Rivers and lakes in the north of Montenegro. I guide all of them, and I am not based in one town.
Request your datesA relief map of Montenegro with the rivers Tara, Lim, Ljuča and Ćehotina, the lakes Plav Lake, Biogradsko Lake and Black Lake, the coast, the national parks, the highest peaks, the cities and the two airports. The waters are the thumbnails under the map, the places are listed under it, and the water cards follow further down.
Montenegro's capital, low on the Zeta plain where the Ribnica runs into the Morača. The old quarter keeps its Ottoman clock tower, Sahat Kula, and the ruins of ancient Doclea lie just outside the city. Vineyards cover Ćemovsko polje beside it, and Lake Skadar is the next stop beyond.
The old royal capital, a quiet town at 672 m in the shadow of Lovćen. See King Nikola's Palace, the Biljarda of the poet-ruler Njegoš and Cetinje Monastery, then the museums the town is known for. Lovćen and the Njegoš mausoleum stand above it, and Lipa Cave is close by.
An industrial and student town on the Nikšić field, known across the country for its beer. Trebjesa hill and Krupac lake are the local outings, and Vučje is the ski centre. Look for the stone Tsar's Bridge, built with the help of the Russian emperor Alexander III.
Montenegro's northernmost town, on the Ćehotina. Two buildings are worth the stop: Hussein Pasha's mosque from the sixteenth century, with its old manuscripts, and the Monastery of the Holy Trinity with its treasury. A lookout nearby shows the meanders of the Ćehotina, and the local cheese has its own name.
A town in the Lim valley by the Serbian border; its name means "white field". In its Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul the Cyrillic manuscript known as Miroslav's Gospel was written. The Lim here is fished and paddled, and Đalovića cave lies in the hills nearby.
A town in the Lim valley below Bjelasica. Its landmark is the medieval monastery of Đurđevi Stupovi, and the Polim Museum is in the centre. People ski at Lokve in winter, and the national tourist board singles out the Lim here for its fly fishing.
A town of stairways at the foot of Mount Orjen, where the Bay of Kotor opens to the sea. Walk the old town with its two squares and its fortresses, Kanli Kula, Forte Mare and Španjola, then the 6 km seafront promenade. Offshore lies the island of Mamula.
A walled old town at the inner end of the Bay of Kotor, under UNESCO protection since 1979. High stone walls climb from the sea to the fortress on the hill; the climb gives the classic view down the bay. Inside are small squares, churches, palaces and the town's many cats.
A small town on the Bay of Kotor, with Tivat airport beside it. Its tourist office lists the town park, Vrmac hill, the village of Gornja Lastva and two islands, Sveti Marko and Miholjska Prevlaka. At the Solila wetland about 114 bird species are recorded, sometimes flamingos among them.
A coastal town more than 2,500 years old, by the national tourist board's count. The walled old town holds a citadel, six churches in a small space and an archaeological museum whose finds run from Illyrians, Greeks and Romans to Venetians. Small hidden beaches line the Budva riviera on both sides.
A town on the southern coast. The sight is Stari Bar, the ruined old town set back from the sea, where east and west once met: restored palaces, churches, an aqueduct and Turkish baths stand among the walls. The national tourist board calls it the Pompeii of Montenegro.
A town at the southern end of Montenegro's coast with a pirate past: its old town was a corsair base from 1571, and Cervantes is said to have been held here. Beside it runs Velika plaža, a very long beach of fine sand, and beyond that Ada Bojana.
A mountain town on the right bank of the Tara at 954 m, at the foot of Bjelasica and Sinjajevina. Two ski centres stand above it; in summer there are marked trails, the katuns of the high pastures and Biogradska Gora National Park next door. Try the layered "lisnati" cheese.
A small town on the Tara, set between Bjelasica, Sinjajevina and two national parks, Biogradska Gora and Durmitor. Nearby are the archaeological sites of medieval Brskovo, and the stone bridge over the Tara is the local landmark. Hiking, cycling, horse riding and paragliding all start here.
