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Fishing in Amsterdam

The capital of The Netherlands is without a doubt one of the most interesting cities in the world when it comes to fishing. Not only because of the amazing surroundings where you will be casting your line, but also because of the superb angling Amsterdam has to offer.

The Big Three: zander, perch, and pike

Especially lovers of predator fish can indulge themselves here. One of the most coveted fish species is the zander. This ruthless robber occurs in large numbers in both the canals, the IJ-river, and the River Amstel. Another formidable fighter is the perch. Beautifully colored, full of temperament, and always a pleasure to catch. Finally, there is the pike: the uncrowned king of the canals. Although this top predator occurs in fewer numbers, the size more than makes up for it. Don't be surprised if you catch a pike over a meter! Read this article to learn which rules apply to fishing in Amsterdam.

Street fishing

Street fishing is a way of fishing that has become extremely popular in recent years. Everywhere in the city, you will find active anglers with a spinning rod, a bag of artificial bait, and a landing net with a long handle. The reason: the fantastic fishing, especially perch and zander. Days of 20 to 50 fish are no exception. By fishing with light lures (5 - 15 grams) and regularly relocating, you can be very successful. Fishing with the drop shot, vertical jigging along the quays, as well as casting with soft baits is very effective.

The cool thing about street fishing is that you are very flexible, and you don't need a lot of stuff to be successful. A light spinning rod of 210 - 240 cm with a 6-8 lb braided line, a fluorocarbon leader, landing net, and some small soft baits: that's all it takes to make it happen! Of course, if you are really targeting pike, you will need heavier gear and larger lures. In that case, we recommend a medium-heavy spinning rod with a reel spooled with 15 - 25 lb braided line.

Got inspired? Read more about street fishing in Amsterdam!

Fish the IJ-river and North Sea Channel with a fishing guide

Fishing from the banks in Amsterdam is without a doubt very exciting and challenging, but also a bit restrictive. After all, you can only fish at the spots where you can actually come by foot. Especially if you want to reach the great fishing grounds that are out of casting reach, a fishing boat is required. We're talking about the wonderful IJ-river that stretches out all the way from the Markermeer on the far East side of Amsterdam to the far West side. This water offers world-class zander fishing and has a good stock of perch and XXL pike too. We are glad to share our recommended fishing guides with you, certified by the Amsterdam Fishing Club AHV, and practicing Catch & Release only.

Note: to fish in Amsterdam, you need a fishing license called VISpas. Find out how to order your VISpas online.

Fishing Guides in Amsterdam

Guide Juul Steyn

Juul Steyn is without a doubt the most wanted fishing guide in Amsterdam. He lives on a houseboat, right on top of the fish, and it's safe to say he really thinks like a fish. Actually, that is the title of his book that was published in 2020: To think like a fish (in Dutch: Denken als een vis). Juul is a certified fishing guide and knows his ways in the Amsterdam waters like no other. He is specialized in fishing for zander, perch, and pike, and offers top-of-the-line fishing gear. His favorite techniques are casting both hard and soft baits, as well as vertical jigging and drop-shot angling. Juul is part of a professional team of fishing guides called UFX.

Visit website of UFX Amsterdam fishing guide Juul Steyn

Guide Michael Stalenhoef

With years of experience in professional guiding, Michael is guaranteed to offer a fully serviced day fishing in and around Amsterdam. He guides on the River IJ, the River Zaan (Zaandam), North Sea Canal, and the lake 'Alkmaardermeer' (Alkmaar). His big love is the zander, but also pike and perch are favorite target species. Tackle and bait are provided. The used fishing techniques are: drop shot fishing, vertical jigging, trolling, casting with lures and soft baits, and even dead bait fishing.

Visit website of Amsterdam Fishing Guide Michael Stalenhoef

Guide Mike Dijkstra

The versatile fishing guide Mike Dijkstra offers guided fishing trips on the IJ-River and North Sea Channel, targeting both zander and perch. Vertical jigging and drop shot angling are the chosen techniques for these waters. But also, if you are a fly fishing enthusiast, Mike is your man. He knows his way to larger and smaller waters to fish for (huge) pike with streamers. You can go fly fishing for pike both from the shore as well as from his comfortable Lund fishing boat. And last but not least, you can also hire Mike for a guided street fishing day in Amsterdam.

Visit website of Amsterdam Fishing Guide Mike Dijkstra

Guided fishing near Amsterdam

Did you know that there are lots of other interesting waters just north of Amsterdam?

Guide Jeroen Eijsens

Especially if you want to target large pike in a rural environment, we can recommend fishing guide Jeroen Eijsens. He is a young but very fanatic and professional guide that is practically born with a rod in his hand. Jeroen does not guide in Amsterdam itself, but loves to show you around his waters - most of them 30 to 60 minutes traveling from Amsterdam Central Station. On request, he can pick you up in Zaandam or Alkmaar.

Visit the website of fishing guide Jeroen Eijsens