Fly Fishing in Austria

"Fish On" at the Hintersee vic Mittersill

The Rules     License Requirements     Fly-Fishing Opportunities     Sure Bets    Fly Shops

Austria is probably one of the most picturesque places to fly fish in all of Europe. The Alps are a wonderful backdrop to a full day of fishing mountain lakes, Alpine streams, and wonderful rivers. From Grayling to Lake Trout to Pike, you can find it all in Austria. Not only that, the atmosphere and super local color and hospitality blend together to create lasting memories for years to come.

One of the biggest names in Austrian fly fishing is the Braurup Inn. Located in Mittersill, Austria the Braurup Inn has it all. Over 135 kilometers of rivers and streams, numerous Alpine lakes, a full service fully stocked fly shop, and more. Better yet, it is only an hour from Innsbruck. Read our trip report!

The Rules. There are really no public trout fishing waters in Austria. Public waters do not exist. Either an individual or group owns the fishing rights to every really good trout stream, river, lake, or pond.  There is good news in all this. In general your license is included in the daily, weekly, or monthly permit you have to purchase in order to fish. A general Austrian fishing license will cost up to 350 Austrian Shillings and can be purchased in conjunction with the permit in most cases. The daily permit can be obtained directly from the water rights holders. Rules on catch and release areas, seasons, and other area specific information are provided to you when you purchase you permit.  Trout season opens starting in mid-April and runs through October. Grayling season starts a little later in June, but runs through November.

License Requirements.  See above.   If you didn't catch it, your license may be included in the daily, weekly, or monthly fishing permit you have to purchase in order to fish a particular stretch of water. If not, you may have to purchase a separate license for a nominal fee ($ 30). Usually, this can be purchased at the same place and time you purchase your permit.

Finding Fly-Fishing Opportunities. Now, how do you find a place to fly fish in Austria? Permits may be obtained at fishing stores, city halls, hotels, and bed and breakfast operations that control the surrounding water. To find the locations of the "point of contact" you either need to talk to the Austrian tourist office, visit this www.fischwasser.com, or pick up a copy of "Fischen in Osterreich" which lists who, what, where and how of the major fish producing waters.

Many of the destinations in Austria require you to stay at their hotel in order to fish the better waters, but some will sell you a daily, weekly, or monthly pass. Local fishing stores can help you locate the water rights holders for other private waters not listed in the bulletin and assist you purchasing a permit to use the waters.

Fishing associations control most of the waters in Austria. The two biggest are the Austrian Fishing Association (ÖFG) and the Association of Austrian Workers' Fishing Clubs (VÖAFV). Both issue temporary permits for trout waters. A daily permit can cost up to 600 Austrian Shillings. More information can be obtained directly from the association.    The addresses of the main fishing associations are:

    Österreichische Fischereigesellschaft
    Elisabethstrasse 22
    1010 Wien 1 (Austria)

    Verband der Österreichischen Arbeiter-Fischerei-Vereine,
    Lenaugasse, 14
    A-1080 Wien (Austria)
    PHONE: 0222 403 21 76 403 97 54 / FAX: 403 21 76/20;

    Fischereiverband Oberosterreich    
    Karntnerstrasse 12
    4021, Linz (Austria)

    Oo Fischerbund
    Ziegelstrasse 78
    4021 Linz (Austria)

Some Sure Bets. As you may have guessed from the start, we are big fans of the Braurup Inn in Mittersill. Combine the total amount of water with the full service fly fishing hotel and you have a great combination. Toss in a full service campground and some remote and rugged Alpine lakes and you have all the conditions set for a fantastic fly fishing experience. Did I mention that the Braurup Inn enforces a strict catch and release policy? In my mind that only adds to the overall appeal since I know there will be fish there whenever I decide to go. You can contact the Inn at braurup@mittersill.at or braurup@ping.at via email or by writing:

Another good all around spot is in the town Leutasch-Triol.  With 35 kilometers of river and one fair size lake make this a great fishing destination for the rainbow and brown trout fly fisher. Grayling can also be caught here. With easy access from Germany (Munich), this destination is real convenient to the European traveler who wants to take a shot at fishing both Germany and Austria during the same trip. Hotel accommodations are available. Contact:

Aparthotel Xander
Ansprechpartner:  Dir Theresia Fender
Kirchplatzl 147
A-6105 Leutasch-Triol (Austria)

The final place I would like to mention is in the town of Kotschach near the Italian border south of Lienz.  The family Klauss-Lanzer has 25 kilometers of rivers and streams and two good size lakes support a good population of brown, brook, and rainbow trout, and grayling. Take your pick. Contact:

Famalie Klauss-Lanzer
A-9640 Kotschach 66 (Austria)

"Fischen in Osterriech" has well over thirty locations listed with prices and seasons for each. Its in Austrian, but easy relatively easy to figure. Remember these aren’t the only places you can fish. The adventurous fly fisher can find less well known waters throughout Austria. A little legwork, a trip to the local tourist office, and some dedicated single mindedness can put you in some of the most remote fly fishing waters in Austria.

Fly and Fishing Shops. They are everywhere! The Brarrup Inn has a fantastic shop with all the bells and whistles. Most of the other destinations listed in "Fischen in Osterriech" have something similar, and almost every big town will have some type of fishing store. I would still recommend bringing everything you think you will need since the prices may scare you.

Back to CyberTrout.Com

Copyright © 1997 CyberTrout.Com. All rights reserved.
Revised: July 19, 2005.