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The territory of the Leningrad region, with the exception of the southeastern part, belongs to the Baltic Sea basin and has a very developed network of rivers stretching for 50 thousand km. The largest, longest and most significant rivers in terms of basin area include:
- Meadows;
- A plus;
- Oyat;
- Syas;
- Pasha;
- Volkhov;
- Play;
- Device;
- Vuoxa;
- Tosna;
- Ohta;
- Neva.
The number of lakes, equal to 1800, is also impressive, including the largest lake in Europe – Ladoga. The largest and deepest lakes include:
- Ladoga;
- Onega;
- Vuoxa;
- Otradnoe;
- Sukhodolsk;
- Vialier;
- Samro;
- deep;
- Komsomolskoye;
- Balakhanovskoye;
- Cheremenets;
- Bustling;
- Kavgolovskoe.
Thanks to the hydrography of the Leningrad Region, which consists of 25 rivers and 40 lakes, favorable conditions have developed for fishing. In order to make it easier for the reader to choose a fishing spot, we have prepared a rating of the best, free and paid places for fishing and recreation.
TOP 5 best free fishing spots in the Leningrad region
The Gulf of Finland
Photo: www.funart.pro
Many anglers in St. Petersburg and the region prefer not to move away from their own fishing spots, but fish in closely spaced areas, such a place popular among local fishermen is the Gulf of Finland. Bay with an area of 29,5 thousand km2 and a length of 420 km with a large influx of water from the rivers flowing into it, more like a freshwater lake than a bay.
It is clear that with such an area of the bay, it is difficult to navigate independently in choosing a location for fishing, so we decided to publish a list of promising places in the Gulf of Finland:
- A dam between the mainland and Kotlin Island.
Thanks to the convenient access for your own transport and the availability of a fixed-route taxi, you can easily get to the designated location. Due to the weak current and flat bottom, comfortable conditions for fishing have developed, the depth in this part of the bay does not exceed 11 m. In the warm season, for fishing, they use float tackle, feeder. Most of the catch is made up of roach, silver bream, and bream. In winter, smelt is caught.
- South coast areas.
In the winter-spring period, in the area of populated areas – Vistino, Staroe Garkolovo, Lipovo, far from the coast, smelt is successfully caught.
- Northern coast areas.
Privetninskoe, Sands, Zelenaya Grove located on the northern coast of the bay, in the summer months are considered the most successful for catching: bream, pike perch, sabrefish.
GPS coordinates: 60.049444463796874, 26.234154548770242
Ladoga lake
Photo: www.funart.pro
The largest lake in Europe cannot but attract anglers with the prospect of its places, and with a length of 219 km and a width of 125 km, there is where to “roam around”, the only obstacle may be areas with depths from 47 to 230 m. The most suitable places for fishing are numerous islands, most of which are located in the northern part of the lake. The lake is the source of the Neva River, but at the same time it has more than 50 mouths of the rivers, the largest of which are Vuoksa, Syas, Svir, Volkhov, Naziia.
Lake Ladoga is divided by the border between the Republic of Karelia and the Leningrad Region. Karelia owns a little more than 1/3 of the area of the lake washing the north-eastern part of the coast. The southwestern part of the reservoir belongs to the Leningrad region, in which the ichthyofauna includes more than 60 species of fish, many of which are subject to industrial fishing – whitefish, pike perch, smelt, ripus, vendace. Amateur anglers “hunt” on the lake for trophy pike, burbot, and bream. The mouths of the rivers flowing into the lake become a spawning ground for salmon and trout.
GPS coordinates: 60.57181560420089, 31.496605724079465
Narva reservoir
Photo: www.fotokto.ru
Fishing on the reservoir is associated with minor difficulties, since in order to get to the coastline it is necessary to issue a pass to the border zone, such circumstances have arisen due to the location of the reservoir in the border zone of Russia and Estonia.
On the shore of the reservoir you will not meet random people, almost all anglers come here to catch trophy pike and zander. Large individuals of a predator live in the area of the old channel, it is there that the greatest depth reaches 17 meters, in the rest of the reservoir the depth does not exceed 5 m.
In the area of shallows and areas with shallow depths located on the eastern coast, they catch grayling, bream, burbot, eel, chub, asp, roach. For fishing on the rest of the reservoir, you will need a watercraft, it is not necessary to bring it with you, there are enough places on the shore where you can rent a boat for a moderate fee.
