Top 10 Fishing Spots in Luxembourg
Luxembourg rarely tops an angler's bucket list, yet this pint-sized grand duchy punches well above its weight. Three international rivers — the Our, the Sauer, and the Moselle — define its borders and offer a surprising breadth of species. Cold Ardennes tributaries rush through deep-cut sandstone gorges holding wild brown trout and record grayling, while the wide, slow Moselle pools below Schengen shelter pike-perch pushing three kilograms. Tucked between Belgium, Germany, and France, Luxembourg enforces strict conservation rules that have kept its waters genuinely productive.
The Our River: Grayling Paradise
The Our forms Luxembourg's northern border with Germany and ranks as the country's most celebrated fly-fishing river. Between Ouren and Wallendorf the river flows fast and clear over limestone and quartzite, creating the gravel beds and oxygen-rich riffles that grayling love. Fish of 45 cm are caught regularly in autumn, when they stack below the riffles to feed on spent sedges. A valid Luxembourg fishing permit plus written permission from the local angling federation (Fédération du Sport Haldéenstique Luxembourgeois, FSHL) is required. The season for grayling runs 1 June to 31 December, so late summer and autumn are the prime windows.
The Sauer River: Brown Trout and Chub
Where the Our joins the Sauer near Wallendorf, the combined river broadens into longer, deeper runs. Brown trout thrive in the upper Sauer above Diekirch, where the gradient remains brisk and water temperatures rarely exceed 18°C even in July. Below Diekirch the river slows, and chub, barbel, and bream move in alongside the remaining trout. The village of Echternach sits at the point where the Sauer meets the German border again, and the stretch around Berdorf produces some of the country's largest wild browns — fish exceeding 60 cm have been documented. Spinning with a small minnow lure is effective, but dry-fly and nymph anglers often outperform in clear conditions.
The Moselle: Pike-perch and Coarse Fishing
The Moselle defines Luxembourg's eastern border from Schengen north to Wasserbillig, where the Sauer joins it. This is a big, regulated river — channelled and navigable — and it fishes very differently from the highland streams to the north. Pike-perch (zander) are the headline species, with fish to 8 kg taken on jig-heads and soft plastics worked along the riprap banks. Bream shoals gather in the bays near Remich, and quality carp fishing is available almost anywhere along the 37-kilometre Luxembourg section. Night sessions near Stadtbredimus produce big carp, and the riverside infrastructure — lighting, parking, designated pegs — makes it accessible for visiting anglers.
Étangs de Clemency: Still-Water Coarse Fishing
The Étangs de Clemency near Bascharage in the south-west offer a network of purpose-dug lakes managed specifically for coarse fishing. Carp to 15 kg are present, alongside tench, rudd, and roach. The lakes are heavily stocked but also hold genuine wild fish that have colonised over the decades. Day-ticket access is available through the FSHL, and the surroundings are pleasant enough for a family outing. Fishing from marked pegs keeps pressure even across the water, and barbless hook rules apply on the main carp lake.
Pêcherie du Lac: Managed Trout Fishery
For those after a guaranteed fight, the Pêcherie du Lac near Lac de la Haute-Sûre in the Ardennes region offers a put-and-take trout operation stocked with rainbow trout averaging 1–2 kg. It is also an excellent location for younger anglers or beginners. The surrounding Haute-Sûre Natural Park provides scenic context, and the lake itself — the country's main reservoir — holds wild perch, pike, and roach in its main basin. While the reservoir is not a free-for-all fishery, specific zones permit bank angling with an FSHL permit.
Lac de la Haute-Sûre: Perch and Pike
The Haute-Sûre reservoir covers roughly 3.6 km² and is fed by the upper Sûre river system. Pike to 90 cm have been landed by local anglers working soft-plastic lures along the submerged tree lines near Insenborn. Perch school in the deeper central basin, and vertical jigging from a boat in 8–12 m of water produces bags of fish from May to October. Bank access is limited by steep terrain and dense forest, so a kayak or small boat is a significant advantage.
Étangs de Fischbach: Mixed Coarse Lakes
The Étangs de Fischbach in Luxembourg's Müllerthal region — sometimes called Little Switzerland — sit in a wooded valley and offer a quieter alternative to the Moselle. These spring-fed ponds hold carp, tench, and crucian carp and see far less pressure than the southern lakes. The Müllerthal trail passes nearby, so combined hiking and fishing weekends are popular with Belgian and Dutch visitors. The water is clear enough in low-flow conditions to spot fish, and stalking carp in the margins with floating bread is a realistic tactic.
The Alzette River: Urban Trout
The Alzette runs through Luxembourg City itself, and while the city stretch is too pressured for serious fishing, the upper river above Mersch holds a healthy wild trout population. The stretch from Mersch to Lintgen is particularly productive in April and May when upwing hatches trigger surface feeding. Access is straightforward from the cycle path that follows the river valley, and the pastoral scenery of the Alzette valley makes it one of the most photogenic trout streams in the Benelux region.
Regulations and Permits
Luxembourg's fishing is administered by the FSHL, which issues annual and day permits for various categories. Foreign anglers must carry proof of a home country fishing licence in addition to the Luxembourg permit. Trout fishing on the Our and Sauer requires a dedicated salmonid permit. Keep nets are banned on most salmonid waters, and electric fishing surveys are conducted annually to monitor populations. The minimum size for brown trout is 25 cm on most waters, 30 cm on the Our.
Best Seasons at a Glance
Trout and grayling fishing peaks from April through October, with July and August sometimes producing coloured water after Atlantic weather systems sweep in. The Moselle pike-perch fishing is year-round but particularly productive from September to March when zander move into shallower water to feed. Coarse fishing on the lakes is dependable from May to November, with the carp very active through the warm summer nights.
Explore on the map
Luxembourg may be small, but its rivers and lakes reward the explorer who takes the time to understand each water's character. Use our interactive map to locate the Our, Sauer, and Moselle access points, as well as the stillwater fisheries at Clemency and Fischbach. Browse Luxembourg on the map to plan your route through one of Europe's most underrated angling destinations.