Fishing in England: the rod licence, close seasons and rules

Do you need a licence to fish in England?

Yes, if you are 13 or older and fish with a rod and line for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel in England (except the River Tweed), in Wales, or in the Border Esk region [1]. It makes no difference whether the water is public or private: the rule also covers angling club waters and private fishing lakes [1]. Fishing without a licence is an offence under the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 [2], and you can be fined up to £2,500 if you cannot show a valid licence when asked [1].

Children under 13 do not need a licence. Young people aged 13 to 16 need a junior licence, which is free, and a carer who goes along without fishing needs nothing [1]. The licence fee funds work such as stocking fish, improving habitats and preventing illegal fishing [1].

Which licence, and how much does it cost?

There are two kinds. The trout, coarse fish and eel licence lets you fish for non-migratory trout and all freshwater fish, including smelt and eel. The salmon and sea trout licence adds salmon and sea trout [3]. How many rods you may use depends on the licence and the water: for example, one rod for non-migratory trout in rivers, streams, drains and canals, and up to two rods for other freshwater fish; a 12-month licence for up to three rods also exists for freshwater fish other than non-migratory trout [3].

You can buy a 1-day, 8-day or 12-month licence online, for yourself or someone else, up to 30 days before it starts; the Environment Agency also sells them by phone on 0344 800 5386 [4]. Licences sent by email or text usually arrive within an hour, and those sent by post within 10 working days [4]. The reduced disabled rate applies to people with a Blue Badge or equivalent eligibility, or who receive Personal Independence Payment or Disability Living Allowance [4].

If you hold a salmon and sea trout licence, you must submit a catch return every year, even if you did not fish [3]. Spod rods and marker rods without hooks do not count towards the limits [3].

A licence is not permission to fish

The licence is the legal right to use a rod. You also need permission from the owner of the fishing rights, usually in the form of a fishing permit [1]. On the Canal & River Trust’s 2,000 miles of waterways, there is no free fishing: on most stretches, local angling clubs rent the fishing rights, so you buy the permit from the club, while on stretches that are not rented, you need a Waterway Wanderers permit [5] [6].

A Waterway Wanderers permit runs for 12 months from the day you buy it. For permits bought from 1 April 2026, it costs £28 for an adult, £18 with a concession and £7 for a junior aged 16 or under [6].

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The Thames has its own system for the Environment Agency’s locks and weirs. You need a lock and weir fishing permit, which allows two rods at a time, and a rod licence on top [7]. Anglers under 16 may only enter a fishing site with an adult, and each has their own permit and licence [7]. You can bring a guest for free up to three times a year; the guest needs their own rod licence [7].

Close seasons: when can you fish?

A close seasonThe yearly period when certain fishing must stop to let fish breed. applies to rivers, streams, canals, drains and stillwaters, and its dates are inclusive [8]. For coarse fish, it runs from 15 March to 15 June on all rivers, streams and drains, and also on most stillwater SSSIs, some canals and most waters in the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads [8]. There is no statutory close season on most lakes, reservoirs, ponds and canals, though some canals are canalised rivers and do have one [8] [9]. A club or private fishery can lengthen the close season, but never shorten it [8].

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You can still fish for salmon, trout and other game fish during the coarse close season, with restrictions on lures and bait that vary by area [9]. In the South East, for example, only artificial fly is allowed; in the Midlands, Yorkshire and the north-east and north-west of England, natural or artificial fly, minnow, worm, shrimp, prawn, sand eel or artificial lures [9]. For salmon, it is illegal to take a fish before 16 June, and until then you may only use an artificial fly or lure and must return every fish unharmed [8].

Close seasons for salmon, sea trout, brown trout, rainbow trout and char differ between the six byelaw areas and sometimes between rivers, so read the byelaws of the area where you fish [8]. You can fish all year for brown trout in fully enclosed stillwaters, and for rainbow trout in all stillwaters [8]. Any eel caught, except conger, must be released alive [10].

