British Columbia splits sport fishing between two governments. The province licenses and regulates freshwater fishing for trout, char, kokanee, bass, walleye, sturgeon and the rest. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) manages salmon everywhere and everything in tidal water. Most confusion, and most tickets, comes from not knowing which rulebook you're under, or from one province-wide rule that people from elsewhere don't expect: no barbed hooks in any river or stream. This guide covers the freshwater side, under the 2025–2027 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis (valid April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2027) and the 2026 licence fees.
Who needs a licence
- BC residents 16 and older need a basic freshwater fishing licence. Residents under 16 need no licence or stamps and keep their own quota.
- Non-residents and non-resident aliens 16 and older need a basic licence too. Those under 16 may fish without one if accompanied by a licence holder 16 or older, and anything they keep counts toward that adult's quota.
- BC resident First Nations people eligible under the Indian Act don't need a freshwater licence.
In BC's licensing system, "non-resident" means a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who doesn't live in BC, and "non-resident alien" means everyone else. Residency has a specific test: your primary residence is in BC and you've been physically present in the province for the greater part of each of 6 months out of the previous 12.
Licences are sold online through WILD, the same system hunters use, and at licence vendors. You'll need a Fish and Wildlife ID (FWID). If you already have a BC Hunter Number, your FWID is that number with three extra digits in front. The licence year runs April 1 to March 31.
2026 basic licence fees
| Licence | BC resident | Non-resident (Canadian) | Non-resident alien |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | $41.15 | $62.87 | $91.44 |
| Eight-day | $22.86 | $41.15 | $57.14 |
| One-day | $11.43 | $22.86 | $22.86 |
| Annual, age 65+ | $5.71 | – | – |
| Annual, residents with disabilities | $1.14 | – | – |
Prices exclude tax. Every product except the disability licence includes a surcharge for the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, and the province says all angling licence revenue goes to that foundation and to the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, which stocks lakes across the province.
Family Fishing Weekend
Each year on Father's Day weekend in June, plus the Friday before, the province waives the basic freshwater licence for residents of Canada. DFO runs a matching free saltwater weekend. Quotas and regulations still apply, and you still need any surcharge stamp or classified waters licence for the species or water you're fishing.
Stamps and extra licences
Depending on what and where you fish, you may need a conservation surcharge stamp on top of the basic licence. If a stamp is required, carry a copy of your licence.
| Stamp | Resident | Non-resident | When you need it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steelhead | $28.57 | $68.57 | To fish for steelhead anywhere in BC, even catch and release; also on most classified waters during specified periods. |
| Non-tidal salmon | $17.14 | $34.29 | To keep salmon from non-tidal waters. Not needed if you release every salmon. |
| Kootenay Lake rainbow trout | $11.43 | $22.86 | To keep rainbows over 50 cm from the main body of Kootenay Lake. |
| Shuswap Lake rainbow trout | $11.43 | $22.86 | To keep rainbows over 50 cm from Shuswap Lake and listed connected waters. |
| Shuswap Lake char | $11.43 | $22.86 | To keep char over 60 cm from Shuswap Lake. |
White sturgeon needs its own conservation licence (resident annual $28.57, one-day $9.14, eight-day $17.14) to fish the Fraser River watershed from the CPR bridge at Mission up to the Williams Lake River. It's catch and release only. Several sturgeon populations (Nechako, Upper Fraser, Kootenay and Columbia) are federally protected and may not be fished at all.
Classified waters
Fifty-two of BC's most productive trout streams are "classified" as Class I or Class II. They're marked (CW) in the regional water-specific tables. To fish one during its classified period you need the basic licence, a Classified Waters Licence and any required stamps. Residents pay $17.15 for an annual licence covering every classified water. Non-residents can't buy the annual. They pay per day and per water ($45.72 for Class I, $22.86 for Class II), for no more than 8 consecutive days. Some Kootenay streams (Michel Creek, Skookumchuck Creek and the Wigwam River) limit non-guided non-residents through a booking system, and the Dean River has its own draw. Licences go on sale March 1 each year.
The province-wide rules
Hooks and lines
- Barbless in all moving water. It's unlawful to use a barbed hook, or a hook with more than one point, in any river, stream, creek or slough in BC. Barbed hooks are allowed in lakes unless the water-specific table says otherwise. Many lakes do. Pinch your barbs before you start and you'll never have to think about it.
- One line, one hook. The basic licence lets you angle with one line carrying one hook, one lure or one fly. No dropper flies. The exception: a person alone in a boat on a lake may use two lines.
- No snagging. Any fish hooked anywhere but the mouth, on purpose or by accident, has to be released immediately.
- Weights and lights. No more than 1 kg of weight on a line (downrigger weights excepted), and lights only if submerged and attached within 1 m of the hook.
