Spain is a beast when it comes to pike fishing. Forget your small weedy ponds back home—this is big water, deep lakes, endless structure, and some seriously big fish.
I’ve spent years figuring these waters out, learning the patterns, switching up my approach when the usual tactics don’t work. Pike here aren’t like the ones up north. The climate’s different, the food’s different, and if you don’t adjust? You’ll blank.
3 best pike fishing locations in Spain
Embalse de Mequinenza – If you’re after monsters, this is the place. Huge water, loads of baitfish, and enough structure to hold fish year-round. Trolling works here—you can cover miles of water and eventually cross paths with something big.
Embalse de Cijara – More structure, more places for pike to ambush prey. Fishing close to submerged trees and deep channels? That’s where the big ones sit. When the conditions are right, it absolutely produces.
Embalse de Orellana – Known more for black bass and zander, but if you put in the time, the pike are there. They hold deep, they’re picky, and they don’t give up easy.
Techniques for catching Spanish pike
Big lures, slow retrieves. Swimbaits, jerkbaits, soft plastics that move like real baitfish. If you’re fishing cooler water, slow it down, let the bait stay in the strike zone.
Trolling deep waters. Cover ground. If they’re not in the shallows, they’re holding deep. Big crankbaits, spoons, and deep-diving lures—you’ll find them eventually.
Dead bait in winter. Big fish want easy meals. Mackerel, sardines, roach—ledgered on the bottom or under a float. If they’re not chasing lures, they’re still eating, just slower.
Understanding Spanish pike behaviour
Spring and autumn – Shallows. They smash anything that moves. These are the times to target active fish, feeding before or after spawning.
Summer – They go deep. Water heats up, they move to cooler pockets. Slow trolling, deep presentations—if you don’t adapt, you won’t catch.
Winter – Harder, but not impossible. Big fish are still there, just less willing to move. You need slow retrieves, precise bait placement, and patience.
Choosing the right gear
Rod: Heavy action, 7’ to 8’ minimum. If you’re throwing big baits, you need power.
Reel: Baitcaster with strong drag. Pike don’t fight fair.
Line: 50-80lb braid. If your leader isn’t strong enough, you’re losing fish. Fluoro or steel—pike teeth will slice through anything weaker.
Lures: Jerkbaits, swimbaits, spinnerbaits—something with size, something with movement. The clearer the water, the more natural your bait needs to look.
Spain: a must-visit for serious pike anglers
If you want a challenge, this is it. Spanish pike aren’t lazy. They don’t sit in the shallows all year waiting for easy meals. You have to find them, adjust your tactics, and be ready for a fight.
When you hook into one—when that rod bends, and the drag starts screaming—you’ll know why this is one of the best places in Europe to fish for pike.
Tight lines.