The mountain town of Durmitor, at about 1,450 m; the national tourist board calls it the highest town in the Balkans. Black Lake and the park's visitor centre are beside it, marked trails leave for the peaks, and the Tara canyon belongs to the same park. In winter people ski and snowshoe.
A town on Plav Lake, ringed by high mountains, where the Ljuča enters the lake and the Lim leaves it. See the Old Mosque on its hill and the Redžepagić Tower. Prokletije National Park begins here, and the Peaks of the Balkans trail passes through on its way to Albania and Kosovo.
A town of about 2,000 people at the foot of Prokletije, on the border with Albania. A mosque, an Orthodox church and a Catholic church stand on the same street. Ali Pasha's springs are nearby, and the valleys of Grebaje and Ropojana lead into the national park.
A small town on the Lim below the Komovi, whose three peaks pass 2,400 m. Mountaineers set out from here with local guides, and anglers fish the Lim. On the table: trout with lemon and kačamak, best eaten in the eco-katuns up on the summer pastures.
Podgorica Airport (TGD) lies at Golubovci on the Zeta plain, south of the capital, and is run by Airports of Montenegro. It is the inland airport of the two: on this map it sits nearer the northern mountains, the Tara and the Lim than Tivat does.
Tivat Airport (TIV) lies on the coast at Tivat, beside the Bay of Kotor, and is run by Airports of Montenegro. It is the airport for Kotor, Budva and the seaside, and most of its traffic comes in the summer season. The northern rivers are farther from here than from Podgorica.
A national park since 1952 and on UNESCO's World Heritage list since 1980. It protects the Durmitor massif, with 48 peaks above 2,000 m and 18 glacial lakes, and the canyon of the Tara. Start at Black Lake beside Žabljak, the largest and best known of the lakes.
A national park since 1952, on forest that Montenegro's ruler set aside as his own reserve in 1885. It protects an old-growth forest, glacial lakes and the high pastures of Bjelasica up to Crna Glava at 2,139 m. The sight is Biogradsko Lake, deep in the forest, with an easy path round it.
Montenegro's youngest national park, founded in 2009 in the municipalities of Plav and Gusinje. It protects the wild peaks along the Albanian border; the park gives Zla Kolata, 2,534 m, as the highest point in the country. See the Grebaje valley and Hridsko Lake, known as the Lake of Happiness.
A national park since 1952, between Cetinje and the coast. It protects the karst mountain of Lovćen, whose top is Štirovnik at 1,749 m; the golden eagle is its symbol. The sight is the Njegoš mausoleum on Jezerski vrh, 1,657 m, reached by 461 steps, with a view over much of Montenegro.
A national park since 1983 on the Montenegrin side of Lake Skadar, which the park describes as the largest lake in the Balkans, shared with Albania. A Ramsar wetland since 1995, with more than 270 bird species. Go out by boat from Virpazar, Vranjina, Plavnica or Rijeka Crnojevića.
The highest peak of Durmitor, 2,523 m, and the highest point that lies entirely inside Montenegro. The usual route starts at the Sedlo pass: a marked trail of three to four hours up, with steel cables on the last stretch. Best from June to October; snow can linger into early summer.
Zla Kolata, 2,534 m, stands on the Albanian border above the Ropojana valley; the national park names it the highest point in Montenegro. Its neighbours Dobra Kolata and Rosni vrh are only a few metres lower. The park's marked day walks start lower down, in the Grebaje valley.
Kom Kučki, 2,487 m, is the highest of the three Komovi peaks, above Andrijevica and Kolašin. The marked route listed by Kolašin's tourist office is about 7 km with some 720 m of climbing, around three hours. A circular trail of nearly 19 km goes right round the massif.
Crna Glava, 2,139 m, is the highest point of Bjelasica and of Biogradska Gora National Park. Six marked trails lead from the park to the high peaks and the small glacial lakes below them. Another route climbs from the Vranjak katun over Zekova Glava, among the summer pastures.
