Fly Fishing in
France 🇫🇷

Saltwater

For fishing in saltwater in France you do not need a license.

Freshwater

For freshwater fishing you need to purchase a license from cartedepeche.fr. There are a few options: day permit (about €18), holiday permit (valid for one week, about €34) or a yearly permit (about €105). There are also licenses for women (€30 for a year), child/teenagers and under 12s.

When you buy a permit you need to choose an association. Choose the one closest to where you go fishing, but note that the permit is for waters across the country, not just the waters of the association you choose.

All permits are valid for first and second category water.

First category water
These are the rivers in which a population of salmonids dominates: trout, Arctic char, fountain salmon, salmon, sea trout. This type of river is commonly called "trout river". Fishing is subject to special regulations, with opening and closing dates. The size and number of fish that can be kept varies from region to region.

Second category water
In a second category river, the population consists mainly of white fish, carp and predators: pike, pike perch, perch, catfish, black bass. Water is often of a lower quality than the first category. Fishing in the second category is allowed all year round, with the exception of pike and pike perch, which have an opening and closing date (different from that of trout).