Fishing facts

Finland’s fishing permit system is the same for everyone, regardless of where they are from. Currently there is no special tourist permits made for fishing. In other words, you’ll need exactly the same permits as a Finnish citizen residing in Finland.

However it is possible to buy a fishing license for one day, one week, for one month and so on depending on the length of your trip.

When you have paid the fisheries management fee, you are allowed to fish with a lure on any standing body of water, i.e. lakes, ponds and sea areas. Payment of the fisheries management fee does not entitle you to fish in closed areas, water areas in the Åland Islands, rapids and running waters where there are migratory fish, or special sites, such as stocking and angling ponds.

You can find restricted areas online at www.kalastusrajoitus.fi (in Finnish). You should check this website, for example, before fishing with a lure to see whether a site is listed as a migratory fish route. Lure fishing with payment of the fisheries management fee is prohibited in rapids and running waters where there are migratory fish. (Source: Metsähallitus)

You do not need a licence – with the exception of rapids sites, managed rainbow trout lakes and other specific sites

If you are aged between 18 and 69, you’ll need to pay the fisheries management fee. If you are aged under 18 or over 70 (or you have turned 65 by 31 December 2023), you don’t need a licence. However, in order to fish on ‘plant and fish’ lakes, you’ll always need a permit from the owner regardless of your age.

You’ll need to pay the fisheries management fee (if you’re aged 18 to 69 or you have turned 65 by 31 December 2023) and obtain a permit from the owner of the water area.

You’ll need to pay the fisheries management fee (if you’re aged 18 to 69 or you have turned 65 by 31 December 2023) and obtain a permit from the owner of the water area. It is also possible to purchase a combined licence for many large lakes, covering the whole or part of the lake in question.

There are tens of thousands of privately owned water areas in Finland. There is no central permit system ‘database’ for them.  Finding the seller of fishing permits is easier if you know which area you will be fishing in.

Many fishing districts have their own website, which provides detailed information on how to purchase the necessary permits. Fishing associations and fisheries centres, which are found in each region, can also provide assistance with finding a seller. Information on fisheries centres can be found on the Federation of Finnish Fisheries Associations at ahven.net (in Finnish). Municipalities and cities usually present information on what types of fishing permits are required for their waters on their own websites.

Metsähallitus sells fishing permits for fishing in state-owned waters online at eräluvat.fi and by phone at +358 (0)20 69 2424. (Source: Metsähallitus)

The law requires that you have proof of payment of the fisheries management fee with you, unless you are only hook and line fishing, ice fishing or fishing with a simple herring rig. The payment receipt for the fisheries management fee is acceptable as proof of payment.

Person under 18 years of age, over 70 years of age or have reached the age of 65 or more by 31 December 2023 do not need to pay the fisheries management fee, but they are required to have official identification as proof of their age if the fishing method they are using otherwise requires payment of the fisheries management fee. You should also have permits from water area owners (if any are required, see different examples from the questions above). (Source: Metsähallitus)