Buy angling licences and permits online
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Licence and permit
You need a rod licence and permit to fish in freshwater lakes, loughs and rivers in Northern Ireland.
The licence is for the fishing rod and the game or coarse fish you're allowed to catch. A permit grants you the right to fish in a particular fishery.
You can buy a licence or permit online through this page:
Catch returns online
Licence holders legally must make a catch return, as these help to manage fish stock.
Maps of fishing waters
You can search by county to find out what angling waters are available in your local area.
You can also find out which waters have recently been stocked and what sort of fishing is allowed there.
The following pages should be useful:
Maps of fishing waters in the public angling estate are also available to view at this link:
Protecting fisheries
You can help protect fisheries by reporting illegal activity and pollution incidents. By reporting these incidents, you can help to improve and protect angling for the future.
Foyle and Carlingford
If you want to fish in the Foyle and Carlingford catchment areas, you will need to contact the Loughs Agency. They set their own licence duties for fishing in those areas.