Freshwater · Late spring and summer

Silver Bream

Blicca bjoerkna

The silver bream is a deep-bodied little bream of slow lowland water, in the Netherlands the kolblei of polder canals. Its red eye is the key separator from young common bream. Shoals sift silt for larvae and take standard coarse baits willingly on warm evenings.

Seasons · Peak

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Silver Bream — Photo: Diego Rodríguez-Robredo, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons

Identifying features

Deep compressed silvery body like a small common bream
Red iris in the eye and reddish base to the pectoral fins
Anal fin long but shorter than common bream's, with 16-22 rays
Dorsal fin short-based; head larger in proportion than common bream's
Scales medium; flanks silvery rather than bronze

Habits

Shoals with common bream but stays smaller and feeds in the same silt
Upturned, protrusible mouth sifts bottom sediment for larvae
Most active in warm late-spring and summer evenings
Hybridises readily with common bream
Tolerates warm, low-oxygen lowland water well

Distribution

Polders & North Sea Coast, Netherlands · Netherlands★ Primary

Western Baltic, Germany · Baltic CoastCommon

Rhine & Inland Waters, Germany · Germany InlandCommon

Danube Basin · Central EuropeCommon

Carp Lowlands, Central Europe · Central EuropeCommon

Rivers & Lakes, England & Wales · United KingdomOccasional

Where to find them

Dutch canals and polder dykes — a mainstay there
Lowland river backwaters and marinas
Silty park lakes with common bream

Where they live

Slow lowland canals and dykesStill lakes and ponds with silt bottomsSlow river backwaters and marinas

How to catch them

Float fishing on canals and dykes Lake

Rig: Waggler or pole on canals, size 14-16 hook, bait on the bottom over a small cloud of groundbait

Bait/lure: Maggots, casters or bread over groundbait

Key tip: Fish exactly over the feed and fine-tune the depth — silver bream feed cautiously just over the silt.

Light feeder fishing on slow rivers River

Rig: Small open-end feeder on light feeder tackle, size 12-14 hook, in backwaters and marina edges

Bait/lure: Worms or sweetcorn over loose feed

Key tip: Fish late in the evening as shoals move onto the feed; bites are fast pulls on the tip.

Best baits & lures

Maggots and casters over groundbaitWorms and bread punchSweetcorn and small pellets

Techniques for Silver Bream →

Baseline setup

Rod: 12 ft float or light feeder rod
Line: 3-5 lb mono
Terminal: Size 12-16 hooks, small feeders and wagglers

Recommended gear for this species

Rod · Best value

9' 5-weight fly rod outfit

≈ US$180-260

Covers chironomid lakes and small rivers with one setup.

Flies · Budget

Chironomid assortment (30 patterns)

≈ US$25-40

Chironomids are 60% of a lake rainbow's diet in spring.

Picks come from our rule library — never paid placements. Prices are guides; affiliate links may earn us a commission.

Typical size

Common 4-10 oz (0.11-0.28 kg), 6-10 in (15-25 cm); large fish to about 1 lb (0.45 kg) and 14 in (35 cm)

On the table

Poor — small, soft and bony; almost always released.

Similar species

Common BreamCommon bream grows far larger (to 10 lb+), is bronze-olive with a tiny head and a longer anal fin (23-30 rays); silver bream stays under about 1 lb, is silvery with a red eye and red pectoral-fin base

Regulations vary by area and can change in-season — always check the official rules for your area before you fish. Regulations guide →

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