Fishing Bylaws in Wales

This page is a summary only. Fishing byelaws in Wales are set by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and are legally enforceable. Always check the official NRW angling byelaws before you fish — the official text is what applies.

Rod licence

Anyone aged 13 or over needs a valid rod fishing licence — the same licence scheme covers England and Wales. See when you need a licence and how to buy one on GOV.UK.

Key byelaws

All-Wales byelaws have been in force since 1 January 2020 and run for 10 years. Highlights from the NRW byelaw pages:

• All salmon must go back — every rod-caught salmon must be released alive with minimum injury and delay.
• Large sea trout must go back — rod-caught sea trout over 60cm must be released alive.
• Method restrictions — no fish roe as bait when fishing for salmon, trout or freshwater fish, and hook restrictions apply when using lures and baits. See fishing with lures and baits and fishing with rods and lead.
• Size and catch limits — see minimum fish size and catch limits.

River-specific byelaws

Some rivers carry additional byelaws of their own — including the Wye, Usk and Dee (the Dee and Wye are cross-border rivers shared with England). Check the NRW byelaws hub for the river you're fishing.

Fishery rules still apply

Byelaws are the legal minimum. The fishery or club that controls a water can set stricter rules of its own — 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 Scotland.