GPS coordinates: 59.29940693707076, 28.193243089072563
Grasslands
Photo: www.wikiwand.com
The Luga River got its name from the Estonian words laugas, laug, which means shallow, swamp or simply a puddle. The source of the river is located in the Tesovskie swamps, which are located on the territory of the Novgorod region, and the mouth is located at a distance of 353 km from the source in the Luga Bay of the Gulf of Finland. In the water area of the river there is a shipping port called Ust-Luga.
The river is fed by snowmelt, but to a greater extent by 32 tributaries, the largest of which are:
- long;
- Vruda;
- Saba;
- Lemovzha;
- Lizard;
- Device.
The bottom of the river is mostly sandy, this is a section of about 120 km, the rest of the river with a bottom of limestone slabs that form rapids. At the intersection of the moraine heights, the Kingisepp and Saba rapids were formed. The river is not deep, the average depth is not more than 3 m, and the deepest sections do not exceed 13 m.
Thanks to numerous rifts and rapids, the river is the most popular among fly-fishing enthusiasts; grayling has become the main fishing target for fly-fishers.
Fans of feeder fishing prefer to catch tench, crucian carp, syrt, ide and roach, and for spinning anglers there is a great opportunity to catch a good specimen of pike or zander. In the last two months of autumn, salmon enter the river from the Gulf of Finland to spawn.
The most promising places for fishing are considered to be sections of the river near settlements: Maly and Bolshoi Sabsk, Klenno, Lesobirzha, Kingisepp, Luga, Tolmachevo.
GPS coordinates: 59.100404619094896, 29.23748612159755
Lake Vysokinskoe
Photo: www.tourister.ru
Small by local standards, a body of water in the Vyborgsky district, surrounded by coniferous forest to the coastline, stretches from north to south for 6 km, the widest part of the lake is 2 km. The lake got its name due to its upper location relative to the Gulf of Finland. In addition to the forest, the lake is surrounded by an area with swamps and swamps.
The bottom of the lake is sandy, but in the adjacent territory to Cape Kamariny, a stone ridge has formed. Despite being surrounded by forests, the lake is constantly pierced by strong air currents; due to strong winds in winter, frost is more difficult to bear, so it’s better not to go out on the ice without a winter suit.
Fishermen of the Primorsky district come to the lake not only to fish, but also to relax with their families or large companies, the lack of settlements in the vicinity contributed to the emergence of spontaneous tent camps. Few people can boast of special trophies having been on the lake, but a stable bite is provided.
The largest population in the lake was received by: perch, bream, pike, roach, less common whitefish, pike perch, burbot. The best area for fishing is considered to be near the mouth of the Senokosnaya River.
GPS coordinates: 60.30830834544502, 28.878861893385338
TOP-5 best paid places for fishing in the Leningrad region
Lake Monetka, recreation center “Fishing farm”
Since 2005, paid fishing has been introduced on the lake, the most common fish is carp. The deepest areas with a sandy bottom and silt deposits are located relative to the left bank and the central part of the lake, these are depths from 5 m to 7 m.
The lake is surrounded by a picturesque pine forest, but the vegetation on the shore does not interfere with fishing from it, as the shore is equipped with platforms and gazebos where you can hide from rain and sun. It is possible to rent a boat, with which you can find a suitable site on the lake with an area of just over 8 hectares.
In addition to trophy carp, and here there are specimens over 12 kg, you can catch grass carp, trout, sturgeon, perch, roach, crucian carp and pike. Trout begins to be caught intensively with the onset of autumn coolness and a decrease in water temperature. Less often in the by-catch comes bream, catfish, whitefish, tench.
GPS coordinates: 60.78625042950546, 31.43234338597931
GREENVALD Fishing
The location is well suited for recreation, both for a large company of anglers and for a family with a fishing rod in their hands. Before leaving home, you will be offered to smoke the catch, the main place in which is occupied by trout.
The shore of a picturesque lake is located 29 km from the highway, the entrances to the reservoir are ennobled, however, as well as the territory of the base. Developed infrastructure, picturesque places surrounding the lake with a pine forest, cozy guest houses in the Scandinavian style, all this will ensure a comfortable and relaxing stay.
Holiday houses are designed for 2 to 4 people, the house is equipped with a terrace overlooking the lake and access to the shore, the house is equipped with a kitchen with related equipment, Internet and TV communications. Every morning, caring staff is ready to serve breakfast to all vacationers at the base (breakfasts are included in the accommodation).
In the evening, a panoramic grill bar is at your service, during the day, a wood-fired sauna is open for tired anglers. On the territory of the base there is a fishing shop and a museum of fishing tackle.
