Getting Started
Fishing in Cyprus: everything you need to get started
Fishing.com.cy · 9 min read · Published · Updated
Cyprus is an unusually generous island for anglers. Deep water sits close to the shore over most of the coast, the season never really closes, and you can fish light rock marks at dawn and drop jigs over 80 m of water the same afternoon. This guide covers the practical parts: where to go, what swims there, what tackle actually copes with the ground, and what changes through the year.
What makes Cyprus fishing different
The island's coastline is mostly limestone and volcanic rock, with sandy bays in between. That means depth arrives quickly. In several places along the south and east coasts you can stand on dry rock and cast a 40 g metal over 15–20 m of water, which is why shore jigging took hold here far more than in most of the Mediterranean.
The second difference is water clarity. Cyprus water is clear, so fish get a very good look at your leader, your knot and your lure action. Anglers who scale down leader diameter and fish first and last light generally out-fish those who don't.
Third, there is no genuine winter shutdown. The fishing changes character rather than stopping — the pelagic action slows and the bream, sea bass and squid fishing gets better.
The main ways people fish here
Most anglers on the island settle into one or two of these styles rather than trying all of them.
- Shore jigging — casting metal jigs from rock marks for amberjack, bonito, barracuda and bluefish.
- Spinning — lighter lure fishing from shore or boat, usually with plugs and soft plastics.
- Eging (squid fishing) — egi jigs worked over weed and mixed ground, mostly at night.
- Rock fishing / bottom fishing — bait presented on rigs for bream, grouper and sea bass.
- Boat jigging and slow pitch — vertical jigging over marks in 40–120 m.
- Trolling — covering ground for tuna, dorado and wahoo further offshore.
Tackle that copes with Cyprus ground
The single most common mistake is under-gunning the leader. Fish hooked over limestone run straight back into it, and abrasion — not breaking strain — is what loses fish here.
For a first all-round shore setup, a 3.0–3.3 m rod rated around 30–80 g, a 4000–5000 size reel, PE1.5–PE2 braid and a 30–40 lb fluorocarbon leader will handle the large majority of what you hook from the rocks.
- Rod: 3.0–3.3 m, 30–80 g casting weight for general shore work
- Reel: 4000–5000 size, sealed or at least well rinsed after every session
- Braid: PE1.5–PE2 for shore jigging, PE0.6–PE0.8 for light game
- Leader: 30–40 lb fluorocarbon, and longer than you think over rock
- Non-negotiables: pliers, a headtorch, grippy footwear and a rinse bottle
The Cyprus fishing year, roughly
Treat this as a pattern rather than a promise — conditions shift the timings by weeks either way.
- March–May: water warms, bonito and barracuda show, squid still catchable early in the period.
- June–August: best pelagic period. Fish first light and after dark; middle of the day is unproductive and unpleasant.
- September–November: the strongest all-round months. Amberjack, dentex and bonito plus the return of good squid fishing.
- December–February: bream, sea bass and squid fishing come into their own. Lighter tackle, longer sessions, fewer people.
Licences and common-sense rules
Recreational fishing in Cyprus is regulated by the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research (DFMR). Licence requirements, minimum sizes, protected species and spearfishing rules are all set by them, and they change from time to time — check the current position with DFMR before you fish rather than relying on what someone told you at the harbour.
Beyond the legal side: marine protected areas, harbour restrictions and private beach access are all things worth checking locally. Take your line home with you — discarded braid is the single most visible problem on Cyprus marks.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a licence to fish from the shore in Cyprus?
- Recreational fishing is regulated by the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research. Requirements differ between shore fishing, boat fishing and spearfishing, and they are updated periodically, so confirm the current rules with DFMR before your first session.
- What is the best time of year to fish in Cyprus?
- September to November is generally the strongest all-round period, combining warm water pelagic action with the return of good squid fishing. Summer is excellent but effectively limited to dawn, dusk and night.
- Can you fish all year round in Cyprus?
- Yes. The fishing changes character rather than stopping — winter shifts the focus towards bream, sea bass and squid on lighter tackle.
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