When Is the Best Time to Catch Tench?
There are few fish that get my heart racing quite like tench. Those olive-green flanks, red eyes, and the sheet power they have is something special. For a while now, I've been getting a lot of questions in the comments asking 'When Is the Best Time to Catch Tench?' - so I decided to write this article covering the subject.
Early Spring Tench Tactics
As the daffodils start to show and it feels like spring is in the air, it’s tempting to rush out for tench. However, the water is often still bitterly cold from the winter. In these early spring months, my advice is to target shallower lakes. These smaller, shallower venues warm up much quicker than the vast, deep gravel pits, which gives the tench a bit of a kickstart.
Bait choice is critical now. The fish aren’t feeding hard yet, so natural baits are the absolute king. Forget the fishmeal pellets for now and focus on maggots, casters, and dendrobaena worms. These are much easier for the tench to digest in cold water and are far more effective.
Rigs and Baits for the Early Season
My go-to rigs for this time of year are simple but effective. A "worm kebab" on a hair rig, made by threading several worms onto a fine baiting needle and pulling them onto the hair, is a brilliant presentation. Another winner is a grub feeder, which allows you to plug it with worms and cap it with a small amount of groundbait, delivering that natural goodness right where you need it. A key tip is to go very easy on the feed until you start getting bites. Let the fish tell you when they're ready to eat.
Late Spring into Summer: The Best Time to Catch Tench
This is it. When people ask for the best time to catch tench, late spring and early summer is the golden window. As the water temperature climbs, it’s time to head onto the larger, deeper lakes. These venues often hold bigger fish, and by now, they will have warmed up enough for the tench to be properly active and feeding hard.
One challenge now is that nuisance fish like roach and rudd will also be very active. This is the time to switch your baiting strategy. I move away from maggots and onto pellets and groundbaits. For hookbaits, something like a bright Pellet-O or a Bandum Wafter from a brand like SonuBaits can be deadly. You can afford to apply more bait now, either by recasting a feeder more frequently or by introducing bait with a spomb. The fish are active, and you need to hold them in your swim.
Peak Season Rigs: Feeders and Floats
A flatbed method feeder is my primary tool during this period, allowing me to present a perfect parcel of groundbait with my hookbait right on top. However, don't make the mistake of ignoring the margins! As the summer progresses, tench will often come right into the edge. There is nothing more exciting than watching a float dip under as a big tench takes your bait. For this, I’ll often switch to a simple float setup, baiting with red maggots or sweetcorn just a rod length out. Keep an eye on our blog for more float fishing tips soon!
Winding Down in Autumn
By the time autumn rolls around, you've generally had the best of the tench fishing for the year. While you can still pick them up, their feeding spells become less predictable as the water begins to cool. Personally, this is the time I'll start to shift my focus onto other species that are coming into their own for the winter months.
The Verdict: Your Best Chance for a Tench
So, to summarise it all: When Is the Best Time to Catch Tench? The absolute golden months for tench fishing are May and June. This is when the fish have woken up, they are feeding confidently before and after spawning, and the conditions are perfect.
As for the best time of day, it's almost always early morning and dusk. Getting to the lake before the sun comes up and fishing through that "dawn patrol" period is often your best bet for a bite. The last few hours of daylight can be equally productive. These are the magic times when the tench feel most comfortable moving in and feeding.
Fishing Tips
Early Spring Caution: The water is cold and the fish are lethargic. Start with very little feed and only increase it once you get bites.
Natural Baits First: In early spring, stick to natural baits like maggots, casters, and worms, as they are easier for tench to digest in cold water.
Switch to Pellets: Once the water warms up in late spring and summer, switch to pellets and groundbait to combat nuisance fish and satisfy the tench's bigger appetite.
Margin Magic: Never ignore the edges. In summer, tench love to patrol the margins, providing exciting float fishing opportunities right under your rod tip.
Dawn and Dusk Patrol: Focus your efforts on the first few hours of daylight and the last few hours before sunset. These are prime feeding times for tench.
I absolutely love tench fishing; it's a highlight of my angling year. I hope this guide give you a better idea on when is the best time to catch tench. There’s a whole library of content on tench fishing and more over on my video page if you want to see more action.