Fishing regulations in Belgium

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a fishing licence in Belgium?

Buy the licence of the region where you will fish, with no exam required. In Wallonia it is sold online at permisdepeche.be (from €20 a year, or €25 for a 14-day tourist licence). In Flanders buy a visverlof online or at the post office (from €13). Brussels licences are sold at certain post offices.

Freshwater fishing in Belgium is regulated separately by Wallonia, Flanders and Brussels, and a licence from one region is not valid in another (Brussels Environment states that Walloon and Flemish licences do not cover Brussels). Wallonia (2026 prices): licence A from the bank €20, B also from a boat or in the water €45, C adding day and night carp fishing with up to three rods €110, T for 14 consecutive days with B rights €25, and a free J licence for under-15s; all are bought online and must be carried with an ID document. Flanders: jeugdvisverlof €5 (up to 17), gewoon visverlof €13 (bank only, all fish released) and groot visverlof €48 (boat, bait fish, night fishing in designated waters, some fish may be kept); they are valid for the calendar year and there is no short tourist licence. Brussels: licence A (bank) €6.20 and B (boat) €18.59, each plus €4.85 fees. On private ponds and many club waters you also need the owner's or club's permit.

Official sources : SPW Wallonia – fishing licences (AGW of 19.10.2017, types and prices) ; permisdepeche.be – online sale of the Walloon fishing licence ; Codex Vlaanderen – River Fishing Act (visverlof) ; visverlof.be – online sale of the Flemish fishing licence ; Brussels Environment – Fishing in Brussels (updated 28.04.2026)

Where can you fish in Belgium?

With the right regional licence you can fish public rivers, canals and lakes, but in Wallonia you also need the permission of whoever holds the fishing rights, often a club card. Flanders designates waters open for night and spawning-season fishing, and Brussels allows fishing on the canal and a few regional ponds.

Each region defines where its licence applies. In Wallonia the regional licence does not replace the fishing right of the owner or the angling society renting the water, so a club card is often needed as well; the rules divide waters into still, mixed and fast-water zones with different opening dates, and a special day licence exists for boat fishing on the Lac de la Plate Taille. In Flanders the public fishing decree covers navigable and non-navigable rivers, canals and public ponds, and an annex lists the waters where night fishing and fishing during the spawning closure remain allowed, such as the Donkmeer in Berlare, the Paalse Plas in Beringen and the river Lys. In Brussels, Brussels Environment allows fishing on the canal with the agreement of the Port of Brussels harbour master and on a few regional ponds (étang des Pêcheries royales, étang Tercoigne, pond no. 3 at Rouge-Cloître) with the agreement of the fishing-right holder; all fish must be released. Official rankings of the 'best' spots do not exist.

Official sources : SPW Wallonia – fishing licences (AGW of 19.10.2017, types and prices) ; Wallonia – AGW of 08.12.2016 on fishing conditions (2025 version) ; Codex Vlaanderen – Flemish decree of 01.02.2013 on public fishing ; Brussels Environment – Fishing in Brussels (updated 28.04.2026)

What fish can you catch in Belgium?

Belgian rules cover pike, zander, perch, asp, chub, barbel, dace, grayling, brown and rainbow trout, carp, roach, tench, bream, rudd, ide and eel. Some species are fully protected: Flanders lists 19, including Atlantic salmon, sea trout and burbot, which must never be kept.

The Walloon fishing decree sorts species into groups with their own seasons: group 1 cyprinids (carp, roach, tench, bream, rudd, ide, bleak), group 2 predators and rheophilic fish (pike, zander, perch, asp, barbel, chub, nase, dace, ruffe, grayling), group 3 salmonids (brown trout, rainbow trout, char, whitefish) and group 4 invasive species such as wels catfish, goldfish, gobies, pumpkinseed and exotic crayfish. Eel fishing is also regulated. In Flanders the public-fishing decree sets rules for pike, zander, eel, brown trout and sea bass, and 19 fish species plus the native crayfish are fully protected, including Atlantic salmon, sea trout, burbot, allis and twaite shad, houting, grayling and sturgeon; pike may never be kept there. In Brussels all fishing is catch-and-release. The Flemish nature agency (ANB) strongly advises against eating fish caught in public waters because of pollution.

Official sources : Wallonia – AGW of 08.12.2016 on fishing conditions (2025 version) ; Codex Vlaanderen – Flemish decree of 01.02.2013 on public fishing ; Brussels Environment – Fishing in Brussels (updated 28.04.2026)