Sinjajevina is a high plateau of summer pastures and katuns west of Kolašin and Mojkovac. Its highest point, Torna, also called Babji zub, is 2,277 m by Kolašin's tourist office. The marked trail to it is short but steep: 5.4 km with about 1,100 m of climbing, some three and a half hours.
Hajla, 2,403 m, stands on the border with Kosovo above Rožaje. Climbers come up from both countries, and the Peaks of the Balkans and Via Dinarica long-distance trails run through these mountains. The national tourist board likens its slopes to a botanical garden; in winter Rožaje skis here.
Jezerski vrh, 1,657 m, is Lovćen's second peak and carries the mausoleum of Petar II Petrović Njegoš, prince-bishop and poet. The last stretch is 461 steps. Walkers can take the marked trail from the Ivanova korita visitor centre: 4.8 km, about two hours, moderately hard.
Orjen is the mountain behind Herceg Novi. Its top, Veliki kabao (also Zubački kabao), is 1,894 m, which the town's tourist board gives as the highest point of the coastal Dinarides. Orjen Nature Park has a dense network of marked trails for easy and hard days, past old shepherds' katuns.
The canyon of the Tara, part of Durmitor National Park and on UNESCO's list with it. The park gives its depth as 1,333 m and calls it the deepest canyon in Europe. People raft the river from April to October, and marked trails from Žabljak lead to viewpoints on the rim, such as Ćurevac.
A concrete road bridge of five arches over the Tara canyon, designed by Mijat Trojanović and built between 1938 and 1940; its main arch spans 116 m. One arch was blown up in 1942 and the bridge reopened in 1946. Walk out and look down more than 150 m to the river.
The largest and best known of Durmitor's 18 glacial lakes, at about 1,416 m beside Žabljak. It is two basins, Veliko and Malo, joined by a narrow strait, and its water drains to both the Tara and the Piva. An easy marked path of about 3.6 km goes right round the shore.
A glacial lake at 1,094 m in the old forest of Biogradska Gora National Park, up to 12 m deep. An easy educational trail of 3.3 km circles the shore in about 40 minutes. It is the largest of the park's lakes.
A glacial lake at about 907 m below Prokletije, beside the town of Plav; the local tourist office calls it the largest glacial lake in Montenegro. The Ljuča flows in and the Lim flows out. People swim here in summer and go out in kayaks and pedal boats.
A monastery set into a rock face at about 900 m, with frescoed cave churches from the seventeenth century. The national tourist board counts it among the most visited shrines of the Orthodox world. Pilgrims climb to it on foot through the forest; it lies between Podgorica and Nikšić.
A monastery built in 1252 beside the Morača river, on the road between Kolašin and Podgorica, founded by Stefan, a grandson of Stefan Nemanja. It has two churches and a monks' residence. In the main church look for the thirteenth-century fresco of the raven feeding the prophet Elijah.
The inner Bay of Kotor is a UNESCO World Heritage site, listed in 1979 as the Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor: fortified towns, palaces and monasteries on terraced slopes above the water. Kotor and Perast are its two historic centres.
Medieval carved tombstones in two small graveyards south of Žabljak: Grčko groblje by Riblje Lake and Bare Žugića. They belong to the Stećci World Heritage site, 28 graveyards shared by four countries, with stones cut from the twelfth to the sixteenth century.
A village built on a rock in the sea, joined to the shore by a strip of sand with a reddish beach on each side. The whole village is an exclusive hotel, so for most visitors it is a view to stop for from the shore, not a place to walk through.
Springs at the foot of Prokletije beside Gusinje, one of the sights the national tourist board lists for the town. The Ropojana valley beyond them holds the Grlja canyon, the Oko Skakavice spring and waterfalls, all inside the national park.
