Try out the Club

Unlock the fishing spots of Portsmouth, weather forecasts and many other services with the Premium Club.

10-day free trial

Nouveau : FishAndYou, l'appli des concours de pêche

Avec FishAndYou, vous pouvez créer votre propre concours de pêche, et gagner de l'argent.

Créer mon concours de pêche

Discover everything to fish in Portsmouth

Find the best moment to go fishing in Portsmouth, the most caught species, the techniques used, go fish with anglers nearby, find a fishing charter or guide, save your spots and discover new ones.

Go for it!

N°1 | The Weever fish

The Weever fish belongs to the Trachinidae family. The Weever fish form a family of perciform marine fish, the Trachinidae, which includes nine species. Their sizes vary from 15 cm to more than 50 cm depending on the species. The Nine species are: The Lesser weever, the Spotted weever, the Guinean weever, the Sailfin weever, the Trachinus cornutus, the Greater weever, the Striped weever, the Cape Verde weever and the Starry weever. It can be fished during the hot seasons. The Weever fish can be classified into two categories, on the one hand the small Vive which measures less than 15 cm, and the large Vive, measuring on average 2 to 30 cm and can reach 50 cm in length. The large weever differs from the small one in that it has four thorns in its orbits. The weever is always dangerous, in that it is endowed with erectile spines are the bite is very toxic, which can have long-term consequences in humans. The weever is yellow on the back, with a whitish belly and yellow or brown streaks. Accidents are much more frequent since the weever is often buried in the sand, so the risk is greater, as you may step on it and get stung.

Fishing period : during hot season

Minimum size : no restriction

Difficulty :

N°2 | The Turbot Fish

The turbot fish belongs to the Scophthalmidae family. When mature, the average size of the turbot is 30 to 60 cm. In general, males are smaller (35 cm) than females (42 cm). Some individuals can reach a maximum height of 1 m. An adult turbot weighs an average of 6 kg. Exceptionally, some specimens can weigh up to 25 kg. This fish has a long lifespan, the male can live up to 20 years while the female, up to 25 years The breeding period is between February and April. The female can lay up to 3 million eggs. Turbot is caught from January to May. The Turbot is a flatfish, left-handed or senestral, i.e. it rests on its right side (bottom side, blind) and has its left side facing upwards (top side). The origin of the dorsal fin is in front of the eye and its first rays are unbranched. The upper surface is covered with scattered bone tubers (transformed scales). This feature gives it its common name of studded. The eyes are relatively far apart (the distance between them is greater than the diameter of one eye). The lateral line is very curved at the pectoral fin. Like most flatfish, the livery is of variable color, in homochrome with the bottom. It can have many round white to black spots.

Fishing period : January to May

Minimum size : 30 cm

Difficulty :

N°3 | The John Dory Fish

The John Dory fish belongs to the Zeidae family. It measures 30 to 50 cm on average and can reach a maximum weight of 8 kg. It can live up to 12 years. This fish is caught all year round but more easily from April to July. This fish has a high body and very strongly compressed laterally. Its head and the base of its fins carry thorns and bone ridges. The filaments carried by the dorsal fin are very long in juveniles and gradually regress until the animal reaches its adult size. Its eyes are high and his protractile mouth is widely split. An arched lateral line can be seen above the pectoral fins. Its color varies from grey-green with silvery to golden yellow reflections, often marked by longitudinal mottling. A large black eye patch surrounded by grey adorns the middle of each flank.

Fishing period : all year

Minimum size : no restriction

Difficulty :

N°4 | The Bull Huss

The Bull Huss belongs to the Scyliorhinidae family. Small in size, they usually measure 60 to 80 cm, although there are larger ones, since they can reach 1.5 m in the Mediterranean and 2 m in the Atlantic. This fish can live for 75 years. It spawns a hundred eggs all year round, especially in the late winter and in July. It is abundant every day of the year. This fish is not really active but still is hard to catch. The upper part of the Bull Huss is light brown in color, covered with small dark brown spots. Because of this pattern of spots, it is also called spotted cat shark. The part of the flank is white and grey. The mouth and nose holes are below his obtuse head. The particularity of the Bull Huss is that its nostrils are linked to the mouth by a curved line.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : 58 cm

Difficulty :

N°5 | The Flounder Fish

The Flounder Fish belongs to the Pleuronectidae family. It usually reaches a size of 50 cm; the maximum observed size is 60 cm for a weight of 1.5 kg. The maximum lifespan is estimated at 15 years. It reproduces in early spring. The female can lay up to 2 million eggs. The best time to fish it is in spring and autumn. The Flounder fish is a flatfish of general losanitary appearance, taking into account the triangular shape of the head and dorsal and anal fins. Both eyes are on the same side of the head, on the right side, for about 2/3 of the individuals. The mouth is small and terminal, with a slightly tapered snout. The oral commissure is located on the same line as the center of the eye. The lateral line barely curves towards the dorsal edge at the pectoral fins. It has a row of tubers in its front part. Similarly, the base of the dorsal and anal fins is highlighted by a line of tubers, which are clearly palpable. The anal fin has 35 to 46 soft rays. The oculate side has a variable coloring, from olive green to reddish brown, or grey, enhanced by dark green mottling, with small, dull and few orange spots. This helps to give it a "dirty" appearance. The blind side is white.