What can you keep? Size and catch limits

You may only keep a limited number of fish, of a certain size, and you must return the others to the water unharmed. You measure a fish from the tip of the snout to the fork of the tail [10]. On rivers, streams and drains, and on a list of canals and lakes that includes Windermere and the Norfolk Broads, the national byelaws allow you to take each day [8]:

You may also take minor species such as gudgeon, non-native species and ornamental varieties like koi [10]. On stillwaters and canal fisheries, you need the owner’s permission to remove fish, and the permit often says how many [8]. Removing fish from private water without written permission can bring a fine [10]. The daily limits for salmon and trout are in your area’s byelaws, and selling a rod-caught salmon or sea trout is illegal [10].

Tackle rules that catch visitors out

• Rods: you may fish with up to 4 rods in total, but your licence and the water set stricter limits, and the outermost rods must be no more than 3 m apart [8] [14]. Leaving a rod unattended in the water is illegal [14].
• Lead: you may only use lead weights of 0.06 g or less, or more than 28.35 g (1 oz); the sizes in between are banned [14].
• Keepnets: at least 2 m long, with no knotted or metal mesh, holes under 25 mm, rings less than 40 cm apart and at least 120 cm in circumference [8] [14]. A keepsack holds one fish at a time [14]. Fish must not be left in either after you finish [8].
• Banned methods: gaff, tailer, snare, spear, firearm and several others; crayfish as bait; keeping a foul-hooked fish, which must be released alive [8] [14].
• Live bait: only small fish from the same water, kept and used there, unless local byelaws forbid it [8].

Breaking the byelaws can lead to prosecution and a fine of up to £50,000 [8]. To learn the knots and hook sizes that go with this tackle, see our guides to fishing knots and hook sizes.

What about sea fishing?

Unlike coarse and game angling, no licence is required to fish recreationally for sea fish in the UK; permits may be needed in privately owned places such as piers and harbours [15]. Ten Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities regulate fishing, including angling and bait collection, within 6 miles of the coast in England, so check their local bylaws for bag limits and minimum sizes [15].

The licence guide covers salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt and eel [1]. Salmon and sea trout are the species that blur the line between river and sea, and the guidance we read does not say where a river ends: ask the Environment Agency before fishing an estuary.

Check, clean, dry, and what to report

Invasive plants and animals spread on damp kit, and some survive over two weeks in damp conditions. The Check Clean Dry campaign asks anglers to check their equipment and clothing when leaving the water, clean everything as soon as possible, and dry it for as long as they can before using it elsewhere [16].

To report fishing out of season, without a licence, with illegal equipment, or the catching of protected fish, use the Environment Agency’s online service, or the 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60; fishing without the owner’s permission or stealing fish goes to the police instead [17]. The Agency sold 934,000 licences in 2024 to 2025 for an income of £24.15 million, the second annual increase in a row [18].

Before the first cast: the checklist

1. Licence: the right type for your fish and number of rods, bought online or by phone [3] [4].
2. Permit: from the club, the owner, the Canal & River Trust or the Environment Agency on the Thames locks [5] [7].
3. Season: coarse fish on rivers are closed from 15 March to 15 June, and salmon only take artificial lures until 15 June [8].
4. Byelaws: those of your area, or Natural Resources Wales in Wales [8] [11].
5. Tackle: lead weights, keepnet, number of rods and no banned methods [14].
6. Clean kit: checked, cleaned and dried before and after [16].

If you already know the German system, where the licence usually follows an exam, England is simpler: no test, just a licence and the permission of the water’s owner, as our guide to fishing in Germany explains. For France, the carte de pêche plays the role of the permit.

Arnaud Couderc

Fact-checking, regulations and safety

Arnaud Couderc reviews our contributors’ articles and writes for Outfarer about regulations, safety, fishing, the sea and outdoor pursuits. He traces every rule back to its official text and every figure to its source, so that you set off with sound benchmarks.

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