Category: Lakes

Why write about the title of this post? I have thought about it a lot and the truth is that I would have loved to read something like this before coming to Extremadura for the first time. I think it can be extremely useful for you, whether you have never come to Extremadura to fish, or if you fish occasionally. 20 years ago, I had the great fortune to meet the great Manute, who helped me a lot, both in fishing in Extremadura and in black bass fishing in general. But if you don’t have someone like him in your life, I hope this will at least serve you as a start.

Why fishing in Extremadura?

Extremadura is one of the richest communities in Europe in terms of biodiversity and of course also in terms of fishing for predators. In a community not too rainy, in its day it was decided to make a large number of artificial lakes, several of them really extensive. It is currently the region with the with the largest reservoir capacity in the country. If we put in the shaker these reservoirs with a fairly warm climate, with mild winters and generally high quality water …. The result cannot be other than what it is: top lakes where you can spend the day of your life.

For me there is a really important part that not everyone values and that is being able to fish in really privileged environments. Areas with a fairly low human density, a high degree of conservation and a large number of endangered species. Not everyone can fish while the Spanish Imperial eagle or the Black stork flies over them and for me this gives fishing another dimension. A day spent fishing in Extremadura can be a success even without catching a single fish.

And for wildlife lovers, birds are not the only animals with which we can enjoy. If you come during the rutting season you can enjoy it from a boat, something that very few have had the privilege of enjoying. If you want to do it, I recommend you to consult TopBirding. The deer, fallow deer and other ungulates are used to the fishing boats and are hardly bothered when they appear. And finally, if you are very lucky you might even see the rare Iberian Lynx, especially in the reservoirs of Hornachos and Valdecañas.

Top lakes

But besides all this, there is a very good fishing density, both in quality and quantity. It may not be at its best right now, there are other destinations with a higher density of fish… But in the end these destinations do not have the conditions that Extremadura has to have been, to be right now and to be in the future a paradisiacal environment for sport fishing lovers.

In its day were Cíjara, Alange or La Serena. Alqueva also had its moments of glory and is resurging… In Horno Tejero real records were and are still being caught, Sierra Brava will always be one of the reference reservoirs in predator fishing… Orellana and García Sola do not need a letter of introduction. Alcántara is a spectacle for fishing all types of predators… In my humble opinion it is perhaps right now the best reservoir in Spain for predator fishing in general. Not to mention small reservoirs and countless ponds that I don’t want to reveal here. If you really feel like fishing in Extremadura, keep reading because from now on the heavy artillery is coming.

What do I need for fishing in Extremadura?

First of all, the fishing license. A license really economical that will allow you to enjoy fishing an infinity of species. Here we are strong advocates of catch and release, so I am not going to talk about quotas or minimum sizes… Extremadura is also included among the communities in which you will be able to fish with the inter-regional license.

Secondly, if you want to fish by float tube, kayak or pontoon you have to take into account the following:

• In the Guadiana basin you do not need a navigation license, as long as your boat measures less than 2.50 m. (unless you want to do it with a motor).
• In the waters of the Tagus basin you do need a navigation permit, which must be requested more than 2 months in advance.
• On this website you will find everything related to navigation limits: both for Tajo and Guadiana, times when it is restricted in certain stretches for breeding birds, etc.

Thirdly, the desire to come. Here you will be able to enjoy an infinity of species and modalities. You can fly fish for trout or spinning in the rivers of the north of Cáceres. Also  you can do fly fishing for cyprinids in almost any body of water. You can fish coup, feeder, match… practically in any body of water. You have what are probably the best destinations for carpfishing in the whole Peninsula. Here youy have dozens of reservoirs where you can fish for predators such as black bass or pike. Several species of barbel can be tempted: Common, Iberian, Andalusian, Small-headed… practically with any modality…

Where to fish in Extremadura?

