Where to go Fishing in Mongolia
The Mongolia is home to some of the best fishing opportunities on the planet. The Siberian Taimen can be found throughout much of south eastern Russia as well as in the many rivers of the Mongolia. They can be found in all of the major river basins such as the Onon River of NE, Mongolia, Eg, Delgermurun, Shishged River, and Selenge River of Northern Mongolia, and Chuluut, Orkhon, Tuul River of central Mongolia, as well as their tributaries. The largest Taimen are often found in the remote stretches of the larger river systems where food is more abundant, but meter long fish can also be found higher in the watersheds. The largest Taimen are often lethargic, occupying deeper bends, eddies, and log jams until they are ready for a meal. That is darn good fishing by any standards. Throw-in the fact that you are fishing the same waters where the biggest trout in the world lurks (the mighty Taimen) it really must get into ones bucket list.
Their diets mainly consist of Grayling, Lenok trout, and other fishes of the river. They are not afraid to indulge in the abundant hoppers and other insects that make their way on to the surface during low water periods. Their opportunistic nature can also put the stray field mouse or duckling on the menu as well. Sinking lines and lazy streamers crawled along the bottom are the best option for finding success when targeting these apex predators.
We will take a dive into each of these locations as we discuss The Best Fishing in Mongolia.
Amur trout of Mongolia
Amur Trout of Mongolia
The Amur Trout, or Blunt Snouted trout (Brachymystax tumensis), can only be found in the easternmost drainages of the country. The Onon River is the largest of the watersheds and a direct tributary of the Amur River in Russia. These trout often exceed 20″ in size with 24″ specimens showing up regularly. Everything is on the menu for the Amur Trout as they try to grow during the warmer months. Nymphs, Dry flies, big streamers, and mouse patterns are all in play. While smaller Lenok may stack up in groups, larger individuals are often more solitary. These fish can be found in the smallest of tributaries to the larger sections of river.
Lenok trout of Mongolia
Mongolian Sharp Snouted Lenok trout
Don’t let their smaller, ventrally oriented mouth fool you, the Sharp Snouted Lenok, Brachymystax lenok, are aggressive eaters much like their Amur Trout cousins. While their underbite is similar to that of the grayling which predominately feeds on smaller insects, these lenok will not hesitate to crush a larger streamer that crosses their path. Their body shapes are often more elongated than the Amur Trout which are more dense. While both of these lenok can exceed 30″ , the sharp snouted lenok are often a bit smaller.
Sharp snouted lenok are found in all of the major watersheds of Mongolia, the Chuluut, Selenge, Shishged, and Onon Rivers.
Grayling of Mongolia
Mongolia has the largest diversity of grayling species in the world alongside Russia. Four species can be found within its borders including the Arctic Grayling, Siberian Grayling, Mongolian Grayling and Amur Grayling. These species are all found in different watersheds across the country.
The Arctic Grayling has the largest distribution of any grayling species around the world. In Mongolia, it is limited to a handful of rivers in the central and northern part of the country.
Arctic Grayling
Mongolian Grayling
Amur Grayling of Mongolia
The Siberian Grayling can be found in the Shishged River basin which flows northward into central Siberia. It is the most brightly colored of Mongolia’s Grayling.
Siberian Grayling of Mongolia
The Mongolian Grayling is likely the largest species of Grayling in the world. These Grayling occupy 3 lakes and their connecting rivers of western Mongolia near the Kazakh border. These predatory grayling feed on both insects and other fishes. The largest individuals regularly exceed 24″ in length.
While the Mongolian Grayling may be the largest in the world, the Amur Grayling of eastern Mongolia is one of the smallest grayling species. Found in the headwaters of the Onon River, a larger tributary of the Amur River in Russia, these grayling don’t often exceed 12″ in length. While they can be found in the larger sections of river, they often prefer smaller tributaries and backwater channels.