- No nets. Dip nets, cast nets and minnow nets are all prohibited for anglers.
Bait
Fin fish, dead or alive, or parts of them other than roe, may not be used as bait, apart from narrow exceptions for Fraser sturgeon and set lines in the north. Live fish may never be used as bait, kept in a livewell or on a stringer, or moved between waters. Aquatic insects and crayfish may be used as bait in streams but not in lakes. You may hold up to 1 kg of roe for bait, more only with a receipt from a commercial source. Many individual waters have a bait ban, which covers all species and all angling on that water.
Quotas and size limits
Every game fish has a daily quota, set in the regional regulations and often overridden for specific waters. Your possession quota is twice the daily quota unless stated otherwise, and quotas aren't cumulative across regions. Measure fish from the nose to the fork of the tail. BC has no general minimum size for trout and char, but many waters set one, or a maximum. If you're not keeping a fish, release it quickly and gently. "High-grading", swapping a kept fish for a bigger one, is illegal.
Ice fishing and set lines
Through the ice you're allowed one line with one lure, fly or attractor. You're legally responsible for warning people about your hole, and you must remove your ice hut before break-up. Set lines (unattended lines) are legal only in lakes in Region 6 (Skeena) and Region 7A (Omineca), with one hook at least 3 cm from point to shank. Any game fish other than burbot must be released, and the line must carry your name, address and phone number.
Where you can't fish
Most BC waters are open for some species 24 hours a day, every day. The general exceptions are:
- no-fishing areas listed in the regional tables, which aren't always signed;
- ecological reserves, where fishing is prohibited;
- within 23 m downstream of the lower entrance of any fishway, canal, obstacle or leap;
- within 100 m of a government fish counting, passing or rearing facility, such as a hatchery;
- national parks, unless a water is opened under the federal National Parks Fishing Regulations.
Getting to the water is your responsibility too: the synopsis says it's unlawful to enter or cross cultivated land, posted land, private land or reserve land without permission.
Parks: provincial and national
In BC provincial parks, conservancies, recreation areas and protected areas, the provincial fishing regulations apply along with the Park Act. Vehicles, horses and bikes are generally restricted to authorized roads and trails, and some parks limit aircraft access.
The seven national parks in BC (Kootenay, Yoho, Glacier, Mount Revelstoke, Pacific Rim, Gwaii Haanas and Gulf Islands) are a different system. A BC licence isn't valid there. Where fishing is open, you need a Parks Canada national park fishing permit and must follow that park's rules. After whirling disease was first detected in BC in Yoho in 2023, all waters in Yoho and Kootenay were closed to watercraft and angling until March 31, 2025. Check the park's current status before you go.
Salmon and tidal water
The provincial synopsis doesn't apply to tidal waters. Fishing in the ocean or in tidal sections of rivers needs a federal tidal waters sport fishing licence from DFO, with DFO's own openings, closures and limits. Salmon are DFO's responsibility in fresh water too. Salmon openings on rivers are announced by DFO, and to keep a salmon from non-tidal water you also need the provincial non-tidal salmon stamp. Before you fish a river mouth, find out exactly where the tidal boundary sits.
Invasive species: pull the plug, stop at inspections
Zebra and quagga mussels haven't been found in BC, and the province spends heavily to keep it that way. If you're hauling any watercraft into BC, including a canoe, kayak or inflatable, stop at the watercraft inspection stations at border crossings and on highways into the province. Since May 2024, a "Pull the Plug" order from BC's chief veterinarian has required everyone moving a boat or other watercraft between water bodies to pull its drain plug first. Clean, drain and dry your boat, trailer and gear every time you leave the water. It's illegal to possess live fish or release them into BC waters. A first conviction for moving aquatic invasive species can bring a fine of up to $100,000.
Hiring a guide
Anyone paid to accompany or help you angle, attend you at the water, or transport you to fish must hold a BC angling guide licence. Ask to see it, or confirm it with FrontCounter BC (1-877-855-3222). Non-residents booking a guided classified water need the guide's licence number when buying the licence.
Find a lake, then read its line
The synopsis is organised by region: Region 1 Vancouver Island, 2 Lower Mainland, 3 Thompson-Nicola, 4 Kootenay, 5 Cariboo, 6 Skeena, 7A Omineca, 7B Peace and 8 Okanagan. Read the regional regulations first, then look your water up in that region's table, because the table lists exceptions and additions to the regional rules. In-season changes are published online, so check them the week you go.
Our BC lake directory lists more than 18,000 named lakes and rivers by tourism region. Find one there, check whether it sits in a park or on open Crown land on the map, and read the Crown land camping rules if you plan to stay the night.
Sources
Last reviewed: October 2026. Regulations change; always confirm with the official source before you go.