- Is fishing allowed on this exact water or river section?
- Is the species open on this date?
- Is the fish within the permitted retention size?
- Will keeping it exceed the species number or total catch-weight limit?
Limited fisheries, private waters, protected areas, salmonid sections and waters managed for ecological improvement can impose different or stricter conditions. The AAD's live memo and the angler card always take priority.
How fish are measured
Measure a fish from the beginning of the snout to the end of the tail fin. A fish that is below a minimum, above a maximum, caught in a closed period or otherwise protected must be released immediately into the same water.
Do not wait until the fish is dead to measure it. Keep an accurate metric measure within reach before the first cast.
Species with per-session number limits
The following table summarises the current ordinary inland rules. Closed periods include both the first and last date shown.
| Fish | Lithuanian name | General number per fishing session | Retention size | General closed period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wels catfish (Silurus glanis) | šamas | 1 | At least 75 cm | 1 November-1 April |
| Northern pike (Esox lucius) | lydeka | Up to 2 | 50-80 cm | 1 February-30 April |
| Pikeperch / zander (Sander lucioperca) | sterkas | Up to 2 | 50-65 cm | 1 March-31 May |
| Grayling (Thymallus thymallus) | kiršlys | Up to 2 | At least 30 cm | 1 March-15 May |
| Asp (Leuciscus aspius) | salatis | Up to 2 | At least 55 cm | 1 April-15 May |
| Barbel (Barbus barbus) | ūsorius | Up to 2 | At least 45 cm | No general species closure shown in the current inland summary; water closures still apply |
| Burbot (Lota lota) | vėgėlė | Up to 3 | At least 45 cm | 15 December-31 January |
| European eel (Anguilla anguilla) | ungurys | Up to 3 outside the prohibited areas | No general minimum stated in the current inland summary | Targeting eel is prohibited all year in the Curonian Lagoon; an accidental eel must be released immediately |
| Chub (Squalius cephalus) | šapalas | Up to 5 | At least 30 cm | No general species closure shown; river-section closures still apply |
| Ide (Leuciscus idus) | meknė | Up to 5 | At least 30 cm | No general species closure shown; river-section closures still apply |
Combined limit: retain no more than five fish in total from the species in the table above in one fishing session. For example, two pike, two zander and two chub would be six fish and would not be legal merely because each separate species row appears to allow that number.
Pike and zander need an extra water check
The general pike rule is two fish from 50 to 80 cm; the current AAD FAQ confirms those figures. The general zander retention window is 50 to 65 cm. These are not universal on every named water.
On waters listed for ecological improvement under Annex 7, the amendment effective 14 May 2026 permits predator fishing only with artificial lures and one fishing tool. At most one pike and one zander may be retained, and Annex 7 expressly says each must be at least 65 cm. If fish-finding equipment is used or possessed there, every pike and zander caught must be released immediately.
The general fishing rules and AAD fishing guidance must be read together with Annex 7. The Ministry’s published Annex states the 65 cm minimum and the one-pike/one-zander quota, but this is not evidence that all general upper-size restrictions are waived. Confirm the applicable maximum size with AAD before retaining a fish. Do not treat either an uncapped allowance or a 90 cm cap as established by this guide.
Pending authoritative clarification of the conflicting Annex 7 maximum-size information, our planning recommendation is to release every pike and zander caught in Annex 7 waters. This is a conservative visitor recommendation, not a statement that the law bans all retention.
Limited predator fisheries can have their own card conditions. Always check the exact lake rather than applying the general pike or zander row automatically.
Species controlled mainly by size and total weight
Some familiar fish do not have a separate national limit on the number of fish in the ordinary rule but still have a minimum size and count towards the retained catch weight.
| Fish | Lithuanian name | Minimum retention size | Additional point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tench (Tinca tinca) | lynas | 25 cm | Counts towards the general catch weight |
| Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) | karpis | 40 cm | Private fisheries may impose their own stricter conditions |
| Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) | baltasis amūras | 40 cm | Check water status and stocking rules |
| Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) | margasis plačiakaktis | 40 cm | Check water-specific conditions |
AAD current fishing memo Water-specific and private-water conditions can be stricter.
