Essential fishing rules for Finland
Fishing in Finland: permits, catch sizes and closed seasons
Finland’s lakes, rivers and coasts offer many ways to enjoy fishing. This guide helps you prepare with the key information about permits, closed seasons and protected fish stocks.
Last reviewed:
This overview covers mainland Finland. Åland has its own rules. Before each trip, also check the conditions for your water, local restrictions and any catch limits.
Fishing permits and the fisheries management fee
Finland does not require an examination-based fishing licence. Whether you must pay the national fisheries management fee, kalastonhoitomaksu, depends on your age and fishing method.
The fee generally applies to people aged 18–69 who fish with lures, use nets or traps, or catch crayfish. Anyone who was already at least 65 years old on 31 December 2023 remains exempt from this fee.
Simple hook-and-line angling with one rod, ice fishing and fishing for Baltic herring with a rig are generally free of charge. Water-specific restrictions still apply: these general fishing rights are restricted in particular in rapids and currents of waters containing migratory fish, and in closed areas.
The fisheries management fee generally allows fishing with one rod and one lure in many waters. Exceptions include rapids and currents of migratory-fish waters, closed waters and certain special areas. The national fee does not cover Åland.
Prices and validity in 2026
| Validity | National fisheries management fee |
|---|---|
| One calendar day | €6 |
| Seven consecutive calendar days | €16 |
| Calendar year 2026 | €47 |
The daily fee covers the selected calendar day from midnight to midnight, rather than any 24 hours after purchase. The seven-day option also follows calendar days. Check the start date when buying.
You can pay online through Eräluvat, through its customer service or at a currently listed sales point. Payment methods and any service charges depend on the purchase channel. Carry proof of payment and your required permits when fishing.
When do you need an additional local permit?
Check whether a separate permit from the water owner or fishing-rights holder is required, particularly for:
- trolling with several rods;
- fishing with nets, traps or other fishing gear;
- catching crayfish;
- fishing in rapids and currents of migratory-fish waters;
- specially managed fishing waters and other special areas.
Permits for state-owned waters are available through Eräluvat. For private waters, contact the joint ownership association (osakaskunta), water owner or your host. You can message your host directly through the contact function on the FISHERMANS-LODGE listing.
A local permit does not replace the national fee if you are required to pay it. Age exemptions still apply, but someone exempt from the fee may still need a local permit. State-owned public sea areas have special access rules; consult Metsähallitus for details.
Also check the map at Kalastusrajoitus.fi. A permit does not override local bans, closed seasons or protection of individual fish stocks.
Catch sizes, closed seasons and year-round protection
This table summarises basic recreational fishing rules. Reaching the minimum size alone does not permit you to keep a fish. The stock, water, season and local rules also matter. Additional rules may apply, particularly in the Baltic Sea and border rivers.
| Species or stock | Catch size | Closed season and protection |
|---|---|---|
| Trout with an adipose fin | In inland waters north of 67° N: at least 50 cm; between 64° and 67° N: at least 60 cm. Exception: in streams or ponds with no migration connection to the sea or a lake, a maximum of 45 cm. | Protected year-round at sea and in inland waters south of 64° N, except for the isolated stream/pond stock described here. Also closed in rivers and streams from 1 September to 30 November. |
| Trout with a clipped adipose fin | At least 50 cm | Closed in rivers and streams from 1 September to 30 November. Check additional rules for the water. |
| Salmon | Generally at least 60 cm; in the Bothnian Bay north of 63°30′ N, at least 50 cm | Closed in rivers and streams from 1 September to 30 November. Also check current fishing bans and catch limits for the Baltic Sea and border rivers. |
| Landlocked salmon with an adipose fin | At least 60 cm, where keeping a fish is permitted at all | Protected year-round in the Vuoksi and Hiitolanjoki water systems; closed in rivers and streams from 1 August to 30 November. |
| Landlocked salmon with a clipped adipose fin | At least 60 cm | Closed from 1 June to 31 August in the parts of the Vuoksi and Hiitolanjoki water systems shown in the decree’s map annex; in rivers and streams from 1 August to 30 November. In the Vuoksi water system, at most one such salmon per person per day, where keeping it is permitted. |
| Arctic char | At least 60 cm in the Vuoksi water system; at least 45 cm in Lake Inarijärvi | Protected year-round in Lake Kuolimo and in Lake Saimaa between Puumalansalmi and Vuoksenniska. Closed elsewhere in the Vuoksi water system from 1 September to 30 November. |
| Grayling | At least 35 cm south of 67° N; at least 30 cm north of it | Protected year-round at sea. Closed in inland waters south of 67° N from 1 April to 31 May. |
| European whitefish (siika) | No general national minimum size | Closed from 1 September to 30 November in rivers and streams flowing into the sea. |
| Zander (pikeperch) | Generally at least 42 cm for recreational anglers | No general national closed season; check local rules. |
| European eel | No general national minimum size for inland waters | Protected in inland waters from 1 August to 30 June. Recreational eel fishing is prohibited throughout 2026 in marine and covered brackish-water areas. |
| River lamprey | No general national minimum size | Closed from 1 April to 15 August. |
| Noble and signal crayfish | Check the water’s conditions; Eräluvat lists 10 cm | Closed from 1 November to 21 July at 12 noon. The permit must allow catching the species concerned. |
The 10 cm figure for crayfish is not presented here as a uniform statutory minimum throughout Finland. The conditions for the particular water and permit are decisive.
Measure a fish with its mouth closed, from the tip of the jaw to the tip of the straightened tail fin, with the tail lobes pressed together.
Catch reporting
Catches of certain species and stocks must be reported, including released fish. These include salmon, landlocked salmon, trout and European eel. Luke requires daily electronic reporting for salmon, eel and cod caught at sea; other reportable catches must generally be reported without delay and within 14 days at the latest. Check the complete species list, area exceptions and reporting methods with Luke and Omakala. A reporting requirement does not make a prohibited catch lawful.
Protected areas and responsible fishing
Protected areas and national parks may have special restrictions. Check Kalastusrajoitus.fi, the area’s information and your permit before fishing.
- Take your litter home and leave the shore and fishing spot clean.
- Handle fish carefully and follow the rules for keeping and releasing them.
- Keep only permitted fish that you can use, and observe local catch limits.
- Clean your equipment when moving between waters; when catching crayfish, take particular care to prevent the spread of crayfish plague.