How much is the fishing fee, and who has to pay it?

In 2026 the rate is NOK 347 per person and NOK 554 per family. Anyone 18 or older who wants to fish for salmon, sea trout or sea char in a river or lake has to pay, and so does anyone setting fixed gear for those species in the sea.

Do I have to pay the fishing fee to fish for trout in a lake?

No, not where no salmon, sea trout or sea char run. The trout there counts as an inland species, and the fee only covers fish that move between the sea and the river. What you need is a fishing card from whoever owns the fishing. If the lake lies on a salmon-bearing stretch that is open for salmon or sea trout, you pay all the same.

Is the fishing fee the same as a fishing card?

No. The fee is a yearly payment to the state, and it does not open a single river. You buy the card from whoever owns the fishing where you will stand, and the card is what gives you permission. In a salmon river adults need both.

What happens if I fish without paying the fishing fee?

You risk a NOK 3,000 fine, which can be issued then and there. The matter can also become a criminal case with a fine or prison, and your tackle and catch can be seized. Pay before you go, and carry the receipt.

What will the fishing fee cost in 2027?

The 2027 rate is not set yet. As of 6 October 2026 neither the payment site nor the Norwegian Environment Agency gives an amount for 2027, and the payment site only takes payment for 2026. The Ministry of Climate and Environment sets the rate, so check the payment site before you pay for a new year.

State fishing fee 2026 and 2027: who must pay, what it costs and how

Pay the fee Fishing without a card Salmon fishing

What it costs in 2026

One person: NOK 347; For anyone aged 18 or over.
Family: NOK 554; A married or cohabiting couple with any children aged 18 to 20, or one parent with children of that age.
Fixed gear in the sea, season starting before 1 July: NOK 865; Kilenot, lakseverp and krokgarn, the fixed salmon nets.
Fixed gear in the sea, season starting after 1 July: NOK 526; Kilenot, lakseverp and krokgarn, the fixed salmon nets.

The fee covers one calendar year, from 1 January to 31 December, whenever in the year you pay. You get no refund if the trip is cancelled, if the river is closed, or if you paid by mistake. If you paid more than once in the same name, you can ask the Norwegian Environment Agency for a refund.

The 2027 rate is not set as of 6 October 2026. The rate is set by the Ministry of Climate and Environment. The rates above were read off the payment site on 6 October 2026.

Who must pay

Aged 18 or overThe duty starts on your 18th birthday. Children and young people under 18 pay nothing.
Salmon, sea trout, sea charThe fee covers fish that migrate between the sea and fresh water. The act calls them anadromous salmonids.
In watercoursesThe salmon-bearing part of the watercourse, from the sea up to a waterfall or another barrier the salmon cannot pass. The county governor can decide where that stretch ends.
At seaOnly when you fish with fixed gear: kilenot, lakseverp or krokgarn.

If you fish for inland species on a salmon-bearing stretch while it is open for salmon, sea trout or sea char, you must pay as well.

Who does not pay

Children and young people under 18. In a salmon river they still need a fishing card.
Anyone fishing with a rod or hand line in the sea.
Anyone fishing for inland species or crayfish outside salmon-bearing stretches, for example trout in a mountain lake.
Norwegian and Swedish reindeer-herding Sami, for the fishing they have a right to under reindeer husbandry law.
Schools and institutions that use fishing in teaching, treatment or an activity programme can get a dispensation from the municipality. The dispensation is in writing and runs for a limited time.
Participants in time-limited events that aim to bring more people into fishing can get a dispensation from the Norwegian Environment Agency. The organiser applies.

How to pay

Go to the Norwegian Environment Agency’s payment site. Choose one person or family, and fill in name, address, date of birth, phone and email. If you pay for a family, add every family member before you go on, because you cannot add more afterwards.
Print the receipt.
Carry the receipt while you fish, and show it if the police or a warden asks.
Show the receipt when you buy a fishing card for a salmon river. Whoever sells the card must see it before you get the card. That does not apply to cards from machines and other self-service sales when the card states the fee.

If you lose the receipt, you can have a new one sent from the payment site. Use the same email address as when you paid. You can also pay by giro at a bank or in online banking. The account number, the KID reference and what the receipt must then show are on the Norwegian Environment Agency’s site.

The fee is not a fishing card

The state fee

It is paid to the state, into the State Fish Fund. The fund gives grants to measures for wild stocks of salmon, sea trout and sea char, and to make fishing easier. The fee gives you no right to fish in any particular place.

The fishing card

It is the rights holder’s permission to fish a particular watercourse or area. You buy it for a day, a weekend, a week, a season or a year, online or locally.

Adults need both to fish a salmon river, and children under 18 need only the card. In a water without salmon, sea trout and sea char only the fishing card applies, and there children under 16 fish free from 1 January to 20 August.

Where you can fish without a card

If you do not pay

The Norwegian Environment Agency can give you an infringement fine of NOK 3,000. The fine can be issued on the spot.
It is also a criminal offence. Under section 49 of the salmon and inland fish act the penalty is a fine or up to one year in prison.
A warden can seize the tackle you fished with, and the catch.

All of this is advisory. The rate changes from year to year, and seasons and rules are set river by river. Check the payment site before you pay, and the rules for the watercourse before you fish.

Common questions

How much is the fishing fee, and who has to pay it?: In 2026 the rate is NOK 347 per person and NOK 554 per family. Anyone 18 or older who wants to fish for salmon, sea trout or sea char in a river or lake has to pay, and so does anyone setting fixed gear for those species in the sea.
Do I have to pay the fishing fee to fish for trout in a lake?: No, not where no salmon, sea trout or sea char run. The trout there counts as an inland species, and the fee only covers fish that move between the sea and the river. What you need is a fishing card from whoever owns the fishing. If the lake lies on a salmon-bearing stretch that is open for salmon or sea trout, you pay all the same. When you need a fishing card
Is the fishing fee the same as a fishing card?: No. The fee is a yearly payment to the state, and it does not open a single river. You buy the card from whoever owns the fishing where you will stand, and the card is what gives you permission. In a salmon river adults need both.
What happens if I fish without paying the fishing fee?: You risk a NOK 3,000 fine, which can be issued then and there. The matter can also become a criminal case with a fine or prison, and your tackle and catch can be seized. Pay before you go, and carry the receipt.
What will the fishing fee cost in 2027?: The 2027 rate is not set yet. As of 6 October 2026 neither the payment site nor the Norwegian Environment Agency gives an amount for 2027, and the payment site only takes payment for 2026. The Ministry of Climate and Environment sets the rate, so check the payment site before you pay for a new year.

Sources

The rates were read off the Norwegian Environment Agency’s payment site on 6 October 2026. The rules are taken from the act and the regulations on Lovdata and from the agency’s pages.