Lemon Sole
Tongschar is a native North Sea flatfish caught commercially by the Dutch fleet operating in FAO area 27. It rarely turns up on a sport angler's line, but shore and pier anglers targeting flounder and sole along the Dutch coast occasionally land one.
The bulk of the catch moves through processors at Urk before heading to UK and German markets.
Scientific Name: Microstomus kitt
Also known as Tongschar, steenschol
- Deep, oval body with a distinctly small head and very small mouth — noticeably more rounded than common sole or plaice.
- Upper side is reddish-brown with marbled darker and paler blotches; a characteristic orange patch sits just behind the pectoral fin.
- Skin is unusually slimy with a faint pearlescent sheen — slippery to handle compared to other flatfish.
- Typical adults run to around 30 cm; commercial fish from the North Sea generally fall in a similar range.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to the Netherlands; found in the southern North Sea as part of its broader northeast Atlantic range (FAO area 27).
- A demersal species that prefers mixed bottoms — stony ground with sand — rather than the soft mud favoured by common sole.
- Lives at depths of roughly 20 to 220 metres; most commercial catches come from deeper offshore grounds rather than the shallow inshore zone.
- Fairly common in Dutch waters according to historical survey data, though not abundant enough inshore to be a reliable sport target.
Key Locations
- The southern North Sea broadly — Dutch commercial vessels work FAO area 27 grounds offshore from the Dutch coast.
- Urk is the main landing and processing hub in the Netherlands, with companies like Neerlandia handling daily North Sea catches.
- Shore anglers occasionally encounter tongschar along the Dutch North Sea coast, particularly where sandy beaches give way to coarser mixed bottom.
Specific Spots
- Mixed sand-and-stone bottom is the key habitat; where the seabed transitions from clean sand to gravel or shell hash, tongschar concentrate.
- Deeper water (below 20 m) holds the bulk of the population — inshore catches near the Dutch coast are incidental rather than targeted.
- Shore anglers occasionally pick them up alongside flounder and sole along sandy beaches and harbour structures, particularly where coarser substrate is nearby.
Lemon Sole FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Lemon Sole?
Ragworm and lugworm on small hooks (size 2–4) fished on a bottom rig are the most practical baits, the small mouth means large hooks and bulky baits will be missed. Sandworm or small strips of fresh fish (herring, mackerel) also work when worm bait is unavailable; keep the bait presentation tight to the seabed.
When is the best time to fish for Lemon Sole?
Commercial catches run year-round from North Sea grounds, with no defined closed season for sport anglers. Inshore incidental catches by shore anglers tend to follow the same seasonal pattern as flounder and sole, late spring through autumn when flatfish move into shallower coastal areas.
How do you catch Lemon Sole?
Tongschar is almost exclusively a commercial species in the Netherlands, caught by bottom trawlers working North Sea grounds and processed at Urk.
What do Lemon Sole eat?
Feeds on small bottom-dwelling invertebrates, worms, small crustaceans, and molluscs, which is why baited rigs with ragworm or lugworm are the most likely way a shore angler would accidentally catch one.
Where do Lemon Sole live?
Native to the Netherlands; found in the southern North Sea as part of its broader northeast Atlantic range (FAO area 27). A demersal species that prefers mixed bottoms, stony ground with sand, rather than the soft mud favoured by common sole.
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