North Sea · fish in season in November
Peak season
Whiting Merlangius merlangus
Whiting
One of the most common autumn and winter catches from beaches and piers on England's east coast; often comes with cod, and fishing is usually best after dark. Its spawning season is long, starting in January in the southern North Sea.
Where: Sand and shingle beaches, estuary mouths and pier ends on the Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and north-east England coast.
Sabiki / feather rig Bottom fishing Handline Sabiki feathers Chicken breast Mussel Fish strip
Source: Sea Angler magazine · Sea Angler magazine · Sea Angler magazine
European flounder Platichthys flesus
Flounder
The most-caught species on Dutch beaches. In the North Sea it lives mainly in the Wadden Sea and estuaries. Feeds inshore in spring and summer and moves deeper to spawn in winter, though estuaries still produce it in winter.
Where: Estuaries, Wadden Sea channels and sandy beaches.
Bottom fishing Surfcasting Ledgering Ragworm Lugworm Peeler crab
Source: Sportvisserij Castricum / Gemeente Castricum · DTU Aqua – Fiskepleje.dk · Sea Angler magazine
Atlantic cod Gadus morhua
Cod · Codling
A classic winter fish on the east coast of England and Scotland: from beaches, piers and rock marks it is usually caught from October to February–March, with small codling also in summer. In the North Sea it spawns from January to May, earlier in the south. On Dutch beaches cod has almost disappeared from catches.
Where: Rock marks, river mouths (Tyne, Wear) and piers in north-east England and eastern Scotland; especially in coloured water after a blow.
Jigging Bottom fishing Surfcasting Metal jig Soft plastic Jig head Peeler crab Lugworm Squid
Source: Sea Angler magazine · Sea Angler magazine · Sea Angler magazine
Common dab Limanda limanda
Dab
Very common from beaches on England's east coast in winter; plump 'winter dabs' come with whiting and cod. Spawns in spring at about 20 m, then moves inshore.
Where: Sand and shingle beaches and around piers.
Surfcasting Bottom fishing Ledgering Lugworm Ragworm Mackerel strip
Source: Sea Angler magazine · Sea Angler magazine · Fishing in Denmark
In season
European seabass Dicentrarchus labrax
Bass · Sea bass
Increasingly caught on the Dutch coast in recent years. On England's east coast it shows from summer into autumn, especially after autumn storms. In England for 2026: catch-and-release only from 1 February to 31 March; otherwise up to 3 bass per person per day, minimum size 42 cm. Not legal advice.
Where: Holes and gullies on surf beaches, river mouths and rocky points.
Shore spinning Surfcasting Trolling Minnow (hard bait) Soft plastic Small live fish Peeler crab Ragworm
Source: Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority · Sportvisserij Castricum / Gemeente Castricum · Sea Angler magazine
Saithe Pollachius virens
Coalfish · Coley · Saithe
A summer and autumn fish on the east coast of Scotland; in north-east England it comes in mixed autumn bags with cod and whiting. The North Sea stock spawns in January–March along the shelf edge from west of Shetland to the Viking Bank.
Where: Rock marks over deep water and steep beaches.
Jigging Boat spinning Shore spinning Soft plastic Jig head Metal jig Mackerel strip Sand eel Ragworm
Source: Sea Angler magazine · Sea Angler magazine · Sea Angler magazine
Occasional
Pollack Pollachius pollachius
Pollack
A summer and autumn fish of rocky coasts. Likes nearshore rocky ground and spawns in the North Sea in March–April. Rarely met on the sandy southern coasts (Netherlands, Belgium).
Where: Rock marks and kelp-covered reefs in eastern Scotland and Northumberland.
Shore spinning Boat spinning Float fishing Soft plastic Jig head Minnow (hard bait) Sand eel Ragworm Mackerel strip
Source: Sea Angler magazine · Sea Angler magazine · Havforskningsinstituttet
Ling Molva molva
Ling
Lives on hard or boulder ground in fairly deep water; juveniles also occur in shallower parts of the northern North Sea. In the North Sea it is mostly a boat catch over wrecks and reefs.
Where: Wrecks and deep reefs in the northern North Sea.
Bottom fishing Jigging Drifting Metal jig Soft plastic Fish strip Mackerel strip Squid
Source: Havforskningsinstituttet
Ballan wrasse Labrus bergylta
Ballan wrasse
A summer and autumn fish of rocky shores that moves deeper in winter. Spawns in summer.
Where: Rocky, weedy shallows in eastern Scotland and Northumberland.
Bottom fishing Float fishing Light rock fishing (LRF) Soft plastic Jig head Minnow (hard bait) Hardback crab Peeler crab Ragworm
Source: Sea Angler magazine · Sea Angler magazine · Havforskningsinstituttet
European plaice Pleuronectes platessa
Plaice
Spawns in the southern and central North Sea from January to April; the Wadden Sea is its key nursery. Moves shallower in spring and deeper in autumn, and is lean after spawning.
Where: Sandy beaches, sandbanks and shallow bays.
Surfcasting Bottom fishing Ledgering Ragworm Lugworm Peeler crab
Source: DTU Aqua – Fiskepleje.dk · Havforskningsinstituttet · Fishing in Denmark
Haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus
Haddock
The North Sea stock spawns in the central North Sea in March–May. Mostly a boat catch on the bottom further north, off Scotland; rarely taken from shore.
Where: Sandy and muddy ground off Scotland.
Bottom fishing Drifting Lugworm Ragworm Mussel
Source: Havforskningsinstituttet
This is the general seasonal pattern for the region, not live data. It can shift by a few weeks with water temperature, migration and the year.