The first thing we have to take into account is to decide which species we want to fish and with which modality. Extremadura is the community with the largest number of kilometers of “sweet coast”, that is to say, of shores of bodies of water. Fishing in Extremadura offers many possibilities, but for this reason we must also choose our destination carefully.

Sometimes in the same reservoir we can practice multiple modalities… For example in Alcántara we can fish practically any predator with lures, we can do carpfishing to look for carp and catfish, carp and barbel with fly, we can fish carp and barbel with feeder, carp with coup… However, other reservoirs offer us much less options. Although we can practice multiple modalities, from now on I will mention the best scenarios, always in my humble opinion for each species.

Black bass

There are many interesting fish species in the community, but black bass are probably the most sought after. If we want our Personal Best, Orellana, García Sola or Sierra Brava will be our best options. If we want quantity (and lately also quality) Alcántara, some ponds of Guadiana river, Proserpina at certain times and especially small reservoirs not so well known that have less fishing pressure as Zújar or La Serena. Whatever your choice is, Extremadura is the region that receives more European anglers every year in search of black bass, why is that?

PIKE

As before, if we want a really big pike, the Serena is probably the best scenario…. However, although it is recovering, it is not at its best, so there are a lot of blank days waiting for us if we want to try it. Cíjara, Orellana, Zújar, Sierra Brava, Valdeobispo or García Sola have a good population and in them we can also catch pike of a considerable size, with specimens over one meter not being rare. The Tiétar river also stands out for having interesting populations of this esocid.

BARBEL, FISHING In extremadura

In Extremadura we are fortunate to have several species of barbel: Common, Iberian, Andalusian and Small-headed. Common barbel can be found mainly in the rivers and reservoirs of the north of Cáceres, Iberian practically all over the community, Andalusian in Matachel basin and the Small-headed in Zújar basin.

As in the previous species, there are several lakes where we can catch really big barbel: Zújar, Orellana, Cíjara, Alange, or Alqueva. If we go for quantity, in most of the reservoirs of Cáceres there are interesting populations. Alcántara, Gabriel y Galán… and La Serena in the summer months is a spectacle. Although there are also other smaller reservoirs to fish in Extremadura such as Villar del Rey, with really good populations.

carp

The carp is one of the most abundant cyprinids in the Iberian Peninsula. Introduced in Roman times, it is rare to find a body of water without them, except in high mountain rivers. Fishing for carp in Extremadura will always be an excellent option, as its climatic and habitat conditions are truly exceptional. In few places in Spain we can catch carp over 30 kg and Extremadura is one of them.

Orellana, El Boqueron and Horno Tejero are 3 of the lakes where every year we can catch carp over 30 kg. There are other reservoirs with a very interesting population of medium size carp (we are talking about carpfishing). Alange, Sierra Brava or Alcántara can offer us very interesting days in terms of quality/quantity. And finally, if we want to catch smaller carp, either by coup, English or feeder, almost any body of water in the region will be interesting.

OtHER SPECIES

Finally, although these species are currently considered unfishable in Extremadura, it is absurd to ignore them, as they continue to attract thousands of anglers every year. Catfish, channel catfish and pike-perch nowadays have densities high enough to make their eradication totally utopian. I am the first to wish they had never entered these waters, but the damage has already been done and there is not much we can do about it.

Enjoy fishing for them or ignore them? It’s everyone’s choice but the most important thing is not to introduce them into new scenarios. Here I am going to be totally intransigent and if I discover that someone decides to introduce them into other bodies of water I will be the first to denounce it.

I hope you find this post interesting, if you have any doubt you can write me here, on facebook, on instagram… And if you decide to hire a guide, here I am. You only have to choose the date, species and modality and I will try to offer you the best possible experience.

After a few days dedicated to getting to know  Alqueva lake, without being an expert, I think I have enough information to create a post that can be useful. Here I will talk about the top lures for Alqueva, always in a generic way and of course taking into account that depending on the time of the year there may be many others that also work. Whether it is the first time you visit it, or if you have visited it several times and have had no results, I hope all this will be useful for you.

