SIZE LIMITATIONS AND CLOSED SEASONS ON LAKE BALATON

 

Name of the fish                                                      Closed season

 

Brown trout (Salmo trutta m. fario)                      1^st October – 31^st December

Pike (Esox lucius)                                                   15^th February – 31^st March

Asp (Aspius aspius)                                               1^st March – 30^th April

Pike-perch (Sander lucioperca)                           1^st March – 30^th April

Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus)                                 1^st March – 31st May

Volga pikeperch (Sander volgensis)                   1^st March – 30^th June

Carp (Cyprinus carpio)                                           2^nd May – 15^th June   

Barbel (Barbus barbus)                                         2^nd May – 15^th June

Wels catfish (Silurus glanis) (under 80 cm)      2^nd May – 15^th June

Ide (Leuciscus idus)                                               2^nd May – 15^th June

Common nase (Chondrostoma nasus)             2^nd May – 15^th June.

Vimba bream (Vimba vimba)                                 2^nd May – 15^th June

 

Closed seasons start at 00.00 on their first day and last until 24.00 on their last day. If the first day is a Saturday, Sunday or a Hungarian public holiday, the closed season starts only on the next working day. If the last day is a Saturday, Sunday or a Hungarian public holiday, the closed season ends on the previous working day.

It means that the exact dates of the closed seasons can slightly vary from year to year!

 

Name of the fish                                                     Size limitation <

 

Volga pikeperch (Sander volgensis)                   20 cm

Burbot (Lota lota)                                                     20 cm

Brown trout (Salmo trutta m. fario)                       22 cm

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)               22 cm

Tench (Tinca tinca)                                                  25 cm

Carp (Cyprinus carpio)                                           30 cm

Pike-perch (Sander lucioperca)                            30 cm

Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)       30 cm

Barbel (Barbus barbus)                                          40 cm

Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)               40 cm

Asp (Aspius aspius)                                                40 cm

Pike (Esox lucius)                                                    40 cm

Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus)                                  45 cm

Wels catfish (Silurus glanis)                                 50 cm

 

Besides the size limitations according to the Hungarian regulations tench has been protected with an extra size limitation in Lake Balaton, Kis-Balaton and their incoming waters since 1^st January 2012!

The maximum daily amount of tench and Volga pikeperch (protected with a size limitation) is 3 each in Lake Balaton!