The crystal-clear waters that embrace Qatar offer an amazing fishing trip experience for you, your friends, and family. Whether you're a novice or a professional, going on a fishing trip in Qatar can never be disappointing, as the country offers up many mesmerizing fishing spots including beaches, islands, and channels that will satisfy your hunger for the open water, and provide a great time out for all.

The azure blue waters are teeming with a huge a variety of species such as King Mackerel, Barracuda, Queen Fish, Kobia, Sheri, Snapper, Hammour, and many more. So let’s go fishing for the best spots to provide the greatest thrills, the best sport, a huge catch, or the opportunity to enjoy life with some great boat crews and fishermen, and talk about 'the one that got away'!

Best Fishing Spots in Qatar

There are many beautiful, exotic locations for fishing that will give you both immense satisfaction and a yearning desire return and fish again and again. The following are four of the best:

Halat Umm al Khayfan

In the area of Ruqq Quraynayn, east of Al Wakrah, a shallow area can be found which is known as Halat Umm al Khayfan. Rubble Tower is a lighthouse present in the centre of Halat Umm al Khayfan. Around the lighthouse, you can see beautiful shallows with small drop-off areas that make it an ideal spot for fishing.

Al Aaliya Island and Al Safliya Island

These two islands are situated to the east of Doha and are very good spots for drift fishing, or for using luring techniques to catch top-quality fish. And, your visit here won't be restricted to simply fishing. You can discover many artificial structures and developments along the periphery of the shore that make these islands an intriguing must-visit.

Doha Main Navigation Channel

This primary navigation channel can also be used for recreational fishing, albeit with caution. The waters can often be crowded, and it's essential to be alert and maintain a safe distance from bigger vessels, particularly those from the Qatari Navy, container ships, and other private vessels. You must also ensure that your boat doesn’t cause any hindrance or disruption to others.

Doha SSE to Doha Buoy Channel

This marked channel can be located by passing Banana Island, heading southeast and then moving towards Al Wakrah. In the main channel, the water depth is about 12 metres and then steadily increases ranging from 25 to 30 metres. Although the water isn't particularly deep, it still offers good concentrations of fish. A useful tip here is to stick to the edge of the channel.

Precautions

To have an enjoyable and safe fishing trip, it's essential to learn, remember, and observe the following safety precautions and measures:

• You should have made the necessary arrangements to fully equip your boat with such safety essentials as life vests, fire extinguisher, GPS devices, depth estimator, a communication device (preferably HF device), an anchor, navigation lights, and mooring ropes.
• You must always carry your Vessel Registration and National Identification Card.
• Especially in the summer season, please make sure you're carrying plenty of drinking water to prevent dehydration during fishing. Other essentials should include sunglasses, large hats such as a cowboy hat, sunscreen lotion with a high SPF, and clothes that can cover the whole body.
• A first-aid kit should always be available to treat anyone feeling nauseous or light-headed. If their medical situation deteriorates, immediately return to land and seek medical attention.
• Before returning back to the shore, report to the Coast Guard telling them of your arrival and keep that record for any future reference.
• You should avoid sailing into areas where the water is very deep unless you're an experienced navigator, or you have such a navigator on board.

Are there any fishing trip organisers in Qatar?

Well, the answer is - yes! There are some organizers in Qatar who offer fishing trips along with an experienced captain, insurance, and all the other required safety tools! An experienced captain should be able to tell you where the fish like to hang out and, in the event that you don't get a bite, the captain would at least know of another spot to explore where your chances of reeling in a big one would improve. If you're inexperienced with fishing, find below some Doha-based trip organizers for a safe and memorable experience!

• Qatar International Tours Location: Al-Rawabi Street, Al Muntazah Price: QR 3,000 (6 people) Phone: (+974) 5586-4568 Email: [email protected] Website: http://qittour.com
• Qatar International Adventures Location: Al-Rawabi Street, Al Muntazah Building Price: QR 2,500 (6 people/4 Hours) Phone: (+974) 4455-3954 Email: [email protected] Website: https://qia-qatar.com

Where can I find the right equipment?

Before you head out to fish these fabulous spots, you should have all the necessary fishing equipment, which includes boats, fishing reels, fishing rods and lures, to name a few. Find below some shops in Doha who sell fishing equipment.

• Dolphin Est. Location: Al Rayyan Complex, Rayyan Road Phone no: (+974) 4442-5291

• Blue Whale Marine W.L.L Location: Near Olympic Sports Phone no: (+974) 4029-5332

• Al Mamzoore Marine Equipment Location: Old Salata Phone no: (+974) 4444-4238

• Al Kashat Fishing & Hunting Equipment Location: Shop No 14, Souq Waqif Phone no: (+974) 7005-7489

Follow the tips above and you, your friends, and family are sure to have an enjoyable, exciting fishing experience in the waters around Qatar – and you may even return home sporting a trophy-sized catch!

Feeling adventurous? Do you love fishing? Which spot is your favourite for a good catch? Let us know in the comments section below -- and don't forget to like and share this article!

(Cover image credit: 8rbsuperb/Flickr)

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Khadiza Begum

Content Writer

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