Crankbait

The crankbait is one of the most versatile lures available for any scenario. In this case, the immensity of the reservoir (it is the largest in Europe) and the amount of “good looking” banks make it one of the headliners.

The shores of this reservoir are usually quite steep… There are also many shallow areas where there are usually not too many predators except during the spawning season. But the areas we are really interested in are usually quite steep, rocky and woody. When the fish are shallow, we will logically use squarebill crankbaits. The waters are usually rather turbid so these cranks will always be an option.

If we have deeper fish, due to the time of the year or because we are in areas with clearer water, medium depth crankbaits are usually fine (down to 3 or 4 meters). I usually don’t recommend using deep cranks due to the huge amount of trees in the reservoir. The chances of getting hooked are very high with this type of lures and we will often spend more time unhooking than fishing.

Spinnerbait, top lures for Alqueva

For the reasons mentioned above, spinnerbait will always be a lure to consider in this reservoir. The generally taken waters and the hundreds of miles of shoreline are two sufficiently compelling reasons for this.

Due to the enormous amount of tree and bush cover I do not recommend the use of trailer hooks. As for weights, the half ounce will be as usual the most versatile, but when fishing areas with a lot of cover and / or shallow fish we can go down to 3/8. The average size of bass in Alqueva is not very big, most of the catches will be between 1/2 kg and kg, so sizes should be moderate. This is also valid for the crank. Likewise if we are looking for barbel or catfish, whose catches are very frequent in this reservoir. We can also catch zander or pike, but for these two species the ideal is usually to look for them deeper with other lures.

In terms of colors, Alqueva is a reservoir in which there is an abundance of albacore, but also small cyprinids. Many times we will see “balls” of small cyprinids and fry of the very abundant catfish. Any color that imitates a “shad” will work well, and may change to bright colors in the water.

Chatterbait

Despite not having fished too many days on this reservoir, a good part of the “quality” fish I’ve caught here have been with this lure. I’ve mainly used moderate sizes of chatterbaits and trailers, because the average size of the fish is not very big. The crawfish colors are the ones that have worked the best for me, mainly in weed areas.

The chatterbait will also give us very good results with other predator species: barbel, zander and catfish will swallow them if we pass them in front of us. Due to the enormous amount of cover in this reservoir: weeds, trees, rocks… we must work this lure with a lot of skill so as not to be constantly hooking it. Here again, the 3/8 ounces will help us to have fewer hook-ups.

Vinil crawfish, top lures for Alqueva

As in any other reservoir, if we want to make numbers, vinyl will be one of the top lures for Alqueva. I chose the crawfish, but I could also have used a worm, as both types of vinyl have given me very similar results. Drop shot, split shot, shakey… In moderate sizes and by working the vinyl slowly along the bottom we will have the best results.

As for shapes and colors, it is up to the consumer. Generally, Alqueva waters are usually quite muddy, so craws with “ultravibe” type vibrating blades usually help the fish to locate the vinyl better. If we fish closer to the dam, the water is usually cleaner and it is not usually “necessary” to use this type of craws. As far as colors are concerned, the usual: dark colors in taken waters to make contrast: black red, black blue… and natural colors in clearer waters. Normally it is not necessary to fish very deep, unless we fish in the middle of winter.

I hope all this will help you to face your fishing days in this great reservoir. It is not a reservoir where you are going to catch your record blackbass but you can spend very entertaining multi-species days.

Characteristics of Alqueva lake

With a capacity of 4150 hm3 and a flooded surface area of 25,000 hectares, Alqueva lake is the largest in Western Europe. 3300 hectares are located in the province of Badajoz and the rest in the neighboring country of Portugal. It is a reservoir intended for the production of hydroelectric power, but it also has important agricultural uses.

The waters of the Alqueva reservoir are relatively clear in winter but the rest of the year they are usually quite murky due to the proliferation of suspended algae. In addition, the adjacent clayey soil also influences this turbidity, since during heavy rainfall episodes, the runoff drags this clay and the waters become quite brown.