Fishing period : Spring and Autumn

Minimum size : 25 cm

Difficulty :

N°6 | The Gurnard Fish

The Gurnard Fish belongs to the Triglidae family. their sizes vary from 250g to 1 kg. The maximum size recorded is 6 kg. The maximum age that was reached and measured in this fish was 15 years. It is fished in August in April. The gurnard can be identified by the way he moves on the bottom using the first 3 rays of his pectoral fins transformed into locomotor appendages allowing him to "walk" on the seabed. The longest rays of the pectoral fin reach the beginning of the anal fin. This fin, when the individual begins to swim, shows its underside decorated with a bright blue border. It may also have a fairly central black area with blue spots. The bluish coloration of the pectoral fades with age. This fish has two distinct ridges, the first of which is quite short. With a maximum height of 75 cm, but usually not exceeding fifty centimeters, it is the largest representative of the family. Its maximum referenced weight is 6 kg. As with other gurnards, the head is massive and armored. It has a snout extending far forward and ending in a curvature or a slight indentation. The spines on the lids and pre-lids are quite short. The general color varies from grey to reddish to brown with varying degrees of dark spots. Her belly is white. Small scales give it a very smooth looking integument. The lateral line, which is similar in color to that of the body, shows only a slight relief.

Fishing period : from August to April

Minimum size : 200 g

Difficulty :

N°7 | The Monkfish

The Monkfish belongs to the Lophiidae Family. The height, in adults, is between 70 and 200 cm. The weight of large individuals is around 40 kg, with a maximum of 58 kg recorded. The longevity is about twenty years. It breeds in winter. The female can lay millions of eggs at once. It is fished in abundance from December to March. With its enormous head (it constitutes 60% of the animal's weight), its widely split mouth and highly developed pectoral fins, anglerfish cannot be confused with any other fish. The body has a round section at the level of the tail, flattened towards the head. The first three rays of the dorsal fin are placed very far forward; the first, located in front of the eyes, carries a flap of bifid skin that the animal uses as bait. The skin is smooth, flake-free and slightly viscous. A row of branched appendages, more developed around the head, borders the median part of the body. The gill holes in the highest position are protected by two bony caps inserted under the skin. The teeth are strong, pointed and curved backwards. The general color is a light brown marbled with darker areas, which may vary according to the environment. Despite their large size, anglerfish are quite good at camouflage.

Fishing period : in winter

Minimum size : 50 cm

Difficulty :

N°8 | The Sting Ray fish

The Sting Ray fish belongs to the Dasyatidae family. The total length of this line is generally greater than 1 m, with a weight of 15 to 20 kg. The maximum known length is 2.50 m. The maximum lifespan is 20 years. Breeding usually takes place in summer. The female gives birth to 4 to 9 young. It can be fished all year round. The body of the sting ray is flattened, diamond-shaped, pointed at the front, with large pectoral fins: it is as wide as it is long. The tail, representing 60% of the total length, looks like a whip and, at one third of its base, it has a serrated spine, connected to venomous glands under the skin. The dorsal surface is bluish grey or reddish-grey in color, sometimes with white spots. This back is smooth, without tubers. The ventral side is clear. The sting ray has no dorsal fin or caudal fin and its pelvic fins are very small. The eyes are located on the dorsal surface while the mouth, nostrils and gill slits (five slits on each side) are on the ventral surface. The eyes are prominent, which gives him a very wide field of vision. Next to the eyes, an inhalant valve, called a spiracle, carries water into the gills. The mouth is located quite far back. Teeth are numerous and small, pointed in males and molar-shaped in females. The tail acts as a simple rudder and is not used for movement. It is done by the large pectoral fins, by beating. These fins are also used for burying in sand.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : 36 cm

Difficulty :

N°9 | The Haddock fish

The Haddock fish belongs to the Gadidae family. The average size of haddock is 30 to 50 cm. It can measure up to 1.20 m and weigh up to 14 Kg and can live until the age of 20 years. It reproduces in spring. The female can respond to up to 3,000,000 eggs. This fish can be caught all year round outside of spawning periods. Like all coastal fish of which it is a part, haddock has three dorsal fins and two anal fins. Its body is more or less dark, crossed by a black lateral line and characterized by its silvery reflections. Its belly has a lighter shade on its back, it can be olive green and sometimes black. Two distinctive features for this fish: the black spot at the base of its pectoral fin and a small barbel on its lower jaw.

Fishing period : July to February

Minimum size : 30 cm

Difficulty :

N°10 | The Pouting fish

The Pouting fish belongs to the Gadidae Family. Its longevity is short: 4 years for a maximum size of 45 cm and a weight of about 1kg. Breeding takes place in March-April and is fished all year round. This small fish, generally 20/30 cm, rarely 45 cm, has an oval body, flattened laterally. Beige/pinkish white, slightly coppery, it can, especially when it is close to a poorly lit area (cave, wreck), have four to five wide dark vertical stripes. These bands may be absent in sunlight or on dead fish. The lower jaw is slightly set back, giving the pouting fish a characteristic profile with a small "nose". The eye is quite large, and a barbell is clearly visible under the "chin". The pouting fish has, like other Gadidae, three dorsal fins and two anal fins. A black spot is clearly visible at the base of the pectoral muscles.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : 25 cm

Difficulty :

7.6

10 am

Take out your rods! The fishes are here.

High

Medium

Low

The best moment to go fishing!

The fishing forecast allows you to forecast your fishing trips and always go at the right time to the right place!

How it works

This is a score of 1 to 10 calculated city by city according to some forty criteria affecting fishing: moon, weather conditions, atmospheric pressure, sunrise / sunset. sun, tides, swell etc .