Hungary - Lake Balaton
About the destination
The Lake Balaton is the largest and most well-known lake of Central-Europe. Its surface is nearly 570 square kilometres, the shoreline is 200 kilometres long, stretching up from Southwest to Northeast. The lake had become a famous resort area already in the 19th century, but the real touristic boom came after WWII. The "Hungarian Sea" played an important political role in the communist era, since it was the major meeting place of the devided German families, but also the favourite holiday resort of the citizens of the Eastern Block. Shortly after the political changes the number of visitors decreased, but in the past years we have plenty of foreign visitors again.
The Lake Balaton is the most popular fishing destination of Hungary, there are more than 40 different fish species living in the lake. The most well-know species are the pike-perch (zander), eel, carp, catfish, grass carp, asp and white fish in huge numbers. Balaton provides fun not only for anglers, but also the family members. There are numerous activites, like biking, swimming, sailing, wine-tasting, etc. We are happy to prepare tailor-made programs for families including optional excursions.
How to get there
Lake Balaton is located in the heart of Europe, it is easily accessible by car, especially from the neighbouring countries. The fishing camp can be found in Tihany, approximately 130 kilometres from Budapest. We provide transfer from the Budapest International Airport upon request, but there is a Balaton Airport as well, with a few low-cost airlines from Germany and UK.
About the weather
Hungary has a dry, continental weather, which means that the annual rainfall is relatively low. The weather is mild from spring till late autumn, summer is warm, the water temperature can go up till 27-28 degrees. The lake has an advanced storm-alarm system, that is needed in summer, when showers and storms can come quickly. It has a very good impact on fishing, everyone goes fishing right after these storms, but it is less usefull to be outside by boat whe the storm comes...
About the equipment
The equipment highly depends on the method. One of the most popular fishing methods is the carp fishing directly in the reeds, which requires a very strong equipment and lines. The other popular method is spinning, mostly for asp, pike and zander. Here we need a softer rod, 30-80 gramms and thiner plastic line in range between 0.18-0.25 mm. Most of the anglers use dead fish bait for zander, especially in the autumn months. Since we fish mainly on opened water with even ground, we can use softer equipment, that gives us more chance to catch fish and more joy once the fish is hooked.
About the accomodation
Our house is located on the southern shore of the lake, at Balatonszárszó. It has 3 bedrooms, living room, kitchen and bathroom. For 1-2 anglers we can provide accomodation in the smaller building with 1 bedroom. The house is about 5 minutes walk from the lake. There are plenty of shopping options nearby (food, fishing tackle, restaurants, etc.). The lively town of Siófok is also nearby with lots of restaurants and night life.
About the boats
Per 2 anglers we provide stable, 4,20 meter long boats, which were designed for the lake. Since it is strictly forbidden to use motorboats on the lake, these are paddle boats with electric engine. Luckily, most of the good spots are near the pier. There is a big bottom break only a few hundred meters from the shore, which provides excellent fishing. A mobile pier is also available, included in the price. Our guide informs the guests upon arrival about the fishing, and a full-day guding is included in the package. Additional guiding is available upon request.
About the costs
Participation fee: 330 EUR/person (2-4 anglers)
The following services are included in the price:
- 7 nights accomodation in private house in Balatonszárszó,
- Usage of boat with electric engine,
- Fishing permit,
- Full-day guding on the first day,
- Professional local assistance in English during your stay.
Single surcharge costs 100 EUR/week. Return transfer from Budapest Airport can be booked upon request. We are happy to provide optional programs and excursions in the region.
If you need further information, or would like to book a trip, please contact us with the help of the following form: