Skip to content

Search

Popular pages

How to catch European whitefish

Coregonus lavaretus (Linnaeus, 1758)

About European whitefish fishing

The European whitefish is a streamlined member of the salmon family sporting a tapered snout, a silvery body with bluish-green shading, and a characteristic adipose fin. Growing up to 73 centimetres and 10 kilograms, this gregarious pelagic fish inhabits deep, cold, and well-oxygenated lakes as well as coastal brackish waters across Europe. Adults subsist primarily on zooplankton and benthic invertebrates, undertaking seasonal movements through the water column and migrating toward shallow gravel zones or rivers to spawn during autumn. Valued for its delicate flesh, it represents a classic target for northern European anglers.

  • Difficulty

    Medium

  • Average size

    35 cm

  • Market value

    High

  • Habitat

    Freshwater, Brackish

  • Season

    Summer, Autumn

  • Also known as

    Baltic whitefish, Common whitefish, Houting, Lake Chud whitefish, Lavaret, Pollan

European whitefish

Adipose fin

Small fleshy fin located between the dorsal and caudal fins.

Caudal shape

Forked caudal fin with pointed lobes typical of whitefishes.

Pelvic-fin position

Abdominal pelvic fins positioned well back along the belly.

European whitefish fishing facts

Characteristics

  • Typical size

    35 cm (max 73 cm TL )

  • Typical weight

    1.2 kg (max 10 kg )

  • Preferred temperature

    5.8–12.5 °C

  • Depth

    5–50 m

  • Longevity

    15 years

  • Body shape

    Fusiform / Normal

  • Commercial?

  • Vulnerability score

    50.6

Best hours

  • Dawn

    First light

    Peak

  • Morning

    After sunrise

    Active

  • Midday

    High sun

    Low

  • Afternoon

    Late day

    Active

  • Dusk

    Last light

    Peak

  • Night

    After dark

    Low

When to fish for European whitefish

01
January
02
February
03
March
04
April
05
May
06
June
07
July
08
August
09
September
10 Now
October
11
November
12
December

How to catch European whitefish

Tips for catching European whitefish

Targeting this wary salmonid requires adapting presentations to its small mouth and planktivorous diet, making delicate tackle essential. Use light float fishing rigs baited with small worms or maggots suspended near the thermocline, or present small weighted nymphs and dry flies on a floating or sink-tip fly line. In deep lakes during summer, fish slow-moving sinking lines over profound basins, while autumn months draw fish closer to shallow gravel shoals where they gather prior to spawning. Early morning and late afternoon hours offer the most productive windows for sport.

Other names for European whitefish

Local and alternate names anglers use for European whitefish.

  • European whitefish
  • Whitefish
  • Schelly
  • Powan
  • Pollan
  • Lavaret
  • Lake Chud whitefish
  • Houting
  • Common whitefish
  • Baltic whitefish

Best equipment to catch European whitefish

Compare fishing methods for European whitefish — sized kit for each technique.

Note: Typical fish is 1.2 kg Our algorithm will suggest the best equipment for you based on this weight.

Best lures and baits for European whitefish

Ranked lures and natural baits from every method, best first.

How European whitefish migrates — Anadromous

Grows at sea and swims into rivers to spawn. Target the run as fish leave the ocean and push upstream.

How European whitefish migrates — Anadromous 1. Eggs: Laid in fresh water, usually well up the river. 2. Juveniles: Grow in the river, then head downstream to the sea. 3. Adults: Feed and grow at sea. 4. Spawners: Run back up the river to spawn.
Fresh water Estuary Sea

1 Eggs

Fresh water

Laid in fresh water, usually well up the river.

2 Juveniles

→ Sea

Grow in the river, then head downstream to the sea.

3 Adults

Sea

Feed and grow at sea.

4 Spawners

→ Fresh water

Run back up the river to spawn.

Some populations never go to sea and complete the cycle in rivers and lakes.

Hover or tap a number to read each stage.

Diet and behavior of European whitefish

  • Diet

    Carnivore

  • Feeds by

    Hunts animals

  • Hunts

    Dawn · Dusk

  • Feeds over

    Hard bottom

  • Main prey

    Baitfish

Prey and predators of European whitefish

Prey is what European whitefish eats. Predators are the animals that eat it.

That is how it feeds, and how it is hunted.

Prey

What it eats

Predators

What hunts it

Where European whitefish lives

Lives on or just above the bottom. Work jigs, bait, and lures along the seabed.

Habitats
Freshwater, Brackish
Depth zone
5–50 m
Water column
Demersal
On or near the bed

Where this species lives

Where to fish for European whitefish

Mapped fishing spots where European whitefish is recorded — open a pin for access and methods.

Thunersee

ThunerseeBern/BerneSwitzerland