result in an increase in fish activity.
Incoming tides bring oxygen-rich waters to the area. As a result, fish begin to search for food actively and anglers find it easy to catch it.
When planning fishing adventures in Greece, anglers need to study tide times in the region carefully. Fishermen should know when tides are low and when tides are high in the area.
And of course, anglers should fish Greece when fishing in the region is the most productive.
Is Winter Fishing Bad in Greece?
Fishing in the waters near Greece is possible year-round. Anglers can also experience fishing in the region during the winter months.
The weather is getting cold in Greece during the winter months. Cold weather affects fishing in the region. Many fish species are inactive and don’t bite during the cold months.
Nevertheless, fishing is still good in Greece in winter. Squid is one of the top saltwater catches during the winter months.
Waters around Greece are home to many fish species. There are seasonal fish species that are active during the winter months as well as fish species that are active year-round. That’s why anglers in Greece can enjoy great winter fishing.
Top Fishing Spots in Greece
Agios Nikolaos
Agios Nikolaos provides anglers with easy access to many great places where they can go fishing in the sea. It’s the destination where anglers can try different fishing techniques such as bottom fishing, jigging, trolling, and others.
The top targeted species in Agios Nikolaos include amberjack, dusky grouper, mahi-mahi, sea bream as well as common pandora.
Kefalonia
Kefalonia is an island that’s located in the Ionian Sea. The island has gained popularity among tourists and anglers.
Anglers prefer to fish near rocky terrain. The favorite catches of local anglers include dentex, common pandora, and other fish species.
Corfu
Corfu is one of the top fishing spots in the country. It’s the channel that connects Corfu to Paxos. The channel offers excellent fishing.
A lot of fishing charters are available for anglers in the region. Corfu is the perfect place for anglers, who want to target swordfish during Greece fishing adventures.
Santorini
Santorini provides fishermen with beautiful views of the region. Bluefin tuna is the most common catch here. Anglers, who fish in this area, get the best results during the summer months.
Iraklio
Iraklio is another popular fishing destination in Greece. Fishing in Iraklio is excellent. Fishermen can catch such species as amberjack, bluefin tuna, dentex, dusky grouper as well as common pandora during their fishing adventures in Greece.
Chalkidiki
Chalkidiki is one of the most popular fishing spots in Greece. It’s located in the northern part of Greece. Amberjack, dentex, common pandora, as well as squid, are the most common catches in this place.
Rhodes
Rhodes is the ideal place for anglers who give a preference to squid fishing. Here, fishing is the most successful at night.
Booking Guides & Charters in Greece
– Best season to go
A fishing season in Greece starts in April and finishes in October. However, a lot of tourists choose to visit the country between July and August.
It’s the busiest season of the year. So, the demand for fishing is high and prices go up during these months.
If you don’t want to visit Greece during a peak tourist season, it would be better to plan fishing adventures for May, June, September, and October. These are the best months to visit fishing if you want to avoid crowds.
Fishing is good, but the demand for fishing is lower during these months. Therefore, fishing provides the best value for money.
– Morning vs. afternoon
A lot of anglers prefer to fish in Greece in the morning. It makes sense to fish in the morning during the hot summer months. Morning fishing in summer has many great benefits for anglers. It’s not hot, so anglers find it comfortable to fish in the morning hours.
Water cools down in the morning and fish begin to feed actively. However, fishing in the morning is not a good choice for those anglers, who don’t like to wake up early.
Afternoon fishing is better during colder months. Fishing in the afternoon is a good choice for the spring and fall months. The water heats up in the afternoon and the activity of fish increases.
It’s not necessary to wake up early if you want to go fishing during the afternoon hours. However, the disadvantage of afternoon fishing is that days are short in spring and fall.
That means that anglers, who prefer to fish during the afternoon hours, don’t have too much time that they can spend on their hobby.
– 1/2 day, full-day, multi-day charters
Half-day fishing trips are a smart choice for anglers on a budget, anglers who can’t spend too much time on fishing, and beginners. Half-day fishing trips last 4 – 8 hours only.
However, 1/2 trips give fishermen enough time to master their angling skills, enjoy great views of marvelous nature, and, most importantly, get good results.
Full-day fishing trips are recommended for professional anglers, who are interested in trophy catches. Such fishing trips allow anglers to spend a day on the water.
If you book a full-day trip to Greece, you will manage to fish during the morning, afternoon, and evening hours. However, full-day fishing trips are available at higher prices.
Multi-day charters last several days. Such trips give anglers plenty of time. If you book a multi-day chapter, you’ll manage to explore more spots during your trip and get the most out of fishing in Greece. Multi-day charters are more expensive than full-day ones.
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