Enjoy Holiday Carp Fishing Magic At Lake Bled | Stéphane Gentile

Lake Bled is one of the most talked-about carp fishing lakes in the world in recent years. It's got it all: the scenery, the beauty of the site, the warm welcome from the Slovenians, and above all, the fantastic, huge fish. In this article, OMC's Stéphane Gentile dives into why this place is so special...

Lake Bled is a Slovenian Lake of glacial origin, located around fifty kilometres from the capital Ljubljana, on the edge of the Julian Alps. The lake lies in the heart of the mountains at an altitude of 475m. With a surface area of 150 hectares, its special features, apart from its mythical and superb Church on the island, are the giant carp that swim there and the very characteristic colour of the water, which varies between turquoise, light green and emerald. A real postcard landscape.

STAYING AT LAKE BLED

Nearby, you will find all the amenities you need for trip, including self-catering accommodation, hotels, restaurants, pizzerias, camping sites, mini-markets and more.

Everything is done at Bled to make your fishing holiday as pleasant as possible. Depending on your tastes and desires, you can rent a small hotel or comfortable flat at a very reasonable price to rest after a long day of fishing, unless you prefer a pitch on the large campsite that borders the lake.

The food is also excellent, and I particularly recommend trying the delicious local pizza. Slovenia is next to Italy, so these are generous and traditionally made to appeal to Italian tourists. And how could you miss the unmissable local speciality, the succulent Kremsnita pastry?

Nights are often very short at Bled, where fishing is permitted between dawn and 11pm. So in the end, you'll only have a few hours' rest in 24 hours.

BEST SPOTS TO FISH AT LAKE BLED

Please note that the lakeside tour is not accessible by car, but only on foot or by bike. Don't worry, it's only just over 6km long. I'd advise you to do the tour on foot to find your spots and the places where you'll set up when you arrive on the lake. This will put you in the mood and allow you to glean some information about the current catches from the fishermen in action. This will give you a good idea of how many people are out there at any one time, and the different configurations available to you.

The campsite area offers many possibilities, but it's also where you'll find less steep slopes. Because the lake is in the heart of the mountains, the depths are relatively great, and only a short distance away. We therefore favour the area close to the campsite in spring, when the water begins to warm up during the pre-spawning period. Carp swim to these areas in May and June.

Bled is Slovenia's most popular lake for tourists, and the quality of its water means that there are plenty of bathers and paddlers at this time of year, and the various beaches are very popular in summer. Rest assured, though, that fishing in the vicinity of these spots is not at all intrusive, as Bled carp are used to swimming among bathers.

After visiting the various spots to the left, right and near the campsite, you'll arrive at the famous Villa Bled. This area has become the reference point for all anglers, and you will find many films on the net of anglers fishing from this Villa, some of whom often achieve fabulous results.

Apart from the campsite area, the layout of the lake is very similar. The first very steep break just a few metres from the shore takes you immediately to depths of between 10 and 15 metres. Then there's a very gentle slope that gradually takes you down to the lake's abyssal depths of up to 30m. These great depths, which are of no interest to our fishing, are not generally accessible by casting from the shore.

It is common knowledge that fishing on the lake is reserved for those who get up early. If you're hoping to get a spot on the highly sought-after Villa Bled, don't hesitate to get up at the crack of dawn, or even get there in the middle of the night and wait quietly with a coffee for daybreak. However, be sure to check the regulations in force before choosing your spot, as certain areas are reserved depending on the time of year.

A little further on, as you head up the Villa Bled Lake towards the town centre, you'll come to a stop at the casino area. This is another easily accessible and highly productive area. It is important to remember that the Bled carp have assimilated our baits and seeds as an opportune source of food. These often coveted spots have become zones where the carp know that they will regularly find there what they need to refill their energy.

After this casino area, we come to the famous heart of the lake. And yes, Bled is known the world over as the "Lovers' Lake". The area near the red heart, where it is customary to take photos when visiting the lake as a couple, is also an interesting spot. The carp hold up well here and in summer it is even possible to stalk fish near the lily patches that line the banks. Here too, as everywhere else, long-distance fishing is out of the question. You'll need to keep your rods at a distance of between 5 and 60-70m from the shore.

Another hot spot on the lake is the area around the famous Villa Preseren Bled Restaurant (a very good one, by the way), where big fish like to hang out and are regularly caught. This spot, like the one at Villa Bled, is often highly coveted.

The last spots we mentioned are among the most popular on the lake, but that doesn't mean the others aren't productive. Carp can be caught almost anywhere around the lake. Admittedly, with a more or less comfortable set-up, but the most daring among you will be able to place rods and bait where carp are not used to finding them. This approach often reveals some wonderful surprises.

HOW TO FISH LAKE BLED

When it comes to strategy, there are several options: from fishing with a Sbomb and creating a carpet of particles, to using pure boilie baiting, both will work.

Personally, my successes on Lake Bled have always been built using light, pure boilie baiting. Around thirty fresh boilies per rod is more than enough. Don't forget that Bled carp are fished for from the beginning of April to the end of September without interruption. They are therefore familiar with heavy baiting and are wary of it.

Another parameter to take into account is the colour of your baits: yellow baits are undoubtedly those that catch the most carp in Bled. This is no doubt due to the colour of the water.

Several types of rig are possible, but I always succeed very well with just two rigs: The Spinner Rig that I use with our Fluorocarbon, and the Snowman, which is a little softer, made with our braided line. As for the hook, I have no doubts about it, and I trust our size 4 Lock, which has never failed me.

During my last session at Bled this June, I recorded 5 bites in 48 hours with 100% success, perfectly hooked fish and no losses. It is worth noting, your lines also need to be relatively strong, as the banks at Bled are particularly steep, and you'll need a line body that's highly resistant to abrasion. Get on the Dancefloor.

Hopefully, this short article has given you all the ingredients to make your trip to Lake Bled a memorable one. Enjoy the atmosphere and the magic that reigns on the lake. One thing is for sure, you won't come away from your trip to Slovenia unhappy, and the desire to return to this paradise lake will be ever-present in your mind.

Author and big carp hunter Stéphane Gentile is One More Cast's main man for all things France! He regularly shares his experiences and techniques on French waters in his blogs and on social media, with a string of special fish captures to his name.