The principal areas of glass eel fishing are on the west coasts of Spain, France and the United Kingdom.
There is some fishing in the Mediterranean sea in Spain, France and Italy.

The first glass eels are caught in Portugal during October and then Spain in November and December. The official fishing season in France is from November 15th to April 15th, with a special extension on the River Loire to April 20th. There may not be any significant catches until the end of December or the start of January. The start of the fishing season is very dependant on weather conditions and can vary from year to year. The main catching season is from January to March.There is no fishing on the weekend from March onwards. Flood conditions and cold weather with temperatures near freezing will significantly reduce catches.  

Power fishing of glass eels
On the River Loire