Calabria · Italy

Calabria Strait of Messina fishing forecast

62 Fair of 100

Calabria Strait of Messina is a saltwater fishing spot in Calabria, Italy. Anglers here target Swordfish, Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, European Barracuda, Greater Amberjack. The most productive months are typically June, July, August, September.

Quick answer
Best monthsJune, July, August, September
Top speciesSwordfish, Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, European Barracuda
Score now62/100
Local rulesItaly

Today’s verdict

Ranks #305 of 437 spots FishRadar scored worldwide today

Trending up — 6 points above this spot’s 7-day average

Score confidence ±4 points, from 8 live signals

The statistical model disagrees with the physics model here today — treat this score with extra caution.

Helping the score most
Water temperature+17.8Chlorophyll+10.3Waves+9.0
Working against it
Marine heatwave-2.0
Pressure trend
Pressure data unavailable
Best window today
05:00 · Light wind (0 km/h) and calm seas
Next solunar peak
dawn 04:38

Current conditions

Sea surface temp28.4 °C
Wind14 km/h from N
Wave height0.1 m at 4 s
Current0.04 m/s toward WSW
Pressure1018 hPa
Depth154 m
Cloud cover0%
Chlorophyll0.17 mg/m³
Salinity38.0 PSU
Mixed-layer depth10 m
UV index0
Wind sea0.1 m at 1 s
Ground swell0.0 m at 4 s from NW
Current shear (surface vs 50 m)0.04 → 0.00 m/s

The water here is 6.3 °C warmer than the September average of 22.1 °C. Warmer-than-normal water pushes cool-water species deeper and brings warm-water species in earlier than the calendar suggests. The water is mixed to about 26.7 m, with the thermocline below that.

Updated 1 h ago.

What the score means at Calabria Strait of Messina

Calabria Strait of Messina currently scores 62 out of 100 (Fair). Water temperature is 28.4 °C. 8 forecast signals are active in this score.

Water temperature +17.8
how close the water is to this species mix’s comfort band
Chlorophyll +10.3
plankton density — the base of the food chain
Waves +9.0
swell energy stirring the water column
Wind +8.0
surface chop, oxygen and bait drift
Current +4.0
moving water concentrates bait
Pre-storm bite +3.5
the classic feed before heavy weather

What’s biting now

The model expects today: swordfish, bluefin-tuna, amberjack, european-barracuda, picarel, gilthead-seabream, red-mullet, red-porgy

[object Object] — Protected here — release immediately

Bite windows

Moon
Waning Crescent · 14% lit
Solunar day rating
50 / 100

Best months for Calabria Strait of Messina:

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Score history at this spot

30 days tracked at this exact location

Best recent day: 2026-08-11, 67/100

About this spot

Water type
Strait

Straits funnel strong tidal currents. Fish tend to feed around slack water and in the first hour of the flood or ebb, when bait is pushed through.

Approximate bottom depth: 154 m

Access & shore

Fishable from shore · offshore-only

What you can catch

Best months by species at Calabria Strait of Messina

SwordfishXiphias gladius
Atlantic Bluefin TunaThunnus thynnus
European BarracudaSphyraena sphyraena
Greater AmberjackSeriola dumerili

Typical months; local seasons and closures apply.

Local regulations

Italy

All species combined

  • maximum 5 kg total per day — FIVE KILOGRAMS A DAY, ACROSS EVERYTHING — fish, molluscs and crustaceans combined, not per species. One single fish heavier than the cap is excluded, so a 6 kg amberjack is lawful on its own but nothing else may be added to it. SEPARATELY AND ON TOP: no more than ONE GROUPER PER DAY, of any Epinephelus or Polyprion species, whatever its size — the national minimum for cernia is 45 cm (art. 87) and the EU Mediterranean MCRS is 45 cm, but the one-fish rule bites first. Competition anglers taking part in an authorised manifestazione sportiva are exempt from the 5 kg cap and the one-grouper rule under article 144. These are NATIONAL rules and they apply in every Italian sea, including inside the regions that publish their own rulebooks: in Liguria, Sicilia and Sardegna they stack with the regional and marine-protected-area caps, and the stricter one governs — the AMP Cinque Terre allows 2 kg per person, the AMP Portofino and the AMP Isole Egadi 3 kg per person, all well below this 5 kg. Permitted recreational gear is fixed by article 138 (coppo, giacchio, rods of at most 3 hooks, correntine of at most 6 hooks, traina, parangali, nasse) and article 140 caps it at 5 rods per angler, 200 longline hooks per boat and 2 pots per boat.

Licensing:

  • saltwater-recreational — residents No paid licence for recreational sea fishing, but a free annual registration with MASAF (the "comunicazione di esercizio della pesca sportiva/ricreativa in mare", or census) is mandatory. From May 2026 anglers aged 16+ must complete the census and use the RecFishing app., non-residents Same free MASAF registration applies to non-residents fishing recreationally in Italian waters.
  • freshwater-recreational — residents Inland/freshwater fishing licences are issued by each Region (Regione), not nationally; fees and rules vary by region., non-residents Non-residents need the relevant regional freshwater licence for lakes and rivers.

Some rules may have changed since our last verification — always confirm with the authority before you fish.

Check Calabria Strait of Messina before you go

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Nearby spots

Explore 10 more fishing spots within 701 km of Calabria Strait of Messina.

Frequently asked questions

What fish can you catch at Calabria Strait of Messina?

Anglers at Calabria Strait of Messina target Swordfish, Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, European Barracuda and Greater Amberjack.

When is the best time to fish Calabria Strait of Messina?

The most productive months at Calabria Strait of Messina are typically June, July, August, September.

What is the fishing forecast for Calabria Strait of Messina right now?

Calabria Strait of Messina currently scores 62 out of 100, based on live ocean and weather conditions — see the full breakdown on this page.

Can you fish Calabria Strait of Messina from shore?

Yes — Calabria Strait of Messina is fishable from shore (offshore-only).

Is the thermocline set up at Calabria Strait of Messina right now?

Not strongly right now — the water column is fairly mixed, so fish are less depth-locked.

Is there a combined bag limit at Calabria Strait of Messina?

Yes — on top of per-species rules, the local regulation caps your total take: maximum 5 kg total per day. Check the official source before keeping fish.

Fishing guides for this spot

Forecasts, not guarantees — check local rules before you fish.