A first-time foreign visitor should use a qualified guide for salmon, sea trout or brown trout. The guide's value is not a promised fish. It is legal section choice, access, safe wading and a clear response when weather or water conditions change.
Main river landscapes
Žeimena and eastern Lithuania
The Žeimena rises in the Aukštaitija lake system. The protected-area service describes the river and its valley as central natural features of Aukštaitija National Park. It also has important salmonid context and seasonal protection. Treat it as a specialist river, not a casual extension of a lake ticket.
Merkys and Dzūkija
The Merkys, Ūla, Grūda and smaller spring-fed waters shape Dzūkija National Park. The park protects cold-water rivers, springs, fish migration routes and rare species. Some stretches or tributaries have strict seasonal conditions, while access through reserves and village land must be respected.
Neris and lower Nemunas system
These larger rivers appear in official salmon and sea-trout rules, together with named bridges, mouths and legal section boundaries. Urban access may look easy, but the autumn permit rule can apply regardless of which fish an angler says they are targeting.
Minija and western rivers
The Minija connects the western river landscape with the lower Nemunas and lagoon region. Migratory-fish restrictions, tributary-mouth closures and border or delta planning can overlap in the wider area.
River type, permission and closure check
| Planned river fishing | Permission to confirm | Principal closure risk | Primary live source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary coarse or predator fishing | Angler ticket or, where required, an angler card; documented free-fishing rights may apply. Arrange any necessary permission for private access or facilities separately. | Species dates, protected sections and water-specific rules | AAD recreational-fishing permits and current fishing memo |
| Brown trout or grayling | Exact water right plus any card condition that applies | Named river closures, natural-bait prohibition and compulsory release conditions | AAD current fishing memo |
| Salmon or sea trout on named sections | Current angler card or other permission stated for the date and section | Changing named sections, tributary-mouth closures, catch-and-release and reporting | AAD salmon and sea-trout guidance |
| River inside a national or regional park | Correct fishing right plus the protected area's access and conservation rules | Reserve closures, seasonal access and additional local protection | Lithuania's protected-areas service and the named park page |
Use this table to choose the official page, not to infer that a river section is open. The water name, legal section and date must agree.
Salmon and sea trout: current 2026 calendar
The Environmental Protection Department's dedicated page was updated on 5 September 2026. Its dates distinguish legal targeting, compulsory release and the narrow retention period. Daylight here means no later than one hour after sunset and no earlier than one hour before sunrise, using the calendar time.
| Date | Permission and outcome | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January-30 April | Angler card; daylight only; one salmon or one sea trout at least 65 cm may be retained | Only the sections in current official Table 1 |
| 1 May-31 August | Targeting salmon and sea trout is prohibited | All waters |
| 1-15 September | Ordinary angler ticket; every salmon and sea trout released | Otherwise lawful water and method |
| 16 September-15 October | For salmon or sea-trout targeting: angler card, subject to statutory free-fishing exceptions and method limits; daylight; catch and release | Only current Table 2 salmon sections, excluding Table 4 / Annex 5 closures. Annex 3 separately defines where a card is compulsory for any fishing |
| 16-30 September | Angler card; daylight; catch and release, with extra species or tackle conditions | Only current Table 3 sections |
| 16 October-31 December | Targeting salmon and sea trout is prohibited | All waters |
Retention sections, 1 January-30 April
This guide translates the current Lithuanian AAD Table 1 for convenience. Use the linked Lithuanian table as the authoritative source for section boundaries, and preserve the Lithuanian place names when matching a permit or map.
