Salmon Fishing Rules: Seasons and Mandatory Catch and Release

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

From 1 April 2026, keeping a rod-caught salmon is illegal in about 108 areas of Scotland, covering nearly every district. Wales already requires every salmon to go back on all rivers. England bans keeping any salmon before 16 June, and on a list of named rivers all year.

The salmon fishing season in Scotland has no single opening day. Each district’s dates are set in law: on the main rivers, seasons open between 11 January (Helmsdale and Thurso) and 25 February (Nith), and close between 30 September and 30 November.

This page sets out the salmon fishing rules nation by nation, with the official source for each. The Scottish schedule was amended for 2026 and English and Welsh byelaws are reviewed regularly, so check the named authority before you go.

Salmon Fishing Rules at a Glance: England, Wales and Scotland

The same fish can be legal to keep on one river and an offence to keep a few miles away. Cross-border rivers such as the Dee, Wye, Severn, Border Esk and Tweed need extra care, because their licence and byelaw rules do not simply follow the border.

Nation	Licence or permission	Season	Can you keep a salmon?	Key method rules	Main authority
England	EA salmon and sea trout rod licence from age 13	Set by region and river	Not before 16 June; never on named no-kill rivers	Fly or lure only before 16 June; 1 rod on rivers	Environment Agency (GOV.UK regional byelaws)
Wales	EA salmon and sea trout rod licence from age 13	Most rivers 20 March to 17 October; Wye, Usk and Dee 3 March to 17 October	No, all salmon released on all rivers	Barbless hooks, no worm, single hooks on lures	Natural Resources Wales
Scotland	No rod licence; owner’s permission needed	By district, from January or February to between September and November	No, in nearly every district from 1 April 2026; Tweed under its own order	No fishing on Sunday	District salmon fishery boards and legislation.gov.uk
Northern Ireland	Not covered here: check DAERA	Check DAERA	Check DAERA	Check DAERA	DAERA

Each nation’s release rule is set out below. For the paperwork side, see our guide to licence rules for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Salmon Fishing Season in Scotland: River-by-River Dates

Why does the Tay open on 15 January while the Spey, further north, waits until 11 February? Each salmon fishery district has its own annual close time, set in SSI 2014/327, the 2014 annual close time and catch and release regulations. The salmon fishing season in Scotland is really dozens of seasons.

River or district	Rod season (dates inclusive)
Helmsdale	11 January to 30 September
Thurso	11 January to 5 October
Tay	15 January to 15 October
Ness	15 January to 15 October
Dee (Aberdeenshire)	1 February to 15 October
Brora	1 February to 15 October
Earn	1 February to 31 October
Spey	11 February to 30 September
Findhorn	11 February to 30 September
Conon	11 February to 30 September
Beauly	11 February to 15 October
Deveron	11 February to 31 October
Dee (Kirkcudbright)	11 February to 31 October
North and South Esk	16 February to 31 October
Nith	25 February to 30 November

Dates from SSI 2014/327 as revised on legislation.gov.uk, checked October 2026.

Early weeks are release only. On every listed district, the weeks before 1 April are catch and release by law.
Trust the statute over booking tables. Some secondary sources give the Aberdeenshire Dee a 30 September close. The regulations say 15 October.
Two rivers sit outside this table. Check Tweed dates with the River Tweed Commission. Annan dates disagree between sources, so check with the Annan District Salmon Fishery Board.
Sunday is a rest day. Fishing for or taking salmon on a Sunday is an offence anywhere in Scotland under section 13 of the 2003 Act. Rod and line is still allowed on Friday, Saturday and Monday.

Booking a beat? Confirm the dates with the district board or beat owner, who may set stricter rules. For other species, see UK fishing seasons.

Catch and Release in Scotland: What the 2026 Retention Ban Means

You can no longer keep a rod-caught salmon on the Tay, Spey, Aberdeenshire Dee, Deveron, Don, Ness, Helmsdale, Findhorn, Nith, Forth or Clyde.

The Conservation of Salmon (Scotland) Regulations 2016 (SSI 2016/115) ban retaining salmon in the areas listed in Schedule 2. The 2025 amendment (SSI 2025/390), in force from 1 April 2026, replaced that schedule with about 108 inland areas. Retention is also banned in coastal waters within a salmon fishery district.

“Retain” means failing to return the fish to the water at once, with the least possible injury. Keep the fish in the water and get it back quickly.

Older guides still cite conservation grades (release on grade 3 rivers). Schedule 2 now does the legal work, so check the current list with the Scottish Government or your district board.

The Tweed’s own 2016 order bans retention in coastal waters and most inland Tweed waters, so check the River Tweed Commission. The exemptions (scientific work, fish farms) do not cover anglers.

In Scotland, every salmon now goes back by default. Fisheries Management Scotland advises fishing in cooler conditions, minimising handling and keeping the fish in the water. For technique, see how to release a fish safely.

Salmon Fishing Rules in England: The 16 June Rule and No-Kill Rivers

England has no single salmon season or kill rule. Whether you can keep a fish depends on the date, the region and the river.

The national rod fishing byelaws set the baseline:

No salmon may be kept before 16 June (later under some local byelaws); release every fish caught before then at once.
Until 16 June, fish for salmon with artificial fly or artificial lure only.
Release foul-hooked fish immediately.
One rod at a time for salmon on rivers.
No knotted or metallic-mesh landing nets.

