In the past nearly 30 years, Denmark has taken extensive measures to protect the environment. As early as 1973, an act for the protection of the environment came into effect. This was the first of its kind in the world and has since been continually supplemented by further, successful measures to safeguard the country’s natural beauty.

Breathing new life into the waterways

Many estuaries with salmon, trout and grayling populations have been saved, pollution by nutrient salts has been significantly reduced, and the ecological balance of a large number of lakes and waterways has been restored. One of the benefits is that anglers can now enjoy countless newly formed lakes and many more miles of waterways, as many of these have been restored to their original courses.

Anyone who knows Denmark will be familiar with the West Coast of Jutland – whether it conjures up memories of bathers in the hot summer months or anglers at nippier times of year. In winter, sizeable cod can be landed directly on the beaches, while flatfish are best caught in spring and autumn – without forgetting the early-summer garfish and late-summer mackerel. The mackerel in particular can provide world-class fishing thrills when they have spent a few balmy days in August hunting down schools of panic-stricken sprats in between the groynes!

Put to sea on a cutter

For all-out action, try boarding one of the big cutters that on a daily basis sail dedicated deep-sea anglers to do battle with the giant fish on Det Gule Rev. Fishing for guys/gals with the guts and real sea-legs!

Limfjorden separates North Jutland from the rest of the continent – and does so exquisitely. Only a few places in the world can boast of so many and so varied fishing grounds as this salty fjord, which offers more spits, promontories and points than any angler could ever finish fishing at in a single lifetime. Fishing here is mainly for sea trout in spring and autumn and early-summer garfish.

Jutland is also the mainland that contains all the great waterways, and the length of the West Coast features the classic angling rivers of Vidå, Brede Å, Ribe Å, Kongeå, Varde Å, Skjern Å and Storå – all of which offer splendid opportunities to take on the salmon, sea trout and grayling. All these waterways are open to visiting anglers.

Lakeside angling in Jutland

If you prefer lakes and freshwater fishing you will not have to drive far – simply head for Søhøjlandet, which offers Denmark’s highest concentration of small and great lakes, all of which are united by the country’s longest watercourse, Gudenåen. Lakeside angling here is for pike, perch and zander as well as non-predatory fish in huge quantities.

For those more inclined towards saltwater and “silverfare”, the best bet would be a trip to the long East Coast of Jutland. At certain times of the year these waters are positively teeming with silvery sea trout. Spring and summer are high season for this fishing, which is actually possible almost all year round for those willing to track the fish migrations. Sea trout head southwards as soon as it gets cold – or swim inland to spend the winter in the brackish waters of the fjords.

Jutlandish classics

Mariager Fjord, Djursland, Århus Bugt, Vejle Fjord as well as Åbenrå Fjord and Als – are all classic locations for Danish sea trout fishing.

The same goes for Funen, which with its location in the middle of the Kingdom of Denmark offers some of the country’s best sea trout coastal fishing, in quantities ensured by million-kroner investments in clean hydro-ecology and intensive breeding programmes.

Fat-bellied cod

But Funen has more to offer beyond the silvery sea trout. Funen is also about the fat-bellied cod in weight categories to make even old salts catch their breath. The plentiful, but usually somewhat smaller cod in the Little Belt are renowned – as are those of the Great Belt. The welterweights, however, are found in the Langeland Belt.

The Sealand cod caught every winter in the Sound between Denmark and Sweden are the real heavyweights, however. Here a catch will regularly include fish of 10kg plus – with the odd annual specimen weighing in at 20kg.

Lake fishing

Apart from some of the country’s largest cod, Sealand also boasts a proud tradition for lake fishing. The best-known lakes include Furesøen and Esrum Sø, the pitches for more than a lifetime of intensive angling competitions – with record pike, perch and zanders to show for it. Finally, we must not forget Isefjorden in Sealand, which has some of the best sea trout waters – just a few kilometres from the Capital. For those wishing to get away from the city, the entire West Sealand coast provides excellent fishing for large, silvery sea trout.

Bornholm is the rocky island of Denmark. Set out in the middle of the brackish waters of the Baltic, Bornholm provides near-perfect conditions for the local wild sea trout for much of the year – and a fisheries industry famous and cherished for years. Of far more recent date is the salmon fishery, which was not discovered and pursued until the last decade, when record catches landed Baltic salmon weighing more than 20kg.

The Danish Directorate of Fisheries
Anglers Place