Squalius cephalus

Chub

The big-mouthed, all-year opportunist of rivers and streams — it eats almost anything.

The chub is the river angler's year-round companion: a thick-set, big-mouthed opportunist that eats almost anything, from insects and fry to fruit, bread and crayfish. It is wary and quick to spook in clear water, yet bold enough to smash a surface lure, and it fights hard for the snag under the bank it came from. In winter it is often the only fish still feeding.

European chub · Common chub · Chevin · Chavender · Chub fish

Quick facts

Scientific name
Squalius cephalus
Family
Cyprinidae
Habitat
Freshwater
Typical size
25–45 cm
Maximum size
60 cm · 8 kg
Diet
Omnivore
Most active
Dawn, Day, Dusk
Spawning
April, May, June
Best fishing methods
Float, Lure, Bottom, Feeder, Fly
Best months
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

How to identify it

A powerful, cylindrical fish with a broad, flat head, a wide mouth with thick pale lips and large, dark-edged scales that give the flanks a netted, brassy look. The back is grey-green to bronze, the belly cream, the pelvic and anal fins orange-red, and the anal fin is convex (rounded outward) — the surest way to separate it from the ide and the dace, whose anal fins are concave. Ide are more silvery with a smaller head and mouth; asp have a much larger mouth with a hooked jaw and a deeply forked tail; small chub can also be confused with dace, but chub are stockier with a bigger head.

Where it lives

Chub are fish of running water above all: medium and small rivers and streams with a mix of pools and glides, but also large rivers, canals, reservoirs and lakes connected to rivers. They hold under overhanging trees, in undercut banks, beside sunken branches, rafts of floating debris, bridge pillars and weir pools, and cruise the shallows at dawn and dusk in summer. Small chub form shoals in fast, shallow water; big ones live alone or in small groups in the slower, deeper holes and under the heaviest cover. They tolerate cool upland streams as well as warm lowland rivers and are among the few species that keep feeding in near-freezing water and flood conditions.

RiverStreamLakeReservoirCanal

Season and behaviour

Chub spawn from April to June at 14–18 °C on gravel in fast, shallow water, and many countries protect them with a spring closed season. Once spawning is over, June brings ravenous fish that attack surface baits, lures and flies under the trees; summer is the top season for sight fishing in clear water, with dawn and dusk the best hours. Autumn chub feed hard on the bottom as the water cools and are less shy in coloured water after rain. Winter is the classic big-chub time: they feed on all but the coldest days, and a mild, overcast day with a slightly rising, tinted river is perfect. Chub are the most reliable winter fish in most European rivers.

Fishing methods

Chub reward a mobile, stealthy approach: walk the bank, find the cover and fish each spot for a few minutes. In summer, free-line a floating crust or a big bait under the trees, trot a stick float through glides with maggots or casters, or cast small crankbaits, spinners and surface lures along the bank. Fly anglers use large dry flies, beetle and grasshopper imitations and streamers. In autumn and winter, ledger a big bait — bread flake, cheese paste, a lobworm or a strip of meat — on a light running lead or a small feeder, cast tight to the cover, and wait for the rod tip to pull round; feeding a few free offerings upstream draws fish out of the snag. Use 0.18–0.25 mm line, a size 6–10 hook and a rod with a soft tip, and strike gently but firmly.

Free-lining a floating crustTrotting with a stick floatLedgering with a light lead or feederLure fishing with small crankbaits and spinnersFly fishing with dry flies and streamersStalking and sight fishing

Baits and lures

Chub eat almost anything, and big, smelly baits often beat small ones: bread crust and flake, cheese paste, lobworms, a strip of luncheon meat, slugs and large pellets are winter classics, while maggots, casters, sweetcorn and cherries take fish in summer. Small fish, crayfish and grasshoppers turn on the biggest chub. For lures, 3–6 cm crankbaits, small spinners, surface poppers and small soft plastics on light jig heads all work along the bank. Feed lightly and accurately — a handful of mashed bread or a few free offerings upstream of the swim.

Bread crust and flakeCheese pasteLobwormsLuncheon meatMaggots and castersSweetcornSmall crankbaits and spinnersLarge dry flies and streamers

Tips from the bank

  1. 01Approach every swim from downstream, stay low and keep off the skyline — chub in clear water spook long before you see them.
  2. 02Cast tight to cover: a bait a metre from the overhanging bush is often ignored, a bait under it is taken at once.
  3. 03In winter, fish a big smelly bait such as cheese paste or bread and give each spot no more than 20 minutes before moving on.
  4. 04A slightly rising, tea-coloured river after rain is the best winter chub water — fish the slacks just off the main flow.
  5. 05Wait for the tip to pull round rather than tremble; chub takes are bold, and an instant strike stops them reaching the snag.
  6. 06In summer, drift a floating crust or a large dry fly under the trees at dusk and hold on tight.
  7. 07Rest a swim after each fish — chub shoals switch off once one of them is caught.

Regulations

Chub are protected by a spring closed season and sometimes a minimum size in some European countries, and many rivers set daily limits or additional rules for trout and grayling waters where chub are also caught. Regulations differ by country, region and individual water and change over time, so check the current rules for the exact stretch before you fish. Shoalmap shows the closed season and any size or bag limit for each water in the app.

Where to catch Chub

Waters where Shoalmap's fishing reports list Chub.

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Related species

Frequently asked questions

How do I tell a chub from an ide or dace?

The chub has a broad head, a wide mouth with thick lips, large dark-edged scales and a convex, rounded anal fin. Ide are more silvery with a smaller head, and dace are slimmer with a concave anal fin. Asp have a much larger, hooked mouth and a deeply forked tail.

When is the best time to catch chub?

Chub feed all year. Summer gives exciting surface and sight fishing at dawn and dusk, while winter is the classic big-chub season: mild, overcast days with a slightly rising, coloured river are perfect, and chub often bite when nothing else does.

What is the best bait for chub?

Bread — crust and flake — and cheese paste are the classic baits, with lobworms, luncheon meat and large pellets close behind. In summer, maggots, casters, sweetcorn, small lures and big dry flies all take chub along the bank.

How big do chub get?

A typical river chub is 25–45 cm; a fish over 50 cm and 2 kg is a specimen, and 3 kg chub are rare trophies. Commonly cited maximums are about 60 cm and several kilos, with the very largest reported around 8 kg.

Is chub good to eat?

Chub is edible but bony, with soft, bland flesh, so most anglers release it. It is far more valued as a sporting fish — wary, hard-fighting and available all year — than as a table fish.

Find Chub near you

Shoalmap searches every reported water around you for Chub, scores today's catch odds and shows the closed season and minimum size that apply.

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Fishing information is compiled from public sources and AI-assisted research and is indicative only. Always verify current local regulations before you fish.

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