Did you know that sport fishing is one of the most practiced outdoor activities in the Netherlands? As many as two million Dutch people regularly go fishing. It could therefore not be missed that there are also plenty of opportunities for fishing on Texel.

Where can I fish on Texel?

You can fish in salt water along the entire Texel coast. You can also fish in fresh inland water.

Sea fishing

Prefer sea fishing? How about stepping aboard the Rival? Captain Jaap Tuitman has been organising fishing trips around Texel for about 30 years. He knows the Waddenzee like no other and obviously knows where to find the best fishing spots. Anglers can use their own fishing tackles or hire fishing rods on board. The Rival has a capacity of about 25 to 30 anglers.

Beach fishing

Beach fishing with a maximum of two fishing rods is allowed without a licence along the entire Texel coast. To avoid problems with swimmers or seaside visitors, it is advisable to only cast a line outside lifeguard controlled parts of the beach, where it is also a lot quieter.

Post 9 to 15 incl.
Between beach posts 9 and 15, it is generally a little less busy with tourists than around De Koog, for instance. Along this stretch of the beach, you can pretty much fish in peace. Here, several types of fish can be caught, mainly lots of flatfish and if it is the right season, also codling, immature cod of up to about 60 cm long. The latter is mostly caught from the coast between October and mid-January and from March to April.

Post 12 to 17 incl.
The stretch of coast between posts 12 and 17 is protected by longitudinal dikes. Fishing from these dikes is also allowed. The advantage of this is that you can fish a little further into sea, for gar and mackerel, for instance. Do take into account that the busiest beaches are situated between beach posts 15 (Westerslag) and 21 (just past De Koog).

Post 28
Anglers who regularly visit Texel already know that the best fishing spot is near beach post 28. Except for gar and mackerel, you can pretty much catch all types of fish here that can be found in Texel, such as dab, plaice and flounder. The catch is particularly good in onshore wind conditions. The northern tip of Texel, the beach around the lighthouse is less suitable for fishing. The current is too strong here.

Fishing from the dike

Do you prefer fishing from the dike? On the Waddenzee side of Texel, there are several good fishing spots. For instance, on beautiful summer days, the entrance of the harbour of Oudeschild makes for great fishing for sprat with herring paternosters. On the entire Waddenzee side, you can fish for gar, with jig heads or float system. When the water temperature rises above 15 degrees, you can also catch several types of fish at IJzeren Kaap, the NIOZ harbour and Mokbaai.

Bait for saltwater fishing
You can use three types of bait for saltwater fishing: clam worms, lugworms and smelt. These are available at Voordeelland, Heemskerckstraat 17 in Oudeschild. Here, you can also find other fishing gear, such as flatfish paternosters, fishing rods and sinkers.

Digging for worms
Do you need piers for fishing? People have been digging for worms in the mudflats for centuries. This is still allowed for own use and may only be done using a pitchfork. Some parts of the mudflats may be closed off to digging for worms during the breeding season because of the foraging of migratory or summer birds.

Fishing in inland waters

Fishing in inland waters is also possible on Texel. Depending on the location, you can catch rock bass, carp, bream, pike or pike perch. You need to have a Texel fishing licence (anglers aged 14 and over) for freshwater fishing. This can be purchased at VVV Texel and at J. Hottentot, Vuurtorenweg 66 in De Cocksdorp, tel. +31222-316526.

Freshwater fishing locations:
- Roggesloot in De Cocksdorp (rock bass, carp, bream etc.)
- De Mars in Den Burg (pike, pike perch, carp and rock bass)
- 't Stappeland/Nikadel in De Koog (pike, pike perch, carp and rock bass)
Bait for freshwater fishing, such as gentles and earthworms, is sold at Voordeelland in Oudeschild.

Note: Dutch de fishing pass and youth fishing pass are not valid on Texel.

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