Fishing Season Dates Salmon, Sea Trout, and Brown Trout in Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales

 

Please click one of the links to the country you are interested in for details of the fishing season opening and closing dates.

 

 

Scotland | England | Northern Ireland | Southern Ireland | Wales

 

Dalguise beat on the TayYou can just about fish all year round for salmon in the UK and Ireland with the earliest opener being the Drowes in Eire which opens on the 1st of January and the latest closing date being 15th of December on the rivers of Devon and Cornwall which means that there are only 16 days a year when you cannot wet a line for salmon - beat that Kola and Alaska. The truth is salmon run 52 weeks of the year and the only (and very sensible) reason we don't fish all year is to let the salmon spawn in peace.

 

The dates shown are as accurate as I can get at this time, please check with the fisheries before you head off. With the end of drift netting in Ireland and conservation measures in the rest of the UK season dates are being changed, I know the Dee is seeking to extend the season. Changes in run patterns are also being reviewed and some rivers may adjust their seasons to suit. 

 

In Scotland the Brown Trout fishing season starts on the 15th of March however many fisheries, especially in the north of Scotland, start on the 1st of April. The closing date in Scotland is 30th September. In England the season starts on the 22nd of March through to the 30th of September however some fisheries may go on for an other week in October, it's always worth checking locally before setting off on a fishing trip. There are hundreds of contact numbers in the Where to Fish Directory.

 

For those of you interested in course fishing please note that there is no closed season for course fish in Scotland nor for stocked fisheries in England and Wales. For natural course fishing waters the close season is 15th March to 15th June each years. Throughout the UK and Ireland there is no closed season for non native trout such as rainbows, blues, tiger trout and brook trout.

 

 

 

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