Bag limits

Salmon, Sea Trout and Brown Trout

There are no specific bag limits or minimum sizes for brown trout except for the Foyle and Carlingford Catchments regulated by the Loughs Agency. Fishery owners tend to apply their own bag limits and minimum sizes and information is generally provided on the permit you purchase from the fishery owner.

As salmon stocks are declining across all North Atlantic countries there are limits on the number of salmon that may be retained.

In the Foyle and Carlingford catchments the area controlled by the Loughs Agency area one salmonid (salmon, sea trout or brown trout) with a minimum size of 25.4 cm may be retained during the period 1 March to 31 May and 4 salmonids with a minimum size of 25.4cm may be retained thereafter.

In all other catchments with the exception of Lough Melvin catch and release operates for salmon during the period 1 March to 31 May and a daily bag limit of two salmon applies thereafter. On Lough Melvin one salmon may be retained during the period 1 February to 31 May and three salmon from 1 June to 30 September. You may continue to fish after you have obtained your bag limit but all fish must be returned alive and unharmed (link to take you to how to perform catch and release) to the water. All salmon and sea trout over 50cms retained by the angler must be tagged. Tags are provided with your licence.

All pike weighing 4kg or more must be returned alive and unharmed to the water and no more than 1 pike per day under 4kg may be retained. In the Foyle and Carlingford catchments these limits also apply, however, one specimen pike captured in a river weighing 9kg or more or captured in a lake weighing 13.6 kg or more may be retained on any one day.

There is a daily bag limit of 4 coarse fish i.e. bream, roach, perch, tench, rudd and eels.per day. Any coarse fish greater than 25 cms measured from the tip of its snout to the fork or cleft of its tail must be returned to the water. Ground baiting is permitted on most coarse fisheries.