Norwegian coast · fish in season in November
In season
Whiting Merlangius merlangus
Found along the whole Norwegian coast but most common south of Stad. Its spawning season is long.
Where: Sandy and muddy bottoms and harbour mouths on the southern and western coast.
Sabiki / feather rig Bottom fishing Handline Sabiki feathers Chicken breast Mussel Fish strip
Source: Havforskningsinstituttet
Pollack Pollachius pollachius
Prefers nearshore rocky ground at 40–100 m, which makes it a common recreational catch. Spawns in March–April. Most of the catch comes from north of 62°N.
Where: Rocky points, reef edges and fjord mouths.
Shore spinning Boat spinning Float fishing Soft plastic Jig head Minnow (hard bait) Sand eel Ragworm Mackerel strip
Source: Havforskningsinstituttet · Visit Norway
Saithe Pollachius virens
A migratory schooling fish; juveniles grow up along the shore from western Norway northwards, while large fish follow herring offshore. In the north it is known for big schools in tidal straits such as Saltstraumen. Usually most productive from spring to autumn; exact months shift by area and year.
Where: Tidal straits, headlands and outer-coast shoals; smaller fish around harbours and piers.
Jigging Boat spinning Shore spinning Soft plastic Jig head Metal jig Mackerel strip Sand eel Ragworm
Source: Havforskningsinstituttet · Visit Norway · Arctic Norway (Northern Norway tourist board)
Atlantic cod Gadus morhua
Caught along the coast all year. In winter the migratory spawning cod (skrei) arrive from the Barents Sea and gather off Lofoten and Vesterålen; spawning is in March–April and the peak is usually February–March. Resident coastal cod also live in the fjords. Rules differ in the south: cod fishing is banned all year in the Oslofjord and from 1 January to 30 April in 14 spawning areas between Lindesnes and the Swedish border. Foreign tourists may only export fish caught through a registered fishing camp (15 kg twice a year in 2026, 10 kg from 2027). Not legal advice; check Fiskeridirektoratet for current rules.
Where: Vestfjorden and the Lofoten area in winter; fjord interiors, rocky slopes and nearshore shoals the rest of the year.
Jigging Bottom fishing Surfcasting Metal jig Soft plastic Jig head Peeler crab Lugworm Squid
Source: Fiskeridirektoratet · Visit Norway · Havforskningsinstituttet
Ling Molva molva
Lives on hard or boulder-strewn ground in fairly deep water; adults spawn at 100–300 m in April–June. Juveniles also occur in shallower coastal areas. Fished from a boat with heavy jigs or baited bottom rigs.
Where: Deep fjord basins, the shelf edge and around wrecks.
Bottom fishing Jigging Drifting Metal jig Soft plastic Fish strip Mackerel strip Squid
Source: Havforskningsinstituttet · Visit Norway
Haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus
Lives along the coast and in the Barents Sea; the northern stock spawns in March–June on the western edge of Tromsøflaket. Taken with cod when bottom fishing from a boat.
Where: Sandy and muddy bottoms, fjord interiors and coastal banks; more common in the north.
Bottom fishing Drifting Lugworm Ragworm Mussel
Source: Havforskningsinstituttet · Visit Norway
Tusk Brosme brosme
Adults live in deep water, though juveniles can be found quite shallow. Spawns at 100–400 m in April–June. Comes up with ling when fishing deep.
Where: Deep parts of the fjords and continental shelf slopes.
Bottom fishing Drifting Jigging Metal jig Fish strip Mackerel strip Squid
Source: Havforskningsinstituttet · Visit Norway
Occasional
European hake Merluccius merluccius
A bottom fish living at 30–600 m in fjords and open sea. Spawns between June and October in the North Sea and off Møre og Romsdal; densities rise in summer and autumn.
Where: Deep parts of the western Norwegian fjords.
Bottom fishing Drifting Mackerel strip Small live fish Fish strip
Source: Havforskningsinstituttet
European flounder Platichthys flesus
Found along the whole coast from the tideline down to about 120 m. Moves into shallow water at night; big fish bury themselves in sand by day. In winter most move to deeper, saltier water.
Where: River mouths, sandy bays and shallow shores.
Bottom fishing Surfcasting Ledgering Ragworm Lugworm Peeler crab
Source: Havforskningsinstituttet
Spurdog Squalus acanthias
PROTECTED
Protected species: protected all year in Norway and must be released if caught. The stock may take many years to recover.
Source: Fiskeridirektoratet · Visit Norway · Havforskningsinstituttet
European plaice Pleuronectes platessa
A flatfish of sandy ground. Juveniles gather in shallow coastal water. Listed among the common sea-angling species in Norway; closer inshore in the warmer months.
Where: Sandy bays and the shallows off beaches.
Surfcasting Bottom fishing Ledgering Ragworm Lugworm Peeler crab
Source: Havforskningsinstituttet · Visit Norway
Atlantic halibut Hippoglossus hippoglossus
Stays in deep spawning basins in winter and moves to shallower feeding grounds in summer. Fishing for it is banned in the whole Norwegian economic zone from 20 December to 20 April inclusive, and every halibut over 2 m must be released. Some areas are closed all year. Northern Norway, especially Finnmark, is known for this species.
Where: In summer: sandy shallows, flat fjord bottoms and current edges.
Drifting Jigging Boat spinning Soft plastic Swimbait Jig head Small live fish Fish strip Mackerel strip
Source: Fiskeridirektoratet · Havforskningsinstituttet · Visit Norway
Golden redfish Sebastes norvegicus
PROTECTED
Protected species. Slow growth and late maturity make the stock very sensitive to fishing. It is on Visit Norway's list of endangered species that must be released if caught. Fiskeridirektoratet lists redfish among seasonally protected species.
Source: Havforskningsinstituttet · Visit Norway · Fiskeridirektoratet
Angler Lophius piscatorius
Occurs from the shore zone down into deep fjords and is known to make long migrations. More often an incidental bottom catch than a target.
Where: Soft bottoms in the fjords.
Bottom fishing Drifting Fish strip Mackerel strip Small live fish
Source: Havforskningsinstituttet · Visit Norway
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.