Bottom composition and structures

The Spanish part of the reservoir is quite shallow in general, with shallow depths and slight to moderate slopes. The bedrock is mainly slate and the soils are quite clayey.

As we move towards the dam area, the large beaches alternate with rockier areas: slate points, transition zones with loose rocks…. The creeks of this reservoir are really long and irregular with many inlets and overhangs, ideal areas for predators.

The main problem to locate them is that at first sight there are hundreds of attractive areas, so we must go a little further and analyze the changes in depth, water inlets, areas more or less whipped by the prevailing winds, areas with weeds …. This is the only way to focus the shot, as we can spend the whole day “pitching” trees without getting a single bite.

On the Portuguese side, as we get closer to the dam we find more docks, bridges, buildings, walls… and other submerged anthropic structures. On the Spanish side we also have piers in Villarreal, Cheles and Villanueva as well as some submerged stone buildings.

Vegetation and cover in Alqueva lake

We find a large number of submerged trees (mainly oaks and cork oaks) at different depths. Practically whatever the level of the reservoir, we can find cover in different areas of the reservoir. The lower the level, the greater the number of trees, as in many areas they were not cut down before the reservoir was built.

Level changes are frequent, although due to the large size of the reservoir, these changes are not as noticeable as in other more confined reservoirs. (like Alcántara for example). In this link we can know the level, although it is only updated once a month.

Main fishing species

Fishing in Alqueva lake is very varied, and we find in it most of the predator species present in the community.

• • Black Bass. The population is abundant, although it is not a reservoir where “record” specimens abound, we can enjoy days with multiple catches of medium size. Nowadays, catching a 2 kg fish is practically a record, although in its day specimens of 3 kg were caught….
  • Zander. One of the most abundant predators in the lake. It is currently considered unfishable in Extremadura.
  • Channel catfish. This invasive species has been in the reservoir for many years and is currently the main predator. It acts both as

    

    baitfish in its small sizes as a predator when it becomes bigger. It is currently considered unfishable in Extremadura.

  • Pike. Alqueva does not stand out for its abundance of pike, although in certain areas we can find certain concentrations.
  • Iberian barbel. Due to the interesting populations of bleak and crawfish, it reaches very large sizes and can be fished both with lures and other techniques (carpfishing, feeder, match, fly…).
  • Carp. Carp are also very abundant in this reservoir, with a large number of medium-sized specimens.

Prey species in Alqueva lake

Bleak is the main species of baitfish in Alqueva, which harbors very important densities. It is not uncommon to find large balls of bleak, both in shallow and deep areas.

The crawfish is also very abundant in the reservoir, being very common to find their skeletons and claws along the shores. In addition to fish, otters, herons and a good number of waterfowl are also abundant.

There are also sunfish, a lot of crucian carp and channel catfish as we have said before.

Navigation and access

Most of the shores are passable although it is not an excessively comfortable place to walk. We have large beaches with flat shores but also steep shores with slates and some slope. An important limitation is the accesses as there are not too many (mainly on the Spanish side) and they are spaced several kilometers apart.

Both motorized and non-motorized navigation is allowed, after requesting a navigation permit from the CHG. On the Spanish side there are 3 places from which to launch the boats: Cheles, Villanueva del Fresno and the port Villarreal de Olivenza.

Do you want to know which are the main lakes in your community for predator fishing or other species? Click on this icon and you will find the Top Fishing Lakes in your area and the main sport species that live there.

Characteristics of Alange lake

With a capacity of 825hm3 and an area of 5144 hectares, Alange lake is perhaps not one of the best known reservoirs, but it is home to quality fish. Its main peculiarity is that it has barely passed 600 hm3 since its construction and its average level is usually around 500 hm3, in the last few years not even that. Do you want to know the level in real time? Click here.

Its waters are not usually very clear as it has hardly any water input, and its main uses are supply, irrigation and electricity. As an interesting fact we could highlight the presence of the iberian lynx in adjacent areas.

