The fishing year, month by month
Water temperature sets the schedule: where fish hold, how hungry they are and how fast they will move. These twelve guides follow that schedule from January to December.
Last reviewed 26 September 2026 · Editorial policy
How the year runs
Spring
Water warms from the top and the edges, so fish move into shallow ground to feed and, for many species, to breed. The fishing gets easier every week and the fish get shallower.
Summer
Warm water and long days squeeze the fishing into dawn, dusk and the hours of darkness. Fish follow oxygen and shade, and the middle of the day is the weakest hour of the year.
Autumn
Cooling water triggers hard feeding while the fish still can. Baitfish shoal, predators follow, and the water clears - which is why autumn rewards a smaller, slower presentation.
Winter
Fish hold in the deepest, calmest water and feed rarely. Mild, settled spells do everything, and a scaled-down bait presented accurately out fishes a big one every time.
What to fish, and how
January
WinterColdest water, slowest fish, and the species that still feed.
February
WinterThe days lengthen long before the water notices.
March
SpringSpring starts under the surface well before it shows on the bank.
April
SpringEverything moves shallow at once - and much of it is breeding.
May
SpringWarm water, thickening weed, and the first long evenings.
June
SummerLongest days, shortest sessions - fish on the clock.
July
SummerThe hottest water of the year, and the deepest fish.
August
SummerWarm, quiet water, and fish on the move in the evening.
September
AutumnAutumn feeding starts while the water is still warm enough to be good.
October
AutumnCooling fast - fish in schools, anglers in short days.
November
AutumnCold, quiet, and shorter than you think.
December
WinterThe quiet month - and the one that teaches you to read water.
Seasonal fishing questions
Do I really need a different approach every month?
Not every month, but every change of water temperature. Fish respond to how warm their water is, and that shifts their depth, their appetite and how fast they are willing to move. A month-by-month guide is a shortcut to the same information a thermometer would give you.
Why does the calendar not match where I live?
Because the pattern follows temperature, not dates. A water at altitude, a shaded river or a southern-hemisphere country will all sit a season out of step with the guide. Use the month pages as a starting hypothesis and confirm it on the bank.
Are these dates legal advice?
No. Closed seasons, size limits and bag limits differ by country, region and individual water, and they change. Every page here points at the rules rather than repeating them - check the official rules for your water before you go.
What is the single biggest seasonal mistake?
Fishing a cold month the way you would fish a warm one. Covering large amounts of water, working a lure quickly and fishing a big bait all catch fish in June and very little in January.