How To Fish»Fishing Licences & Regulations

Fishing Licences & Regulations

Buy a Licence

Who needs a Fishing Licence?

If you are 16 years of age or older you must have a valid basic licence to sport fish for any species of fish in non-tidal waters in BC, and you must purchase appropriate supplementary licences and stamps.

If you are under 16 and a resident of BC you may sport fish without any licence or stamp but must still abide by the regulations.

Buying your Freshwater Fishing Licence

You have two options for purchasing your non-tidal/freshwater fishing licence. You can Buy your Freshwater Fishing Licence Online or obtain a licence in person from any licence vendor who offers the service.

Angling Licences and Fees

For information on angling licences and fees, please review the Provincial Government’s Fish and Wildlife Branch website.

Regulations

Before you head out on the water, be sure to read and understand the Freshwater Fishing Regulations. You can download and print specific regions from the synopsis or obtain a hard copy from a licence vendor. Please click on the province-wide regulations first. These are in effect throughout BC.

To download the 2013-2015 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis by region please use the links below:

Province-wide regulations, definitions, and licensing information [PDF 1.82MB]
Region 1 – Vancouver Island [PDF 1.48MB]
Region 2 – Lower Mainland [PDF 1.31MB]
Region 3 – Thompson [PDF 1.78MB]
Region 4 – Kootenay [PDF 1.62MB]
Region 5 – Cariboo [PDF 1.44MB]
Region 6 – Skeena [PDF 1.44MB]
Region 7A – Omineca [PDF 825KB]
Region 7B – Peace [PDF 1.44MB]
Region 8 – Okanagan [PDF 1.20MB]

Click here to visit the Fisheries and Oceans Canada website for additional information on Salmon Regulations.

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An alternative to carrying a ruler when fishing is to buy a plastic adhesive ruler and stick it on the side of your tackle box.
When tying nymphs, streamers, or wet flies with weighted bodies, use a specific colour of thread to form the head. For example; red denotes heavily-weighted; yellow for light-weighted; black for un-weighted.
When you're trolling with plugs, spinners, spoons or flies, drop your rod tip back once in a while rather than maintaining a steady pull. Dropping back causes the lure to tumble momentarily, triggering strikes from any fish that may be following.
If you're not sure where the most productive waters are when trout fishing on streams, look for a flowing line of foam. Most of the insects that wash into the pool from upstream will be in these foam lines.
When angling in a stream or river on a sunny day, stand out of the sunlight as you cast. You're less likely to spook the trout if you do this.
While wading through rivers and streams avoid wearing bright colours or plain white, as it often spooks fish. Wear drab colours to blend in with the background as much as possible.
Always be watching where the birds are hanging out in the lake, as they may be feeding on a hatch.
Dull lures means dull results. Polish all your lures and make sure you thoroughly rinse off all traces of the cleaner after polishing.

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