Fishing Regulations

What a visiting angler actually needs in each of the 19 countries AnglerDeck covers, with a link to the official authority in every case. Always fish responsibly and legally.

Important disclaimer

Fishing regulations change frequently. The information on this page is for general guidance only. Always verify current regulations with official local authorities before fishing. AnglerDeck is not responsible for any violations resulting from outdated information.

Australia

Australia licenses fishing state by state, and the rules change as you cross a border. New South Wales requires the Recreational Fishing Fee for both fresh and salt water, and you must carry the receipt while fishing. The Northern Territory requires no recreational fishing licence at all. Confirm with the agency for the state you are fishing before you travel, because none of them defers to the others.

United States

State fish and wildlife agencies, not the federal government, license fishing in the United States, and every state sets its own rules. You need a licence from the state where you fish; most sell online, by phone or through retail agents. State waters generally run from the shore out to three nautical miles, and federal waters beyond that are managed by NOAA Fisheries. Look up the state, not the country.

Canada

Canada splits licensing between two levels of government. Freshwater licences are provincial, so the province sets the rules for lakes and rivers. Tidal water is federal: everyone fishing in British Columbia's salt water needs a DFO Tidal Waters Sport Fishing licence, available for one, three or five days or annually. Keeping Pacific salmon additionally requires a Salmon Conservation Stamp, which is not needed if you release everything.

New Zealand

New Zealand requires no licence for recreational sea fishing, but freshwater is licensed. A Fish & Game licence covers the whole country with one important exception: the Taupō Fishing District is administered by the Department of Conservation and needs its own separate licence, and Lake Rotoaira is a separate district again with its own. Bag and size limits apply in the sea — check Fisheries New Zealand before keeping anything.

United Kingdom

You must hold a rod fishing licence for England and Wales to fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel with rod and line — including on private lakes and club waters, where you also need the owner's permission. Children under 13 do not need one, and 13-to-16 licences are free. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules entirely; the River Tweed is outside the England and Wales licence. Sea angling needs no licence.

Germany

Germany licenses fishing at state level, and in most states a Fischereischein follows an examination — which makes casual visiting genuinely difficult. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is the exception and issues a Touristenfischereischein with no exam, valid in its coastal and inland waters for up to 28 consecutive days and renewable within the calendar year. A separate permit for the specific water is required on top of the licence everywhere. Check the state authority before you travel.

France

Freshwater fishing in France requires a carte de pêche, which is membership of a local AAPPMA — an approved fishing and aquatic environment protection association — sold through the national federation's site as daily, weekly or annual cards, with reduced options for under-18s and a discovery card for children. An interfederal card extends coverage across participating départements. Closed seasons for pike and zander are set at département level, so check locally.

Spain

Spain issues recreational fishing licences through its autonomous communities, not nationally — so the licence you need depends on the region. For sea fishing, the national ministry additionally requires anglers holding a regional recreational maritime licence to register and report their catches daily through the PescaREC app, whether fishing from shore, a vessel, a floating device or underwater. Inland licences are regional too, and conditions differ between communities.

Italy

Italy runs two systems. Recreational sea fishing requires a notification (comunicazione) to the national agriculture ministry, MASAF, through its sport-fishing census — a process whose online access uses Italian digital identity credentials (SPID, CIE or CNS). Freshwater licences are issued regionally instead, and many waters need a further daily or seasonal permit from the local association. Rod numbers, trolling rules and closed seasons all vary by region.

Norway

Sea fishing in Norway needs no licence: the Environment Agency states plainly that no national fishing fee is required to use a rod or hand line in the sea. Rivers are different. To fish a river system holding salmon, sea trout or Arctic char you must pay the national fishing fee (fiskeravgift) for the season and carry proof of payment — and, because fishing rights belong to the landowner, you must also buy a licence or permit from them.

Sweden

Sweden allows free rod fishing along the coast and on its five largest lakes — Vänern, Vättern, Mälaren, Hjälmaren and Storsjön — with the rules for those waters published jointly by the county administrative boards and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management. Everywhere else, fishing rights belong to someone: you buy a fiskekort from the local fishing conservation area, or ask the rights holder. Fiskekartan maps which is which.

Finland

Finland charges a state fisheries management fee, payable by anglers aged 18 to 69 who fish with lures or traps or catch crayfish. For single-rod fishing the fee alone is sufficient permission in many parts of the country. A separate permit from the water owner is additionally required for fishing with several rods or traps, for crayfishing, and in rapids, flowing waters and special sites — which covers most Metsähallitus fishing destinations.

South Africa

Marine recreational fishing in South Africa requires a permit from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. These can now be bought through the department's online platform — register, choose the permit type and validity, pay and download it — or still over the counter at a South African Post Office branch for anyone without internet access. The Marine Living Resources Fund issues them. Freshwater licensing is provincial instead.

Argentina

Argentine fishing licences are provincial. Santa Cruz issues permits through its SIPESQ system and Tierra del Fuego through its own digital permit system, and in both the permit is personal, compulsory and non-transferable. Season dates are set provincially each year — Santa Cruz has run an October-to-September licence year, Tierra del Fuego a November-to-May season — and Patagonian fishing also falls under the general continental Patagonian sport fishing regulation.

Brazil

Brazil issues a single federal amateur fishing licence, applied for online, valid for one year across the whole national territory, in separate shore and vessel categories. Applicants receive a provisional licence while the definitive one is issued. The piracema spawning closure then restricts or bans fishing over the southern summer — states publish their own dates, and Mato Grosso do Sul and others have run it from 1 November to 28 February.

Mexico

Mexico issues sport fishing permits through CONAPESCA, the national aquaculture and fisheries commission, to Mexican nationals and foreign visitors alike. Permits are individual, non-extendable and non-transferable, and come in one-day, one-week, one-month and annual forms. Fishing from a vessel or underwater requires a permit, and vessel-based fishing additionally requires the permits set out in the federal duties law. Buy before you board.

Japan

Japan treats recreational fishing as minor capture rather than licensed fishing. Foreign nationals may fish from shore with rod, hand line, net or spear, and from vessels under three tons; fishing from vessels of three tons or more is restricted to Japanese vessels operated by Japanese fishers. Inland waters work differently: fisheries cooperatives set governor-approved rules with fees, permits (yugyoken) and defined seasons. Prefectural rules apply throughout — check locally first.

Russia

Russia has no general recreational fishing licence: amateur fishing on public waters is free, subject to the fishing rules for the relevant fishery basin. On designated fishing grounds and sites, however, fishing requires a putyovka — a document confirming a paid service contract, which states the permitted catch, the area, the methods and the validity period. The named salmon and trout rivers are managed this way, through licensed camps.

Poland

Poland requires two things of an angler. The document authorising amateur fishing is the karta wędkarska, the fishing card, issued by the district (powiat) authority. On top of that you need a permit — a zezwolenie — for the specific fishing ground from whoever holds the fishing rights there; for waters managed by Wody Polskie these are bought online, and from January 2026 exclusively so. Check both before fishing.

Licensing by country

AnglerDeck publishes spots in 19 countries. Each country page sets out how licences work there, when to fish, and links on to the spots themselves.

General best practices

  • Always carry a valid fishing license for the area you're fishing in
  • Respect catch limits and size restrictions for each species
  • Be aware of seasonal closures and protected areas
  • Practice catch and release when appropriate
  • Leave no trace - pack out all garbage and fishing line
  • Report any illegal fishing activity to local authorities

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