Best Fishing Seasons

While fishing in India, one is provided a great opportunity to catch breath taking number of fish species both the fresh water and the sea water. Each species has a particular time of the year and preferred habitat, which play a very significant role in determining your fishing success or otherwise. Given below are the seasons and the Fishery-centre for the different species commonly available in India along with additional most sought after Fish such as Barramundi, Mangrove Jack, Groupers, Snakehead, Walla-Go Attu (Mulley) and Trevally.

Mahseer (Freshwater)

• Best Time: September to March
• Where: Rishikesh (Uttarakhand), Bheemeshwari (Karnataka), Narmada River (Madhya Pradesh)
• Why: Mahseer or agar-bero, another game fish called the ‘tiger of the waters,’ thrives in clear cool water streams and rivers. These rivers give ideal condition to Mahseer during the cold season of the year. The fishing for a fish called Mahseer is famous in Rishikesh, where many tourists flock to, especially to fish in the Ganges.

Tuna & Marlin (Deep-Sea)

• Best Time: November to April
• Where: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Kerala (Kochi)
• Why: Tuna and Marlin are species that are usually hunted when fishing for largemouth game fish found in warm deep sea habitats. The ideal time for fishing to these species is during early part of the year from November to April because sea condition is good and plenty of fish are available. Deep sea fishing is well known here and especially popular with these large species of fish in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Hilsa (Coastal)

• Best Time: June to September
• Where: Sundarbans (West Bengal), Odisha, Gujarat
• Why: The Hilsa is a small fish and migratory in nature, it can be most successfully harvested from June to September which is the monsoon season. During this period of the year, Hilsa migrate to the rivers to spawn, and thus the eastern coast line especially the area of operation in West Bengal down to the Sundarbans is an area of concentration of Hilsa fishing.

Snapper & Grouper (Offshore)

• Best Time: October to March
• Where: Goa, Ratnagiri (Maharashtra), Kerala, Andaman Islands
• Why: Other surprising is Snapper and Grouper which are offshore and deep water fish species and the recommended fishing period is from October – March due to relatively calm sea. The rivers and coasts of Goa, Kerala, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands possess good fishing conditions for amateur fishermen.

Mackerel & Sardines (Coastal)

• Best Time: June to September
• Where: Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat
• Why:Mackerel and Sardines are in plenty covering the western coast of India during the monsoon rain period which is from June to September. Some of these fishes are small and frequent coastal fishing is possible during the rainy season when they are abundant.

Pearl Spot (Freshwater)

• Best Time: November to February
• Where: Kumarakom (Kerala), Alleppey (Kerala), Vembanad Lake
• Why: The Pearl Spot or Karimeen is one of the most favoured fishes found in the backwaters of Kerala. It’s better to fish this species during cool season of November to February but the best time is January where the fish can be found around Vembanad Lake.

Trout (Freshwater)

• Best Time: April to October
• Where: Rishikesh (Uttarakhand), Tirthan Valley (Himachal Pradesh), Kashmir
• Why: Rainbow trout fishing is practiced in some parts of India, in cold water tributaries Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. Trout can be fished in large numbers in the months of April to October as the water standard is right and waters are clear.

Barracuda & Kingfish (Saltwater)

• Best Time: October to March
• Where: Goa, Andaman Islands, Kerala (Kochi)
• Why: Barracuda and Kingfish are the types of fish that belongs to the meat eating fish family, Baracuda is found in the Arabian Sea and Kingfish in the Bay of Bengal. It is preferred to do that in months that are from October to March since the climate is right and the fish are more forthcoming.

Catfish (Freshwater)

• Best Time: September to March
• Where: Narmada River (Madhya Pradesh), Cauvery River (Karnataka), Lakes in Tamil Nadu
• Why: So popular are catfishes in India that one can easily find them in almost all the freshwater river bodies and lakes. It is advisable to fish during the cold season especially for the Narmada Fish, cauvery fish and the fish found in the lakes in Tamil Nadu.

Pomfret & Prawns (Coastal)

• Best Time: October to February
• Where: Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala
• Why: Coastal icons of Pomfret and Prawns are available all the year round except the feted month of June but prefers the cooler months of October to February. The sea creatures can be caught off the Goa, Maharashtra and Kerala coastal areas.

Barramundi (Coastal/Freshwater)

• Best Time: October to March
• Where: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Kerala, Tamil Nadu (Pichavaram)
• Why: The fact that barramundi is silver and relatively large and muscular, anglers can find this species in freshwater as well as in estuaries and around mangroves. More so, Barramundi has its fishing season from October to March and is mainly found throughout the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the mangrove stretch of Pichavaram in Tamil Nadu, and the coastal regions of Kerala.

Mangrove Jack (Coastal)

• Best Time: October to April
• Where: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sundarbans (West Bengal), Kerala
• Why: The Mangrove Jack is generally a warm, coastal fish, especially in mangrove areas. The best season is between October to April; targeting this species inside Southeast Asian waters having abundant mangrove areas such as Andaman Islands, Sunderbans and Kerala.

Snakehead (Freshwater)

• Best Time: October to March
• Where: Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal
• Why: The Snakehead is a predatory fish which is dominant in slow flowing water systems including rivers, lakes and ponds. Fishing for Snakehead is possible throughout the period from October to March because water is usually stable during that period. Some of the places to find them include; Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Walla-Go Attu (Mulley) (Freshwater)

• Best Time: September to March
• Where: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala
• Why: The Walla-Go Attu (also known as Mulley) are located in rivers and lakes living in South India. More so, Fishing for Mulley is advisable during the off-season of the Northern hemisphere from September to March. Some favourites of this fish include: lakes of Tamilnadu, Karnataka and the back waters of Kerala.

Trevally (Saltwater)

• Best Time: October to March
• Where: Andaman Islands, Goa, Kerala
• Why:Trevally is a large, carnivorous fish and inhabits areas of transitional waters as well as coastal and oceanic environments. Trevally fish is best for fishing between October and March, Andaman & Nicobar, Goa, and Kerala are the ideal places to catch Trevally.

India has a broad variety of fish species and each of them has its own period of high migration and best fishing condition. Whether you are hunting for the Mahseer in the rivers of the Himalayas or going for Barramundi in the shallows of the mangroves in Tamil Nadu knowing the best times and places would make a world of difference. Angling from freshwater fishing to saltwater fishing and trout from the cool northern rivers to Marlin off the Andaman coast – India has it all for angling all year round.