Bream (karšis), roach (kuoja), perch (ešerys) and several other ordinary species have no general national minimum size or separate limit on the number of fish in the current inland summary. That does not make the catch unlimited: the total retained-weight rule and water-specific conditions still apply.
For winter planning, do not read this table as an ice-fishing calendar. Pike close on 1 February, burbot are protected from 15 December through 31 January, zander close on 1 March, and safe ice is never guaranteed. The winter fishing guide brings the relevant dates, bait rules and safety requirements together.
In the Nemunas Delta Regional Park, bream are protected from 20 April to 20 May in park waters, except for the stated polder exception. In Kaunas Reservoir, current rules make a specific exception for silver crucian carp, roach and white bream. Do not transfer that exception to another reservoir.
The total retained-weight rule
For an ordinary inland fishing session, the retained catch must not exceed:
- 5 kg in general inland waters;
- 7 kg in the Curonian Lagoon.
The current rule excludes the weight of the last fish caught from the calculation and also covers the case where one fish alone exceeds the general weight. Smelt has a separate unlimited-weight exception in the inland rule, and named waters or invasive species can have further exceptions.
Fish retained by different anglers must be stored separately. A fish held alive in a keepnet or otherwise prevented from moving freely is already counted in that angler's catch; it is not “not yet kept.”
The safest visitor practice is to record each retained fish immediately and stop well before the legal maximum when identification or weighing is uncertain.
Salmonids and migratory fish
These fish require more than a simple national table.
Brown trout
All brown trout (margasis upėtakis) must currently be released, except in the limited-fishing section of the Merkys from Ožkelaičiai Bridge to the Lithuanian-Belarusian border. With the required angler card, that exception currently permits no more than two brown trout from 30 to 40 cm, or two grayling, with a combined limit of two fish.
Brown trout have a general closed period from 1 October to 31 December, and entire named trout rivers can be closed during that period. Natural-origin bait must not be used to target them.
Autumn river closure: From 1 October through 31 December, all recreational fishing is prohibited in the rivers and river sections listed in Annex 2. Catch-and-release fishing is also prohibited there. Check the official Annex 2 before planning an autumn river session. This complete river closure is separate from the brown-trout species closure; a species rule or permit cannot reopen a closed section.
Salmon and sea trout
Salmon (lašiša) and sea trout (šlakis) are controlled through named river sections, periods, limited-fishing cards, catch-and-release requirements and reporting. From 1 January-30 April, an angler card permits daylight fishing only on the current Table 1 sections and at most one salmon or one sea trout at least 65 cm may be retained. Targeting is prohibited from 1 May-31 August and 16 October-31 December. The September periods are catch and release, with the named-section card rules beginning on 16 September.
For a retained January-April fish, an ALIS report or SMS to 1769 is due within 10 minutes and before leaving the fishing place; either electronic route cancels the card. The separate non-ALIS paper-card route requires tearing the marked part within 5 minutes and emailing [email protected] with the required catch details within 5 days. The river chapter gives the exact data fields, SMS format and current sections. If you plan to report by SMS using a non-Lithuanian SIM, ask AAD before the trip whether short code 1769 is available on your network.
Use the live AAD salmon and sea-trout page for the exact date and river section. Natural-origin bait is prohibited for both species.
Whitefish and vendace
Whitefish (sykas) requires an angler card and has a closed period from 1 October to 31 December. Vendace (seliava) fishing has a special 12-hook allowance, but the water and any limited-fishing conditions must be checked. When vendace is fished other than from ice, other species caught, except flounder, must be released immediately.
Vimba
Vimba bream (žiobris) has a general closed period from 15 May to 15 June. River-section and migration rules can add restrictions.
Crayfish limits
Crayfish identification matters as much as measurement.
| Species | Lithuanian name | Current ordinary rule |
|---|---|---|
| Noble / broad-clawed crayfish (Astacus astacus) | plačiažnyplis vėžys | Protected; must not be caught |
| Narrow-clawed crayfish (Pontastacus leptodactylus) | siauražnyplis vėžys | 16 July-14 October; minimum 10 cm; up to 50 per session; normally up to 5 traps or scoops |
| Signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) | žymėtasis vėžys | Invasive; year-round, no size or number limit under the current rules |
| Spiny-cheek crayfish (Faxonius limosus) | rainuotasis vėžys | Invasive; year-round, no size or number limit under the current rules |
The ordinary permit and place restrictions still apply. Invasive crayfish must not be used as bait or moved alive to another water.
