In order to gain information about seasonal and interannual variations of CH4-fluxes at a spruce control site, a limed spruce site and a beech site of the Hoglwald Forest, Bavaria, Germany, complete annual cycles of CH4-exchange between the soil and the atmosphere with 2-hourly resolution were followed for 4 consecutive years. The ranges of CH4 fluxes observed for the different sites were: +12.4 to −69.4 μg CH4 m−2 h−1 (spruce control site), +11.7 to −51.4 μg CH4 m−2 h−1 (limed spruce site), and −4.4 to −167.3 μg CH4 m−2 h−1 (beech site). Lowest rates of atmospheric CH4-uptake or even a weak net-emission of CH4 by the soils were observed during winter/spring times, whereas highest rates of CH4-uptake were always found in summer/spring. Over the entire observation period of 4 years, mean CH4-uptake rates were −1.82 kg CH4-C ha−1 yr−1 at the spruce control site, −1.31 kg CH4-C ha−1 yr−1 at the limed spruce site, and −4.84 kg CH4-C ha−1 yr−1 at the beech site. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that in view of the huge interannual variations in CH4-fluxes of approx. 1 kg CH4-C ha−1 yr−1, multiple year measurements of CH4-fluxes are necessary to accurately characterize the sink strength of temperate forest for atmospheric CH4. By comparison of CH4-fluxes measured at the spruce control site and the limed spruce site, a significant negative effect of forest floor liming on CH4-uptake could be demonstrated. Compared to the spruce stand, the beech stand showed on average approx. 3 times higher rates of atmospheric CH4-uptake, most likely due to pronounced differences between both sites with regard to the organic layer structure and bulk density of the mineral soil. Regression analysis between CH4-fluxes and environmental parameters revealed that at all sites the dominating factors regulating temporal variations of CH4 fluxes were soil moisture and soil temperature. Field measurements of CH4 concentrations in the soil profile and laboratory measurements of CH4-oxidation and CH4-production activity on soil samples taken from different soil depths showed that the CH4-flux at the Hoglwald Forest sites is the net-result of simultaneous occurring production and consumption of CH4 within the soil. Highest CH4-oxidation activity was found in the uppermost centimeters of the mineral soil, whereas highest potential CH4-production activity was found in the organic layer.