Bottom composition and structures

The bottom of the reservoir is composed of various rocks: slate, quartzite, sandstone, schist… generally quite degraded so the bottom is very sandy and with areas full of small stones. It is a reservoir in general very shallow, with kilometric beaches and we only find important rocky structures in the surroundings of the dam. These rocky points are the only ones where we can find a certain depth near the shore.

These structures are mainly formed by large rocks, although we also find some stretches of shore with loose rocks and pebbles (riprap).

Vegetation and cover

There are not too many dry trees and they are mostly found at the highest levels of the reservoir, so we usually do not find much wood in the water, except for some isolated specimens of holm oak. In some sections we can also find eucalyptus.

Thanks to the stability in the levels (low levels) of the last years, it has begun to grow enough underwater vegetation, forming today an excellent cover for black bass and pike. Likewise, at the mouth of the Matachel River and some creeks we can also find some underwater plants.

Main fish species

Alange is a reservoir famous for its large pike, although several years ago there were major pollution episodes in which many specimens died.

• Pike. Only a few years ago (between 2010 and 2016), the 80 to 100 cm specimens were frequent, and the reservoir had a very interesting population. Nowadays the density has dropped a lot, but even so from time to time some good specimens still come out.
• Black bass. It has always been present in the reservoir, although it is complicated to locate them in this reservoir of beaches and kilometric creeks. More and more frequently we find them associated with the growing algae, with a healthy and growing population. Occasionally we can catch fish over 2 kg, are frequent specimens between 1 and 1.5 kg and there are many small specimens so we can spend fun days.

  

• Iberian barbel. The barbel population is very good, with a really interesting average size, between 2 and 4 kg, and increasingly predatory habits. Some specimens reach very good sizes, being not rare the fish over 5 kg.
• Carp. The population of small and medium sized carp is very good, with occasional catches of carp over 20 kg. The most used techniques are carpfishing, feeder and match, with which we can also catch quite a lot of barbels.

Baitfish in Alange lake

There is a very good population of bleak, especially in recent years, which is favouring the development of black bass and barbel populations. Despite the abundance of bleak, as mentioned above, the pike has not yet recovered as it hardly has any suitable spawning areas.

Crayfish and perch are also abundant in the reservoir, as well as cyprinids: mainly carp, barbel and carp.

Access and navigation

Navigation, both motorized and non-motorized, is allowed in practically the entire Alange reservoir, with some limitations (check the link).

The banks are very easy to walk on, 100% of them can be walked on comfortably, but there are certain limitations in terms of the number of accesses and their quality (large stretches of bank without roads nearby).

For fishing from a float tube or pontoon it is not necessary to apply for any navigation permit, because if they are less than 2.50m long they are considered as complements to bathing according to the current legislation (2024).

Characteristics of Alcántara lake

With a capacity of 3160 hm3 and a flooded area of 10400 hectares, Alcántara lake is the largest in the province of Cáceres and also the third largest lake in Spain. As it is a reservoir intended for the production of hydroelectric energy, level changes are frequent and very pronounced. Its average level ranges from 1800 to 2600 hm3, although it frequently reaches levels above or below these. Do you want to know the level in real time? Click here.

The waters of the Alcántara reservoir are clear in winter but from spring onwards the turbidity begins to grow due to the proliferation of suspending algae.

During the summer months the turbidity is very high due to the high concentration of these algae.

Finally, it should be noted that it is a reservoir in which we can see a good number of endangered species such as the black stork or the Bonelli’s eagle.

Bottom composition and structures

We have 2 clearly differentiated areas with granite and slate bottoms. The granitic zones are characterized by the alternation of large rocks with rounded contours and sandy beaches, while the slate zones present different levels of degradation. We can find both “rip rap” zones with small stones and zones where the rock remains “whole” forming textbook points with different slopes. Also we can find very interesting areas near the riverbed, with a 45 degree angle, sometimes with hundreds of meters long.

