The river lamprey is found throughout the coast of the German North Sea and its associated river systems such as the Elbe, Weser and Ems (Ref. 12285, 51031). It occurs in the Rhine area (where it is most concentrated) to Baden-Württemberg and the Elbe region to Saxony (Ref. 88172). Also Ref. 89241. Adult river lampreys have been found in several rivers of Schleswig-Holstein draining into the North Sea in electro-fishing surveys conducted between 1985 and 1996 (Ref. 41851).

In the Baltic Sea, the river lamprey was historically (1649-1939) common in Kiel Bay, the Bay of Mecklenburg, the mouth of the Warnow River and around Ruegen Island (Ref. 88173). Today it may still occur throughout the coast of the German Baltic Sea and its associated river systems (Ref. 88174, 88175) and is known from the Odra catchment area to Brandenburg (Ref. 88172). There are recent records (1990-2005) from Salzhaff, the Warnow River, Recknitz River, around Ruegen Island, the Pomeranian Bay and from Szczecin Lagoon and adjacent waters and also a few records from the EEZ of the German Baltic Sea (Ref. 88173). Only 9 spawning sites are known from German tributaries of the Baltic Sea (Ref. 88171). Spawning populations are known to be small, with only 20-100 individuals (Ref. 88176).

Threat status: Endangered in 1984 (Ref. 27368) and strongly endangered in 1992 (Ref. 33852). Critically endangered in the German Baltic Sea in 1996 (Ref. 88159). Vulnerable in Schleswig-Holstein in 2002 (Ref. 88198); critically endangered in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in 2002 (Ref. 88199); endangered in Lower Saxony in 1993 (Ref. 88200). Year-round protection in Schleswig-Holstein (Ref. 41851).

The status of the river lamprey assessed according to the latest national report for the habitats directive reporting period 2000-2006 was “unfavourable / inadequate” for the Atlantic biogeographic region (German North Sea) and “unfavourable / bad” for the Continental biogeographic region (German Baltic Sea) (Ref. 88158, 88160).

Human activities in the German North and Baltic seas and adjacent river systems that might affect river lampreys: obstructions in rivers, fisheries, chemical pollution, sediment removal, eutrophication and channel deepening (Ref. 83294, 88171).