- you can fish in Estonia all year round, even in winter on a ice
- easy to get fishing permits
- puutumatu loodus ja kalastuskohtade paljusus: jõed, järved, meri
It’s a popular all year round activity and Estonia's hundreds of rivers and lakes and thousands of islands hold plenty of fishing challenges plus the coastline is nearly 4000 km long, so beach fishing might tempt you too.
In summer there are almost no restrictions.
You can easily pick up a fishing permit or license in fishing supply stores, fishing clubs and elsewhere; these are also good places to obtain additional information about the best places to fish.
Children under the age of 16, pensioners over the age of 65 and individuals with special needs do not need a permit to fish.
Depending on the fishing gear used, there are 3 types of recreational fishing differentiated.
Line Fishing - Everyone is allowed to fish free of charge and without a special fishing permit with one simple hand line from sunrise to sunset on a water body belonging to the state, local government or on a privately owned water body designated for public use, taking into account the restrictions set for permitted fishing seasons, areas and fish species.
Recreational fishing with up to three hook gears
Right to fish for recreation requires payment of fee. Fee depends on period required. There are two possibilities to obtain the right to fish for recreation: bank transfer and mobile payment. In the first case the proof of your right to fish is the copy of the order of payment together with an identity document, in the second case it is sufficient to show identity document to the inspector.
Allowed fishing gear: a spinning reel, trolling line, pulling device, fly hook, bottom line, krunda, trimmer, hand line and more than one simple hand lines, harpoon gun, harpoon, fish hook.
Fishing Card - With a fishing card, you are allowed to use the following fishing gear: gillnet, bottom set long-line of up to 100 hooks, dip-net and crayfish trap, hoop-net, dragnet.
- Note that in addition, you will need a fishing card for catching salmon and sea trout on Pirita River, Jägala River, Selja River, Narva River, Vääna River, Purtse River and Valgejõe River; when catching river trout in the rivers of Järvamaa county and with a harpoon in Lake Saadjärv and Lake Kuremaa.
- Nature conservation areas where recreational fishing is allowed only with the fishing card are: Nature Conservation Area of Endla, Nature Conservation Area of Silma and National Park of Matsalu.
The fishing cards can be easily purchased in any county Environmental Department.
Fishing cards are issued by local offices of the Environmental Board.See more from http://www.kalastusinfo.ee