Fish visitors are likely to hear about
This is a habitat guide, not a promise of a catch.
Lakes and reservoirs
Pike, perch, zander, bream, roach, tench and carp are the names most visitors encounter in general lake and reservoir discussions. Vendace and whitefish occur in particular deeper or cooler lakes and require more specialised local knowledge.
Rivers
Large lowland rivers can hold bream, roach, chub, ide, asp, barbel, pike, zander, catfish and burbot. Cleaner, colder rivers and tributaries are associated with brown trout, grayling, salmon and sea trout, but these are the most legally sensitive fishing trips.
Curonian Lagoon and Nemunas Delta
The lagoon and delta are associated with bream, roach, perch, zander, pike, vimba, smelt and other migratory or brackish-water species. Exact boundaries matter: the lagoon has a 7 kg general retained-weight rule, targeting eel is prohibited there all year, any accidental eel must be released, and reserve zones are closed.
Baltic coast
Visitors commonly ask about smelt, Baltic herring, flounder, cod, salmon and sea trout. Marine rules, EU conservation measures and eLaimikis reporting apply separately. Do not use the inland table to decide whether a Baltic fish may be retained.
| 2026 Baltic species | Rule applicable to Lithuania's ICES subdivision 26 |
|---|---|
| Cod | Recreational targeting is prohibited. Every accidentally caught cod must be released immediately; the EU incidental-retention exception begins at subdivision 27 and does not cover Lithuania |
| Salmon | Targeting is generally prohibited. The EU exception is limited to one adipose-fin-clipped salmon per angler per day; after retention, stop salmon fishing for the day and land all retained fish whole. Stricter Lithuanian rules still apply |
| Sea trout and salmon near named coastal mouths | Lithuanian rules prohibit them from 15 August-31 October within 0.5 km of the coastal Šventoji mouth and within 0.5 km of the Klaipėda port north and south mole tips |
| European eel | Targeting is prohibited in Lithuanian Baltic waters; release an accidental fish immediately |
The EU instrument is Council Regulation (EU) 2025/2454, applicable from 1 January-31 December 2026. Check the current consolidated text and Lithuanian marine rules before a trip; a commercial quota or bycatch allowance is not a recreational entitlement.
Species that must not be targeted
The current inland rules prohibit catching several protected species, including:
- nase (
skersnukis); - weatherfish (
vijūnas); - sea lamprey (
jūrinė nėgė); - brook lamprey (
mažoji nėgė); - Atlantic sturgeon (
aštriašnipis eršketas); - sterlet (
sterlė); - noble or broad-clawed crayfish.
Other animals on Lithuania's protected-species list are also covered. If identification is uncertain, release the fish immediately without prolonged handling.
A compact retention check
Before placing a fish in a keepnet, cooler or boat box, ask:
- Am I allowed to fish here today?
- Is this definitely the species I think it is?
- Is the species open today?
- Does this water require a card or compulsory release?
- Is the fish inside both the minimum and maximum size?
- How many fish from the species with number limits have I already retained in total?
- What is the current total weight of my separate catch?
- Does sonar or another water-specific condition require release?
When any answer is unclear, release the fish.
Official sources
- AAD current fishing periods, sizes and catch limits
- AAD frequently asked questions
- AAD 15 May 2026 inland-rule changes
- Ministry of Environment: May 2026 fishing rule changes
- AAD salmon and sea-trout guidance
- Council Regulation (EU) 2025/2454, 2026 Baltic fishing opportunities
- Lithuanian recreational sea-fishing rules, current edition
- AAD crayfish guidance
- Ministry of Environment brown-trout and winter rule reminder, 30 January 2026
Next: choose the right fishing season
Fish photograph catalogue
Licensed reference photographs for identification and trip planning. A photograph does not show that a species may legally be targeted, retained, transported or used as bait; check the current rule beside the relevant written guidance.