The reservoir is quite boxed in, we find really deep areas and the average slopes are high, with generally quite steep banks. The majority of the creeks are very small, although we also find long creeks of several kilometres with more stretched out areas. We have here almost every kind of structure so we can choose one or the other as we see fit.

Vegetation and cover

We found a good density of submerged trees (mainly holm oaks and wild olive trees) at different depths. Practically whatever the level of the reservoir we can find this type of cover in different areas of the reservoir. However, it is when the reservoir is low that we can see the greatest density of trees on the surface.

Due to the great changes in level, underwater vegetation is not frequent except at the mouths of small rivers and seasonal creeks.

Main fish species

It is probably the reservoir with the greatest variety of sport species in the community, housing in its waters very interesting populations of most of them.

• Black Bass. The population is very abundant, although it is not a reservoir in which the “record” specimens abound, we can enjoy days with multiple catches of medium size. Today there is a really good density of fish between 1,5 and 2 kg and it’s not uncommon to catch over 2kg.
• Zander. We also have very interesting populations of this predator, both in quality and quantity.
• Catfish. Present in these waters since approximately 2010, the size of the specimens has grown ostensibly reaching more than 2 meters the largest specimens.

  

• Pike. It has been present in the reservoir for dozens of years, although it has never reached significant densities, we can find good-sized specimens.
• Iberian barbel. Due to the interesting populations of bleak and crawfish, it reaches really big sizes, being able to be fished both with lures and with other techniques (carpfishing, feeder, match fishing, fly fishing…)
• Carp. They are also very abundant in this reservoir, although the largest specimens do not usually exceed 10kg.

Baitfish in Alcantara lake

The bleak has been present in Alcantara for quite some time and its populations are growing a lot in recent years, forming an important part of the diet of many predators.

The density of crawfish is also high, although they are usually deep and are not often seen on the shore or in surface layers. There are also sunfish and crucian carp in good densities.

Access and navigation

A significant percentage of the reservoir is inaccessible to fishing from the shore, either because of its steepness or because we find very large private properties in it, from which we cannot access the water.

Both motorised and non-motorised sailing is permitted, subject to application for a sailing permit from the CHT. Before sailing, check the many limitations that exist, especially in the first half of the year as most of the Alcantara reservoir is part of an SPA (Special Protection Area for Birds).

Characteristic of Almaraz lake

With a flooded area of 776 hectares, Almaraz lake is very peculiar, because its main function is to cool the turbines of the Almaraz nuclear power plant. It is located in the east of the province of Cáceres and its level is stable throughout the year. The reservoir collects water from the River Tajo, this water is propelled to the nuclear power plant itself (channelled through walls located in the centre of the reservoir) and is returned to the River Tajo after a long journey in which it loses temperature.

Due to its peculiar characteristics it has become, in addition to sport fishing, a reference for the observation of waterfowl, housing very important populations of some endangered species.

The area in which the water has not yet reached the plant is called the “cold” area and the rest of the reservoir is considered the “hot” area. The water has a temperature several degrees higher than that of the surrounding reservoirs, due to this cooling function. This fact added to the high level of eutrophication means that they are always turbid, to a greater or lesser extent.

Bottom composition and structures

The bottom of the reservoir is practically flat, as it has been built by excavating in a similar way to a gravel pit and only in some areas do we find the bottom full of small rounded stones and pebbles. Most of the reservoir’s bottom is covered with silt and mud, from the decomposition produced by the abundant reeds and cattails that surround it.

The only anthropic structures we find are the slopes of some surrounding roads and the aforementioned wall in the “center” of the reservoir, which is practically impossible to reach from the shore with our lures.

Vegetation and cover

The reservoir is almost entirely surrounded by cattails, reeds and other plants linked to wetland ecosystems. This vegetation is very dense, especially in the warmer months, making the reservoir practically inaccessible from most of its banks, except for the accesses “built” by fishermen.

