UK Game Fish Species

By Alex Clayton · Updated 24 October 2026

In the UK, game fish means the salmon and trout family, caught mostly on fly and lure from rivers, reservoirs and cold upland lakes. The six game fish species UK anglers target are Atlantic salmon, sea trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, grayling and Arctic char.

The label carries legal weight. Game fish have their own licence tier in England and Wales, their own seasons set in local byelaws and, for salmon, release rules that change from one river to the next.

Below are the six species side by side, the grayling question settled and the rules nation by nation. Each fish has its own guide, and the wider list of UK fish species sits one level up.

What Makes a Fish a Game Fish?

A brown trout and a chub can share the same pool, yet one is game and the other coarse, with different seasons. The split comes down to family and law, not size or fight. Game fish belong to the salmon family, which changes three things:

Licence: in England and Wales the rod licence you need depends on whether you are after migratory fish.
Seasons: on rivers, GOV.UK sets the coarse fish close season at 15 March to 15 June, while close seasons for salmon, brown trout and rainbow trout sit in local byelaws (GOV.UK).
Methods: fly and spinning dominate, and some rivers restrict bait for salmon.

Salmon and sea trout are migratory, spending part of their lives at sea. The sea trout is the sea-going form of the brown trout. The other four stay in fresh water. Here is how to tell sea trout, salmon and brown trout apart.

In practice, a river closed to coarse fishing in May may still be open for trout, subject to local byelaws.

The UK Game Fish at a Glance

This table sets the six game fishing species side by side, with the England and Wales licence that covers each one.

Species	Native or introduced	Migratory or resident	Typical waters	England and Wales licence
Atlantic salmon	Native	Migratory	Rivers, running in from the sea	Salmon and sea trout
Sea trout	Native (sea-going brown trout)	Migratory	Rivers and estuaries	Salmon and sea trout
Brown trout	Native	Resident	Rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs	Trout, coarse fish and eel
Rainbow trout	Introduced, mostly stocked	Resident	Stillwater fisheries and reservoirs	Trout, coarse fish and eel
Grayling	Native in England and Wales, introduced in Scotland	Resident	Clean rivers	Trout, coarse fish and eel
Arctic char	Native, rare	Resident	A few deep, cold northern lakes	Trout, coarse fish and eel

The trout, coarse fish and eel licence covers non-migratory trout and all freshwater fish. The salmon and sea trout licence covers all of that plus salmon and sea trout (GOV.UK).

The two migratory fish have their own pages: the Atlantic salmon guide and sea trout. Brown trout are the wild native of rivers and lakes, and rainbow trout are the fish stillwater trout fisheries usually stock. Arctic char are the rarest of the six, confined to a handful of northern lakes (FBA).

Some put-and-take waters also advertise golden, tiger or brook trout. These are stocked fish, not wild UK species.

If a reservoir or trout fishery is your nearest water, rainbow and brown trout are your realistic starting fish.

Is Grayling a Game Fish or a Coarse Fish?

Grayling are fished mostly by fly anglers, yet for close-season purposes they are usually lumped in with roach and chub.

Grayling spawn in spring, unlike salmon and trout, which is why their close season usually follows the coarse calendar (Wild Trout Trust). It also makes them a popular winter target for game anglers on many rivers. They are native to several English and Welsh river systems, while every Scottish population descends from introductions (GWCT, Grayling Society).

UK guides disagree on the label: some leave grayling off their game fish lists, others include them. What matters legally is the season on your water. Check the local byelaws with the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales in Wales, the fishery or rights holder in Scotland, or DAERA in Northern Ireland, and see our guide to UK fishing seasons. The grayling guide covers the fish in full.

Treat grayling as a game fish for tackle and a coarse fish for the calendar, then check the water.

Game Fishing Licences in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Fish for sea trout on a trout, coarse fish and eel licence and you are fishing without a valid licence for that species. The licence you need depends on both the fish and the nation.

