The Best Fishing Spots in Abu Dhabi
In Abu Dhabi recreational fishing offers varied options from mangrove and shore outings to reef and offshore boat trips; common targets include hamour (grouper), kingfish, queenfish, various trevally, barracuda, cobia and tuna, while smaller catches like snapper, emperor and needlefish are frequent; anglers use light tackle on the flats, spinning and topwater techniques near reefs and wrecks, or jigging and trolling in the nearby bluewater for pelagics.
Top Cities For Fishing
Sea Fishing
Abu Dhabi
(2 km to coast)
Al Shamkhah City
(16 km to coast)
Ar Ruways
(5 km to coast)
Bani Yas City
(18 km to coast)
Khalifah A City
(4 km to coast)
Masdar City
(5 km to coast)
Mohammed Bin Zayed City
(9 km to coast)
Musaffah
(1 km to coast)
Shakhbout City
(12 km to coast)
Top Saltwater Fishing Spots
Al Raha Beach
Accessible sands and nearby canal entrances around Al Raha Beach offer easy casting to sheri, bream, and occasional queenfish; twilight tides along riprap and marina mouths are prime for lures and small live baits.
Jebel Dhanna
Coastal waters around Jebel Dhanna feature piers, rock arms, and sandy drop-offs that hold hamour, sheri, and roaming queenfish; boats probing deeper contours turn up cobia and kingfish during peak runs.
Al Lulu Island
Just off the Corniche, this low-lying island is ringed by drop-offs and artificial structure attracting hamour, emperor (sheri), and hunting barracuda; boats working the leeward edges and gaps between reef patches find steady sport, with seasonal passes of cobia and kingfish.
Yas Island
A network of channels, bridges, and marina edges around Yas Marina creates current seams that draw queenfish, trevally, and barracuda, while boats drifting the outer island edges encounter roaming cobia and kingfish; the mix of open-water rips and eddies near the causeways suits lures and live bait.
Saadiyat Island
Open beaches and nearshore bars along the Gulf side provide classic surf conditions where anglers target queenfish, sheri, and bream on moving tides; deeper gutters and the edges near the northern points of Jazirat Saadiyat see action from cruising kingfish during cooler months.
Khalifa Port
Off the vast man-made breakwaters of Khalifa Port , boats work drop-offs and current-swept corners where kingfish, cobia, and barracuda patrol; jigging and trolling along the outer walls also turns up hamour on structure.
Al Bateen
This waterfront district faces productive channels and bridge spans linking to Al Hudayriat Island , where moving water concentrates sheri, bream, and night-time hamour; casting metals into surface activity often connects with queenfish and trevally.
Dalma Island
A historic island with piers, reefs, and nearshore ledges that attract emperor (sheri), hamour, and prowling trevally; shore casting around the ferry terminal area produces steady bites, while boats find pelagics along the outer reef edges of Dalma Island .
Al Hudayriat Island
Bridges, rock revetments, and sandy coves around Hudayriat Island create ambush structure for sheri, bream, and night-feeding hamour; tidal movement through the bridge spans also brings in trevally and queenfish for lure casters.