In this tangle of vegetation, most of the fish find shelter and food, so we must prepare ourselves to fish in what we call “heavy cover”, although the currents present in the most central areas of the reservoir will also allow us to fish in “open water” with other types of lures.

Main fish species

It is a reference reservoir for black bass fishing in winter, since the higher temperature of its waters contributes to the fish maintaining high levels of activity, even in the coldest months.

• Black Bass. The density is very high, finding fish of all sizes in practically all areas of the reservoir. They do not usually reach very high weights, as their high level of activity throughout the year prevents them from accumulating the necessary reserves. That’s why we will find fish with a very elongated morphology.
• Zander. It has entered the Almaraz reservoir from the Tajo River and it seems that its densities are not very high.

  

• Catfish. Just like the zander has entered through the Tajo but its populations are growing in recent years. Specimens over 150 cm long have already been caught.
• Carp. The carp is very abundant in this reservoir but its average size is rather small (between 1 and 2 kg). The most used techniques by the fishermen are feeder and match fishing.

Baitfish in Almaraz lake

The crawfish has always been the main prey, although in recent years bleak have also come in from the Tajo. There is also presence of mosquitofish, sunfish and some frogs.

Access and navigation

Navigation is forbidden in Almaraz reservoir, so fishing is only possible from the shore. We must bear in mind that a large part of the reservoir is closed from March 1 to August 1 because it is an SPA area. The sections highlighted in orange are those where no fishing is allowed during this period.

Due to the enormous density of vegetation and the fairly uniform depths of the shores, the use of the wader is practically indispensable. It is important to locate the accesses to the reservoir beforehand, since sometimes there are stretches of bank several hundred meters long that are impassable due to the thickness of the cattails.

Characteristics of Cíjara lake

With a capacity of 1505hm3 and an area of 6565 hectares, Cíjara lake is another of the best known reservoirs for sport fishing. It is a clear water reservoir, although usually not as much as its neighbours García Sola and Orellana, and can find areas with more turbid waters than others in different parts of the reservoir.

Its main uses are electricity production, supply and irrigation, and level changes are relatively frequent, ranging from 700 to 1200 hm3 in a “normal” year. Do you want to know the level in real time? Click here.

Bottom composition and structures

The bottom of the reservoir is made up of very varied rocks that alternate in different areas: slate, schist, quartzite, greywacke, sandstone… with different levels of degradation.

It is a really extensive reservoir and we can find all kinds of structures. There are miles of creeks, huge beaches, but there are also multiple cuts and small boxed creeks, as it is in a fairly rugged area. We have quite interesting moderate slopes, so we can fish at a certain depth in a good number of areas.

Cut and “textbook” points, rip rap areas, large stone areas, submerged islands… we can find practically all kinds of structures, as long as we know the reservoir, that is.

Vegetation and cover

The submerged vegetation, in the form of old trees, bushes, etc., is not notable for its abundance, although in rainy years, when the water level reaches the highest levels, a good number of bushes and some trees will be submerged, providing then a good amount of wood cover.

The underwater vegetation is quite abundant, we find extensive areas with interesting weeds, although sometimes the marked changes in level leave this vegetation too deep or even out of the water, and a significant percentage of it dries out.

Main fish species

Cíjara is one of the reference reservoirs in the world of sport fishing. Although it is not at its best either, the black bass and pike populations are starting to recover after several bad years.

It is no coincidence that the Euro Nitro Cup (one of the most important competitions at European level in the world of black bass) have been held in this lake most of the times.

• Black Bass. If there’s one thing Cijara is famous for, it’s its black bass populations. After some difficult years in which excessive fishing pressure, the reduction of the bleak populations and other factors were determining in the reduction of their populations, it seems that it is recovering again. Specimens weighing 1,5 to 2 kg are relatively abundant, with specimens weighing more than 2,5 kg or even 3 kg being not too rare.
• Pike. This reservoir has also stood out for its large pike, which like black bass has suffered a difficult time. Pike measuring over 110 cm have been caught in this reservoir, and it is not uncommon to find specimens measuring 80 to 90 cm.

