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

Scotland / Alba

Nation, United Kingdom. Authority : Scottish Government – Marine Directorate (salmon & recreational fisheries) ; District Salmon Fishery Boards ; Fisheries Management Scotland (fédération).
2026 rules, checked on 23 September 2026.

Brown troutClosed today
Atlantic salmonClosed today
2026 season calendar
Licence
not published
Next closing
30 Sept 2026Salmon – Spey
Minimum sizes
0

Useful gear for this area

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

2026 season calendar

Species
Brown trout115 Mar → 6 Oct

Annual close time 7 October to 14 March, throughout Scotland; no weekly close time.

Coarse fish1all year

No weekly or annual close times.

Salmon (all districts)1varies by district → varies by district

Rod fishing for salmon prohibited on Sundays. Saisons ci-dessous = fin de la close time légale (SSI 2014/327, schedule) + période de pêche à la ligne autorisée ; la période « catch and release » est une ouverture de printemps avec remise à l'eau obligatoire.

Salmon – Tay (main river)215 Jan → 15 Oct

15 Jan–31 Mar catch and release only. 2026 grading: River Tay SAC Good.

Salmon – Tay – River Earn21 Feb → 31 Oct

1 Feb–31 Mar catch and release only. 2026 grading: Poor (mandatory C&R).

Salmon – Dee (Aberdeenshire)21 Feb → 15 Oct

1 Feb–31 Mar catch and release only. 2026 grading: River Dee SAC Good.

Salmon – Spey211 Feb → 30 Sept

11 Feb–31 Mar catch and release only. 2026 grading: River Spey SAC Good.

Salmon – Ness215 Jan → 15 Oct

15 Jan–31 Mar catch and release only. 2026 grading: Moderate.

Salmon – Don211 Feb → 31 Oct

11 Feb–31 Mar catch and release only. 2026 grading: Poor (mandatory C&R).

Salmon – Deveron211 Feb → 31 Oct

2026 grading: Moderate.

Salmon – Findhorn211 Feb → 30 Sept

2026 grading: Good.

Salmon – Forth (incl. Teith)21 Feb → 31 Oct

2026 grading: River Forth Moderate, Teith SAC Moderate; Almond, Avon, Devon, Leven (Fife), Tyne Poor.

Salmon – Helmsdale211 Jan → 30 Sept

2026 grading: Good.

Salmon – Nith225 Feb → 30 Nov

2026 grading: Poor (mandatory C&R).

Salmon – Annan225 Feb → 15 Nov

2026 grading: Poor (mandatory C&R).

Salmon – Clyde and Leven211 Feb → 31 Oct

2026 grading: River Clyde Moderate; Leven (Dunbartonshire), Endrick, Goil Poor.

Salmon – Conon and Balnagown211 Feb → 30 Sept

2026 grading: River Conon Good.

Salmon – Beauly211 Feb → 15 Oct

2026 grading: Good.

Salmon – Naver and Borgie212 Jan → 30 Sept

2026 grading: Naver SAC and Borgie SAC Good.

Salmon – Thurso211 Jan → 5 Oct

2026 grading: Thurso SAC Good.

Salmon – North and South Esk216 Feb → 31 Oct

2026 grading: North Esk Good, South Esk SAC Moderate.

Salmon – Tweed71 Feb → 30 Nov

Régie par The Tweed Regulation Order 2007 (hors SSI 2014/327) : mouche artificielle seule du 1 au 14 février et du 15 septembre au 30 novembre. 2026 grading: River Tweed SAC Good.

Solid bars: fishing allowed. Yellow line: today.

Minimum sizes

Not published by the authority: check with Scottish Government – Marine Directorate (salmon & recreational fisheries) ; District Salmon Fishery Boards ; Fisheries Management Scotland (fédération).

Bag limits

Not published by the authority: check with Scottish Government – Marine Directorate (salmon & recreational fisheries) ; District Salmon Fishery Boards ; Fisheries Management Scotland (fédération).

Licence

LicenceDurationPrice
No national rod licence – permit / written permission from the rights holder1
Pas de licence nationale ; permis vendu par rivière (propriétaires, clubs, DSFB). Exception : la Border Esk exige le rod licence EA.		not published
Ages and exemptions1
Sans objet : aucune licence nationale en Écosse.

Water categories

Conservation status (salmon) 2026 : Good / Moderate / Poor. Poor = < 60 % de probabilité d'atteindre la conservation limit → catch and release obligatoire (tous modes) pendant un an ; Moderate = 60-80 % → C&R fortement encouragé ; Good = ≥ 80 %.

Good to know

Pas de licence de pêche en Écosse ; il faut l'autorisation écrite du détenteur du droit de pêche (infraction pénale pour le saumon sans droit). 14 Protection Orders en vigueur (pêche des poissons d'eau douce sans permis = infraction pénale dans ces zones). Pêche du saumon interdite le dimanche. Gradings 2026 (Conservation of Salmon (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025, SSI 2025/390, schedule 2 substituée au 1/4/2026) : 5 stocks sortent du C&R obligatoire (Dunbeath Water, Kinloch River, Loch Steisavat, River Clyde, River Morar), 2 y entrent (Laxadale Lochs, River Etive).

What the authority does not publish

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

  • prix des permis : fixés par chaque rivière/club, pas de tarif national
  • pas de taille minimale ni quota nationaux (règles locales des DSFB)

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

When does the brown trout season open in Scotland / Alba?

Brown trout: 15 Mar → 6 Oct, according to the official calendar above.

Official sources

  1. gov.scot – Recreational fishing (accessed on 23 September 2026)
  2. Conservation of Salmon (Annual Close Time and Catch and Release) (Scotland) Regulations 2014 – Schedule (revised) (accessed on 23 September 2026)
  3. gov.scot – Salmon fishing: final river gradings (2026 season) (accessed on 23 September 2026)
  4. gov.scot – Conservation of wild salmon (accessed on 23 September 2026)
  5. SSI 2025/390 (accessed on 23 September 2026)
  6. gov.scot – Proposed conservation status 2026 (accessed on 23 September 2026)
  7. The Tweed Regulation Order 2007 (accessed on 23 September 2026)

Last checked : 23 September 2026.

Other areas in the United Kingdom

Fishing regulations in the United Kingdom