Photo : mattbuck (category), CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

England

Nation, United Kingdom. Authority : Environment Agency.
2026 rules, checked on 23 September 2026.

European eelClosed today
0per day
Atlantic salmonClosed today
Buy my licence2026 season calendar
Licence
£93.10Salmon and sea trout – 12 month
Calendar lines open on
223 September 2026
Minimum sizes
0

Useful gear for this area

Chosen from the species and size limits regulated in this area.

  • Small spool of yellow 100 m fishing braid
    4-Strand Yellow PE Braid, 100 m

    For : european perch, brown trout, rainbow trout · spoon and spinner fishing

    €20.90£12.90Not shipped to the United States
  • Spool of fine 300 m fishing braid
    4-Strand PE Braid, 300 m

    For : european perch, brown trout, rainbow trout · spoon and spinner fishing

    €29.90£15.90Not shipped to the United States
  • COB light-bar headlamp on an elastic headband
    Rechargeable Motion-Sensor Headlamp

    For : common carp, wels catfish, zander · night fishing

    €27.90£13.90Not shipped to the United States

2026 season calendar

Species
Coarse fish and eels – rivers, streams, drains, most stillwater SSSIs, some canals, Norfolk & Suffolk Broads216 Jun → 14 Mar

Close season 15 March to 15 June inclusive (national byelaw).

Coarse fish, eels, rainbow and brown trout – most enclosed stillwaters and canals4all year

Private waters may set their own close season.

Salmon2varies by region (local byelaws) → varies by region (local byelaws)

Before 16 June: fly or artificial lure only and every salmon must be released (national Spring Salmon byelaws, in force since 1 Jan 2019).

Sea trout, brown trout, rainbow trout (rivers), char4varies by region (local byelaws) → varies by region (local byelaws)

Voir les byelaws régionaux : https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-fishing-byelaws

Solid bars: fishing allowed. Yellow line: today.

Minimum sizes

Not published by the authority: check with Environment Agency.

Bag limits

SpeciesFish you may keep
Pike3
rivers only, pike up to 65 cm		1 per day
Grayling3
rivers only, 30 cm to 38 cm		2 per day
Small coarse fish (barbel, chub, common bream, common carp, crucian carp, dace, perch, rudd, silver bream, roach, smelt, tench)3
rivers only, up to 20 cm each		15 per day
Eel (except conger)3
must be released alive		0 per day

Licence

LicenceDurationPrice
Rod fishing licence – trout and coarse, up to 2 rods, 12 months1
Un seul permis pour l'Angleterre, le pays de Galles et la Border Esk (Écosse) ; pas valable sur la Tweed en Angleterre (NRW). Achat aussi par téléphone 0344 800 5386. Le permis ne donne pas le droit de pêcher : autorisation du propriétaire/club en plus.		12 months£36.80
Trout and coarse – 2 rods – 1 day11-day£7.30
Trout and coarse – 2 rods – 8 day18-day£14.70
Trout and coarse – 2 rods – 12 month112-month£36.80
Trout and coarse – 3 rods – 12 month112-month£55.30
Salmon and sea trout – 1 day11-day£13.50
Salmon and sea trout – 8 day18-day£30.50
Salmon and sea trout – 12 month112-month£93.10
Trout and coarse 2 rods – 12 month – aged 66+ or disabled112-month£24.50
Trout and coarse 3 rods – 12 month – aged 66+ or disabled112-month£36.80
Salmon and sea trout – 12 month – aged 66+ or disabled112-month£62
Junior licence (13 to 16)112-month£0

Buy the licence on get-fishing-licence.service.gov.uk

Ages and exemptions1
Under 13: no licence needed. Junior licence for 13 to 16 is free (must be obtained). 66+ and disabled anglers (Blue Badge, PIP, DLA): concession.

Good to know

Salmon: mandatory catch and release before 16 June everywhere in England (fly/artificial lure only) and all season on rivers classed 'At Risk' (Cumbrian Calder, Dorset Stour, Yealm) ; >90 % voluntary C&R expected on 'Probably at Risk' rivers. EA 2026 assessment: 40 of England's 42 principal salmon rivers projected 'at risk' or 'probably at risk' in 2030. Rods: max 1 rod for salmon/trout in rivers, 2 rods for trout/salmon in lakes/reservoirs, 4 rods for coarse fish (rods within 3 m). Crayfish banned as bait. Lead weights 0.06 g to 28.35 g banned. Fish measured snout to fork of tail. Maximum fine for fishing without a licence: £2,500 (NRW).

What the authority does not publish

Points we could not find in the official texts: check with the authority.

  • gov.uk n'indique pas la date d'effet du tarif £36,80 (supposé 1er avril 2026, non affirmé)
  • saisons salmon/sea trout/brown trout : régionales (byelaws locaux par zone EA), non détaillées
  • pas de taille minimale nationale pour truite/saumon (byelaws régionaux)

Rules change every year and can be amended during the season. Before fishing, check the text in force with the authority listed.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a fishing licence in England in 2026?

The “Salmon and sea trout – 12 month” licence costs £93.10 (12-month). Other options and prices are in the table above, with the official source.

When does the european eel season open in England?

European eel: 16 Jun → 14 Mar, according to the official calendar above.

Official sources

  1. Buy a fishing licence – GOV.UK (accessed on 23 September 2026)
  2. National rod fishing byelaws for England: freshwater fishing with a rod and line (accessed on 23 September 2026)
  3. Freshwater rod fishing rules: fish size and catch limits (accessed on 23 September 2026)
  4. Freshwater rod fishing rules: when and where you can fish (accessed on 23 September 2026)
  5. EA announces new national salmon and sea trout byelaws (accessed on 23 September 2026)
  6. England's salmon stocks: what the latest data tells us (EA blog, 17/09/2026) (accessed on 23 September 2026)
  7. Proposals to increase fishing licence prices (2022) (accessed on 23 September 2026)

Last checked : 23 September 2026.

Other areas in the United Kingdom

Fishing regulations in the United Kingdom