  

• Zander. Present in the reservoir for a few years already, its populations suffered an explosion several years ago, and today we find more stable populations, with important densities. They reach good sizes, with the largest specimens exceeding 80 cm.
• Iberian barbel. In this reservoir the barbels reach really important sizes, having caught specimens of more than 9kg of weight. In certain periods they bite very well with artificial lures.
• Carp. It is not particularly famous for its carps, but it has a good population of them, especially in intermediate sizes. It is ideal for feeder or match fishing of good specimens.

Baitfish in Cíjara lake

The bleak is the main species of bait fish and its densities are growing today. After the initial explosion during which we could see endless shoals of bleak, came a time of drastic reduction, due in part to the entry of the zander. Today their populations are growing, and some interesting “balls” can be found again.

The crawfish is very abundant too, providing an interesting food source, especially in areas where there are not too many bleaks.Finally, we should also mention the sunfish,carp barbel and zander fry as a source of food for predatory species.

Access and navigation

Navigation is allowed in a large part of the Cíjara reservoir, except for some sections in spring, to preserve the reproduction of protected birds.

Most of the banks are easily passable, although we must be careful with the cut-off areas, where fishing from the shore is not recommended due to their dangerous nature. There are quite a few areas that are difficult to reach from the shore, because there are not too many roads leading to the water.

For fishing with float tube or pontoon, no permit is required, because if they are less than 2.50m long, they are considered to be a complement to bathing according to the current legislation (2024).

Characteristics of Gabriel y Galán lake

With a capacity of 924 hm3 and a flooded area of 4683 hectares, Gabriel y Galán lake is of considerable size, and is located in the north of the province of Cáceres. Its main use is the production of hydroelectric energy, but it is also used for irrigation and drinking water supply. Level changes are frequent and marked. Its average level is between 300 and 700 hm3 although it is relatively frequent that its level goes out of these ranges, especially in very dry or very rainy years. Do you want to know the level in real time? Click here. The waters are very clear most of the year.

In addition to sport fishing, we can do other activities such as hiking, cycling, photography and birdwatching, as it is included in an SPA (Special Protection Area for Birds).

Bottom composition and structures

The main rocks that make up the bottom of the reservoir are slate and to a lesser extent granite in areas near the dam. The slopes are moderate, and we can find both large beaches and deeper areas, although these are usually far from the shore, which makes fishing from the shore difficult at certain times.

It is not a reservoir that is characterized by the presence of very marked structures, although we find several stone ones in certain areas: mainly walls and remains of old submerged buildings.

Vegetation and cover

We occasionally find submerged vegetation: small trees and bushes but the vegetation cover is rather scarce.

Main fish species

We have an interesting variety of sport species, which although they do not usually reach record sizes, their densities are significant.

• Black Bass. There is a good population of medium sized black bass, occasionally finding some large specimens above 2 kg.
• Zander. Abundant populations of this predator and growing.

  

• Pike. It has been present in the reservoir for some time, although it is not particularly abundant. In recent years it has been seen more frequently.
• Common barbel. It does not reach big sizes but we can fish it with artificial lures, mainly in spring, summer and early autumn. Logically it can also be fished with other techniques (carpfishing, feeder, match, fly…)
• Carp. Carp are also very abundant in this reservoir, although they do not usually reach large sizes.

Baitfish in Gabriel y Galán lake

The bleak and the crawfish are the most abundant species in the Gabriel y Galán reservoir, but we also have the presence of sunfish, nase and crucian carp.

Access and navigation

It is a moderately accessible reservoir on the shore since we can access it through a good number of roads, mainly in the area closest to the dam. The main creek area is more inaccessible from the shore and except in specific areas, it is more advisable to fish them from a boat.

Both motorised and non-motorised navigation is permitted on application to the CHT.