Nation	Licence	Also needed
England	Rod licence. Trout, coarse fish and eel licence for brown and rainbow trout, grayling and char. Salmon and sea trout licence for migratory fish, with an annual catch return due even if you did not fish	Permission or a ticket for the water
Wales	The same rod licence structure as England	Permission or a ticket for the water
Scotland	No recreational rod licence	Permission from the rights holder; no salmon rod fishing on Sundays
Northern Ireland	Its own licensing system; check nidirect before you fish	Permission for the water

Sources: GOV.UK licence types and the Scottish Government.

In England and Wales, children under 13 need no licence, and 13 to 16 year olds get a free junior licence (GOV.UK). For non-migratory trout the rod limit is 1 on rivers, streams and canals, and up to 2 on reservoirs, lakes and ponds.

Licence prices change each April, so check the current figure on GOV.UK before you buy.

If there is any chance of a salmon or sea trout on your river, buy the salmon and sea trout licence.

Why Salmon and Sea Trout Rules Change from River to River

In England, every salmon caught before 16 June must go back, whatever the river. After that, the rules depend on the river and the nation.

England. Under the Environment Agency’s national salmon byelaws, in force since 1 January 2019, salmon fishing is fly or lure only before 16 June. Release is mandatory all season on At Risk rivers such as the Cumbrian Calder, Dorset Stour and Yealm, and on listed Recovering Rivers (Environment Agency).

River Wye. Salmon and sea trout must be released alive, bait fishing for them is banned and hooks must be barbless. The salmon season runs 3 March to 17 October, under byelaws lasting to 31 December 2029 (GOV.UK).

Wales. Under the Natural Resources Wales rod and line byelaws, all salmon must be returned and sea trout over 60cm released (NRW). Those byelaws cease to have effect on 31 December 2026 and seasons vary by river, so check the current rules with Natural Resources Wales.

Scotland. Rivers are graded Good, Moderate or Poor each season, with the final 2026 gradings updated on 29 January 2026 (gov.scot). The grade sets whether you may keep a fish.

Northern Ireland. DAERA public estate seasons differ by water: Lough Melvin runs 1 February to 30 September and the River Bush 1 March to 20 October (nidirect). Other waters differ again.

When a fish must go back, keep it in the water where you can. The rule that matters is the one for your river, so check the EA, NRW, gov.scot or DAERA page for that water before you go.

Where to Start: Stocked Stillwater or Wild River?

A first game session on a big salmon river often ends in a blank and a long drive home. Work up to it in three steps instead.

Stocked stillwater for rainbow trout. The water holds stocked fish, many fisheries offer tuition or tackle hire, and GOV.UK says stillwaters are generally open all year for trout, subject to local byelaws.
Wild brown trout on rivers and streams, then grayling in winter where the season allows.
Salmon and sea trout last. They need the higher licence, a river permit and a careful read of the local rules.

Ticket prices and tuition vary, so check with the fishery before you travel.

If you have never cast a fly, book a lesson at a stocked trout fishery first.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main game fish in the UK?

The main game fish in the UK are Atlantic salmon, sea trout, brown trout and rainbow trout, all members of the salmon family. Grayling and Arctic char are usually included too, though grayling are often treated as coarse fish for close seasons because they spawn in spring.

Is a sea trout the same as a brown trout?

Yes, they are the same species. The sea trout is the form that goes to sea to feed and returns to rivers to spawn, while brown trout stay in fresh water. In England and Wales, sea trout need the salmon and sea trout licence.

Can I keep a salmon I catch?

Often not. Release is mandatory in England before 16 June and all season on At Risk rivers, on the Wye, and in Wales. In Scotland it depends on the river's grading that season. Check the rules for your river with the EA, NRW, gov.scot or DAERA before you fish.

Do I need a licence for game fishing in Scotland?

No. Scotland has no recreational rod licence, but you need permission from the rights holder for the water. Salmon rod fishing is not allowed on Sundays, and your river's conservation grading decides whether you may keep a salmon.