Regional byelaws then name rivers where no salmon may be killed all season. A selection:

North East: Yorkshire Ouse, Aln, Blyth, Wansbeck
North West: Mersey, Cumbrian Calder, Cumbrian Derwent
South West: Camel, Fal, Otter, Bristol Avon, Dorset Stour
South East: Thames, Medway, Meon
Midlands: Severn and Trent

Each regional page lists the rest. On the English Wye, all salmon must be released under byelaws in force until 31 December 2029.

The North West adds river-specific regimes: the Lune and Border Esk are no-kill all season, the Eden is no-kill 15 January to 14 October, the Ribble allows 2 salmon from 16 June to 31 October, and the Leven and Crake use carcass tags.

Close seasons differ too: North West 1 November to 31 January (Eden 15 October to 14 January), Midlands 8 October to 31 January, Exe 1 October to 13 February. Anglia adds a weekly close time from 6am Sunday to midnight Monday.

The Environment Agency says salmon stocks are among the lowest on record. If your river is not on a no-kill list, check its regional byelaw page on GOV.UK for kill limits or tagging before you take a fish, and see the general freshwater close season.

Salmon Fishing Rules in Wales: Every Fish Goes Back

One rule covers every Welsh river: Natural Resources Wales requires every salmon you catch to be returned with minimum injury and delay. The tackle rules take longer to learn:

Barbless or de-barbed hooks only.
No worm fishing for salmon, at any time.
Single hooks only on spinners, spoons and plugs, maximum gape 13mm, up to 3 singles on a plug.
Fly trebles up to 7mm gape.
No groundbait, feeder, crayfish or roe bait.

A salmon hooked outside the mouth goes back at once, and selling a rod-caught salmon is illegal.

Seasons: Wye, Usk and Dee 3 March to 17 October; Severn in Wales 1 February to 7 October; Teifi, Tywi, Taf and Cleddau 1 April to 17 October; most others 20 March to 17 October.

Spinning on the Dee and Usk starts on 1 June. Shrimp and prawn are allowed only in September on the Dee (1 to 30 September) and Usk (1 to 15 September). The Wye is fly or spin, spinning to 31 August, no bait. The cross-border Dee and Wye byelaws apply on both sides of the border.

NRW says Welsh salmon stocks have fallen to historically low levels. Plan every Welsh trip around barbless hooks and release, and check NRW’s method windows for your river.

Sea Trout Season and Release Rules

Sea trout have their own seasons and release rules in England and Wales, but Scottish law treats them as salmon.

In Wales, sea trout over 60cm are released on all rivers, all sea trout go back before 1 May on rivers including the Teifi, Tywi, Usk and Taf, and all Severn and Wye sea trout are released. Most seasons run 20 March to 17 October (Anglesey 1 May to 17 November). Hooks are barbless; a single worm on an 8mm gape hook is allowed outside release periods. The NRW sea trout page dates from June 2023, so check it.

In England, sea trout close seasons sit in the regional byelaws, for example 1 October to 31 March in the North West and 1 November to 2 April in Northumbria and Yorkshire, and you need the salmon and sea trout licence.

In Scotland, sea trout count as salmon in law, so check the beat or district board rules before you keep one.

Salmon Fishing Licence, Permission and Catch Returns

England and Wales. From age 13 you need an Environment Agency salmon and sea trout rod licence (free for 13 to 16 year olds). It covers 1 rod for salmon, sea trout and trout on rivers, and fishing without one risks a fine of up to £2,500. Prices change each April, so check GOV.UK before you buy.

Catch returns. Every salmon and sea trout licence holder must submit a catch return by 31 December, even if they did not fish. Record the species, date, method, weight (estimates allowed) and whether each fish was released.

Scotland. No rod licence, but you need the fishery owner’s permission, usually a beat or day permit. Fishing without it is a criminal offence, and outdoor access rights do not include a right to fish (Fisheries Management Scotland).

Sale. Selling a rod-caught salmon is illegal in England and Wales, and in England the ban covers sea trout too.

For the full comparison, see fishing licence rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; for the fish, see our game fish species guides.

Frequently asked questions

When does the salmon fishing season start in Scotland?

It depends on the district. The Helmsdale and Thurso open first, on 11 January, then the Tay and Ness on 15 January and the Aberdeenshire Dee on 1 February. The weeks before 1 April are catch and release. The river date table on this page lists more districts.

Can you keep a salmon you catch in the UK?

Rarely. Wales requires release on all rivers, and Scotland bans retention in nearly every district from 1 April 2026. England bans keeping salmon before 16 June and all year on named no-kill rivers, so check the regional byelaws for your river.

Do you need a licence to fish for salmon in Scotland?

No rod licence is needed, but you must have permission from the fishery owner, usually a beat or day permit. Fishing without permission is a criminal offence. In England and Wales you need the Environment Agency salmon and sea trout licence.

Can you fish for salmon on a Sunday in Scotland?

No. Fishing for or taking salmon on a Sunday is an offence anywhere in Scotland under section 13 of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003. Fishing on Friday, Saturday and Monday is allowed, subject to your beat's rules.