Rules, licences and catch & release

Key rules

• Hand tackle = rod, jig and similar moving gear with a line and at most 10 hooks.
• Free hand-tackle fishing has exceptions: river mouths, nature reserves and local closed areas can ban it.
• Coastal size limits for hand tackle apply mainly to pike, zander, trout, salmon and cod.
• Pike in the Baltic: slot limit, typically 40–75 cm, max 3 pike per angler per day; some counties use 45–75 cm and a combined limit of 3 pike and zander (Gotland, Gävleborg).
• Spawning closures: pike and perch are protected in coastal waters in spring in many areas, e.g. 1 March–31 May on Gotland.
• Salmon and sea trout on the west coast (Skagerrak and Kattegat coastal zone): closed 1 October–31 March (Halland).
• Cod: in Halland, cod, pollack and haddock fishing is banned inside the trawl limit 1 January–31 March. Recreational cod and salmon fishing in the Baltic remains restricted at EU level in 2026, and the Commission has proposed a ban on directed cod fishing across the Baltic for 2027.
• Protected species: eel is fully protected for recreational anglers, along with allis shad, twaite shad, sea lamprey and porbeagle (HVMFS 2023:7). Undersized or out-of-season fish must be released immediately.
• Disease hygiene: dry or disinfect gear when moving between rivers – the salmon parasite Gyrodactylus salaris has triggered fishing bans and disinfection rules on the west coast.
• Moving fish: stocking or moving fish and crayfish requires a permit; never use live bait from another water.

Catch and release done right

1. Use barbless or crushed-barb hooks and gear strong enough to land fish quickly.
2. Keep the fish in the water as much as possible; wet your hands before touching it.
3. Support big fish horizontally; never hold pike or zander by the eyes or vertically by the jaw only.
4. Unhook with long-nose pliers; cut deep hooks rather than tearing them out.
5. Release facing into the current, or gently in calm water until the fish swims away by itself.
6. Avoid C&R on salmonids in very warm water (above about 20 °C) – survival drops.

Etiquette

Take your line and rubbish home (lost line kills birds), keep your distance from other anglers, respect bird protection areas and private land, and use the Right of Public Access (allemansrätten) responsibly.

Sources

• Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management: HVMFS 2023:7
• County Administrative Boards of Gävleborg, Gotland, Kalmar, Östergötland, Halland and Västra Götaland: Fishing
• Riksdagen: Baltic fishing opportunities 2026; Government: Fact memo Baltic fishing opportunities 2027

Species sizes, gear specs and techniques are general angling knowledge and approximate.