Fishing Law in Scotland

This page is a summary only. Freshwater fishing in Scotland is governed by the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003 and local rules that vary by river district. Always check the official Scottish Government recreational fishing guidance and the local fishery before you fish.

No rod licence — but you need permission

Scotland has no rod licence. Instead, permission is the legal cornerstone:

• Salmon and sea trout — fishing without the legal right, or without written permission from whoever owns that right, is a criminal offence.
• Trout and other freshwater fish — fishing without permission is a civil matter, except where a protection order is in force, where it becomes a criminal offence. See the gov.scot guidance.

In practice: always buy a permit or get written permission before fishing.

Seasons and Sundays

• No salmon fishing on Sundays — rod fishing for salmon on a Sunday is prohibited.
• Salmon close times vary by district — each river district has its own annual close time; check locally.
• Brown trout — the statutory season runs 15 March to 6 October.
• Rainbow trout, grayling and coarse fish — no statutory close season, though individual fisheries set their own.

Salmon conservation

Since 2016, national salmon conservation regulations grade each river annually into conservation categories, which determine whether salmon can be killed or must be released. See conservation of wild salmon on gov.scot, and the freshwater fisheries licensing collection for consents to catch fish by other means.

Fishery rules still apply

The law is the minimum. District salmon fishery boards and individual fisheries set their own rules on methods, catch and release, and seasons — check the rules and permission details on the water's page here, and with the fishery, before fishing.

Fishing elsewhere in Britain? See the bylaws for England and Wales.