GPS coordinates: 60.28646629913431, 29.747560457671447
“Lepsari”
Three ponds at a distance of 300 m from the river of the same name Lepsari, located in a picturesque area, have become reservoirs for residents of the region who want to spend their free time with a fishing rod in their hands and with comfortable conditions.
The lake has a large population of carp, grass carp, trout, tench, catfish, crucian carp, silver carp and carp. The ponds are located at a distance of 22 km from St. Petersburg, there are convenient entrances to the territory of the base, parking.
The owners of the base, prudently organized, rent gear, boats, barbecues, camping equipment, as well as the sale of bait and bait. Approaches to the water are equipped with wooden platforms, at the beginning of which guest cottages and summer pavilions were erected.
All three reservoirs were stocked twice in the last two years with carp, trout, silver carp, and one of them was stocked with royal tench. In addition to the listed species of fish, in the reservoirs live: crucian carp, pike, mirror carp, grass carp, catfish.
GPS coordinates: 60.1281853000636, 30.80714117531522
“Fish Ponds”
Fish ponds are located at a small distance from the rural settlement of Ropsha, reservoirs serve as objects of sports and amateur fishing for pike, carp, and trout. On the shores of reservoirs, new complexes for recreation and tourism were built. The territory of 6 ponds has been landscaped, cottages with a barbecue area, a RestoBar with an updated menu and home cooking have been built.
On the territory of the base there is a playground, a closed gazebo with barbecue facilities and a barbecue. For beginners, instructor assistance and free training in the basics of fishing is provided. For an additional nominal fee, the base chefs will process the catch and smoke it for you.
Fishing is allowed only from the shore, but due to the constant stocking, this does not affect the intensity of the bite. There is also a flexible system of tariffs in 4 types:
- “I didn’t catch it – I took it”
Tariff for beginners who come for a short period of time. Even in the absence of a catch, for a tariff fee you will be supplied with fish.
- Pyaterochka
Tariff for experienced anglers, provides for the capture of 5 kg of trout.
- “Caught and released”
It does not provide for payment of the catch, suitable for lovers of experiments with baits and gear.
- “Caught-took”
The tariff for those wishing to fish with the whole family provides for the participation of 3-4 people, the catch must be paid separately.
GPS coordinates: 59.73988966301598, 29.88049995406243
Blacksmiths
Photo: www.rybalkaspb.ru
If your goal is a large number of fish and outdoor recreation, then you need to come to Kovashi. An artificial reservoir created specifically for growing fish and recreation for anglers. The entire 3-kilometer perimeter of the reservoir is equipped with wooden platforms to the water.
The paid reservoir “Fishing in Kovashi” is located in a picturesque place near Sosnovy Bor. Most of the reservoir is deep-water, with a sandy bottom. In the reservoir, they mainly catch crucian carp, medium-sized carp, pike and perch. The main advantage of this location compared to the previous ones in our rating is the low fee.
GPS coordinates: 59.895016772430175, 29.236388858602268
Terms of the spawning ban on fishing in the Leningrad region in 2021
Areas prohibited for harvesting (catching) aquatic biological resources:
in the adventitious lakes of the Vuoksa lake-river system: Shallow, Lugovoe, Bolshoi and Maloye Rakovoe, Volochaevskoe, in the rivers and channels connecting these lakes with the Vuoksa River;
the Narva river – from the dam of the Narva hydroelectric power station to the highway bridge.
Terms (periods) prohibited for harvesting (catching) aquatic biological resources:
from the breakup of ice until June 15 – bream, pike perch and pike;
from September 1 to freezing in lakes Otradnoe, Glubokoe, Vysokinskoe – whitefish and vendace (ripus);
from March 1 to July 31 in the rivers flowing into the Gulf of Finland, with the exception of the Narva River, lampreys;
from March 1 to June 30 in the Narva River – lampreys;
from June 1 to December 31 with fixed nets (except for catching Atlantic salmon (salmon) for aquaculture (fish farming) in the Narva River).
Prohibited for production (catch) types of aquatic biological resources:
Atlantic sturgeon, Atlantic salmon (salmon) and brown trout (trout) in all rivers (with tributaries) flowing into Lake Ladoga and the Gulf of Finland, including pre-estuary spaces, at a distance of 1 km or less in both directions and deep into the lake or bay (with the exception of extraction (catch) of aquatic biological resources for the purposes of aquaculture (fish farming)); whitefish in the Volkhov and Svir rivers, in the Vuoksa lake-river system.
Based on materials: http://docs.cntd.ru/document/420233776