About Us

The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure's Inland Fisheries Branch has overall responsibility for the supervision and protection of Salmon and Inland Fisheries, and for the establishment and development of Inland Fisheries, in Northern Ireland (except for the Foyle and Carlingford catchments which are the responsibility of the Loughs Agency). The Department manages the Public Angling Estate.

There are 64 fisheries in the Public Angling Estate all within 2 hours travel and many within minutes of your accommodation.

The Estate offers lough and river fishing for salmon, sea trout and wild brown trout. There are many excellent put and take brown trout and rainbow trout fisheries regularly stocked from the Department's fish farm. In addition world class angling for pike, perch, bream, tench, roach and rudd is available to both competition and pleasure anglers. Anglers are required to have a rod licence and a small permit fee for angling in the Department's fisheries.

Angling is provided in a range of urban, scenic and tourist areas. Some waters are near or in forests with hill walks nearby. Many have picnic sites and others are close to caravan/camping sites. A variety of tourist accommodation is available close to all angling venues. Almost half the waters have some degree of disabled access ranging from easy walking through special car parks and fishing stands to disabled hoists allowing wheelchair users access to boat fishing on Lough Erne.

The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is the conservation body responsible for conserving and protecting the Salmon and Inland Fisheries of Northern Ireland, other than those in the Foyle and Carlingford Catchments which are the responsibility of the Loughs Agency of the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission. The Commission is a cross-border fishery body. Both bodies issue fishing rod licences, which are required by law when angling for salmon, sea trout and freshwater fish.