A reservoir on the Piva river, with the small town of Plužine on its shore. Around it are the Piva and Komarnica canyons and the sixteenth-century Piva Monastery, which was moved stone by stone to its present site.
A show cave beside Cetinje with about 2.5 km of passages and halls; the national tourist board says it is the only cave in Montenegro open to organised tourist visits. Guided tours of about an hour leave at set times, and the visit starts with a small train.
A small riverside place on an arm of Lake Skadar, inside the national park. Boats leave from here onto the lake, and a marked trail runs to Komarno. Above it the Pavlova strana viewpoint looks over the spot where the Crnojevića river winds into the lake.
Relief: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (SRTM, NASA; EU-DEM © European Union, Copernicus). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. The shapes are simplified; the relief is shaded from open elevation data.
If you ask where to fly fish in Montenegro, these rivers and lakes are my answer. I guide all of them. I am not based in one town: I guide across the north and meet you where you are staying when you are in a town by the waters; from further away we arrange the pickup. Pick a water on the map, or in the list under it.
Grayling and brown trout live in all of these rivers. In the fly fishing zones you can fish all year, when the water level allows. The best months are June to October. Every river has easy access, and I take you to wilder stretches if you ask.
The Tara flows north past Kolašin and on to Mojkovac. I guide it at Kolašin, inside Biogradska Gora National Park and at Mojkovac. The fish are mostly grayling, with brown trout. Wading. In the fly fishing zones you can fish it all year, when the water level allows; the best months are June to October.
The Lim flows out of Plav Lake at Plav and on past Andrijevica and Berane. I guide all three sections. The fish are mainly grayling, with brown trout. Wading. In the fly fishing zones you can fish it all year, when the water level allows; the best months are June to October.
The Ljuča is the river that feeds Plav Lake. It holds the biggest grayling of the waters I guide, and it is hard dry-fly water. Wading. In the fly fishing zones you can fish it all year, when the water level allows; the best months are June to October.
The Ćehotina is a wild river for euro nymphing. Grayling come first, with brown trout. It is a day of its own. Wading, euro nymphing. In the fly fishing zones you can fish it all year, when the water level allows; the best months are June to October.
The lakes are summer water. No lake is fished after 1 October.
Plav Lake is a glacial lake at the foot of the Prokletije. I guide here from a boat. The fish are Blatnjača, the lake's own trout, and brown trout. Fished from a boat, 1 May to 1 October.
Biogradsko Lake lies in Biogradska Gora National Park, near Kolašin. I guide here from the bank, for brown trout and lake char. Fished from the bank, 1 May to 1 October.
Black Lake lies at Žabljak, in Durmitor National Park. I guide here from the bank, for brown trout and lake char. It is a day of its own. Fished from the bank, 1 May to 1 October.
The towns to stay in: Kolašin, Mojkovac, Plav, Andrijevica, Berane, Žabljak
Fish and seasons shows which fish live in which water.
Everything on one page, from the rivers to the price of a day: Fly fishing in Montenegro: the complete guide.
Beside its neighbours: Montenegro, Slovenia or Bosnia for a fly fishing trip?
Biogradsko Lake is in Biogradska Gora National Park and Black Lake is in Durmitor National Park. I arrange every permit for every water on this page, those park permits too. Permits and lunch are included in the price. If you stay in a town by the waters, I drive you on the fishing day. Pickup from further away is by arrangement.
If you want to fish several of these waters in one visit, look at Multi-day trips. In one day you can fish the Tara with Biogradsko Lake, or Plav Lake with the Ljuča and the Lim. The Ćehotina and Black Lake are days of their own.
Name a water in your request, or leave the choice to me. I reply myself, within one day.
Write in English. I reply myself, within one day.
Until my own photographs are in, the cards show free-licensed photographs. Each is credited here, and none shows me or a fish caught with me.
Map: Relief: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (SRTM, NASA; EU-DEM © European Union, Copernicus). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (licence). The shapes are simplified; the relief is shaded from open elevation data.