| River | Exact section in current AAD Table 1 |
|---|---|
| Minija | Mouth to Aleksandrava bridge |
| Veiviržas | Mouth to the Klaipėda-Šilutė railway bridge |
| Skirvytė | Vytinis to Atmata |
| Jūra | Mouth to Tauragė Versmė Gymnasium |
| Atmata | Entire river |
| Nemunas | Atmata to Vilkija ferry |
| Neris | Entire river in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania |
| Dubysa | Mouth to Lyduvėnai bridge |
| Šventoji | Mouth to the bridge on the Kavarskas-Kurkliai road; and Kavarskas dam to the A. Vienuolio Street bridge in Anykščiai |
| Siesartis (river) | Mouth to the Želva-Balninkai bridge |
| Coastal Šventoji | Entire river in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania |
| Venta | Viekšniai dam to the Lithuania-Latvia state border |
| Akmena-Danė | Liepų Street extension bridge to the Kretinga mill weir |
| Širvinta (tributary of the Šventoji) | Entire river |
| Musė (tributary of the Neris) | Entire river |
| Virinta | Entire river |
Named catch-and-release sections, 16 September-15 October
| River | Exact section in current AAD Table 2 |
|---|---|
| Neris | Mouth to Karalius Mindaugas Bridge; and Žirmūnai Bridge to the Lithuania-Belarus border, excluding the closures below |
| Šventoji | Mouth to the bridge on the Kavarskas-Kurkliai road; and Kavarskas dam to the A. Vienuolio Street bridge in Anykščiai, excluding the closures below |
| Siesartis | Mouth to the Želva-Balninkai bridge |
| Širvinta | Mouth to Liukonys bridge |
| Dubysa | Mouth to the Kražantė mouth |
| Jūra | Mouth to Tauragė Versmė Gymnasium, excluding the closures below |
| Minija | Lankupiai to the Salantas mouth, excluding the closures below |
| Veiviržas | Mouth to the Klaipėda-Šilutė railway bridge |
| Akmena-Danė | Liepų Street extension bridge to the Kretinga mill weir |
| Coastal Šventoji | Mouth to the Laukžemė mill dam |
| Venta | Viekšniai dam to the Lithuania-Latvia border |
Neris permit boundaries, 16 September-15 October
This is a permit table, not a new salmon-fishing section list. The salmon sections in Table 2 above and the compulsory-card boundaries in Annex 3 answer different questions. The AAD reminder of 30 September 2026 confirms the ordinary-ticket stretches below. A ticket does not by itself authorise targeting a species, using a prohibited method or entering a closed section.
| Neris section | Permit position for otherwise lawful fishing |
|---|---|
| J. Ralio Street Bridge in Jonava (J. Ralio g. tiltas) to King Mindaugas Bridge in Vilnius (Karaliaus Mindaugo tiltas) | L06.2 angler card required, subject to statutory free-fishing exceptions and complete closures |
| Valakupiai Bridge (Valakupių tiltas) to the Lithuania-Belarus border | L06.2 angler card required, subject to statutory free-fishing exceptions and complete closures |
| Neris mouth to J. Ralio Street Bridge in Jonava | Ordinary angler ticket sufficient, subject to species, method and closed-section rules |
| Žirmūnai Bridge (Žirmūnų tiltas) to Valakupiai Bridge | Ordinary angler ticket sufficient. Artificial lures and bait fish are prohibited from 16 September through 31 December |
Eligible anglers relying on free-fishing rights must also follow the applicable autumn method restrictions. On sections subject to the special card requirement, fishing without the card does not permit artificial lures or bait fish.
All complete closures in Annex 5 remain applicable. The stretch between King Mindaugas and Žirmūnai bridges is closed from 16 September through 15 October. An ordinary ticket does not authorise a prohibited method or fishing inside a closed section.
Shorter sections, 16-30 September
| River | Exact section | Additional condition |
|---|---|---|
| Žeimena | Mouth to the Lakaja mouth | Release every grayling, brown trout, salmon and sea trout |
| Vilnia | Mouth to the Kena mouth | No natural-origin bait; no more than one single hook; release every grayling, brown trout, salmon and sea trout |
Fishing remains prohibited in fish passages and within 100 m downstream of dam outlets.
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. The September-only Vilnia and Žeimena rows above are not permission to fish those sections in October. Examples only, not a complete list: Merkys above Ožkelaičiai Bridge; Vilnia from its mouth to the Kena mouth; Žeimena from its mouth to the Lakaja mouth; Minija from Lake Didovas to the Salantas mouth. The 30 September 2026 AAD reminder describes this recurring closure.
Closed sections, 16 September-15 October
This guide translates the current Lithuanian AAD Table 4 for convenience. Use the linked Lithuanian table as the authoritative source for section boundaries; distances and directions are part of the legal boundary.
| River | Closed section in current AAD Table 4 |
|---|---|
| Neris | Žirmūnai bridge to Karalius Mindaugas bridge |
| Neris | At the Bezdonė mouth, 100 m downstream and upstream |
| Neris | At the Bražuolė mouth, 100 m downstream |
| Neris | At the Musė mouth, 200 m downstream and upstream |
| Neris | Šventoji mouth to 100 m below the Lokys mouth |
| Neris | At the Veržuva mouth, 100 m downstream and upstream |
| Neris | At the Vokė mouth, 100 m downstream and upstream |
| Neris | Vilnius-Ignalina railway bridge to 500 m below the Žeimena mouth |
| Šventoji | At the Siesartis mouth, 500 m downstream (to the island) and 100 m upstream |
| Šventoji | At the Širvinta mouth, 100 m downstream and upstream |
| Šventoji | At the Žuvintė mouth, 100 m downstream |
| Jūra | At the Ežeruona mouth, 100 m downstream |
| Jūra | At the Šešuvis mouth, 100 m downstream |
| Minija | At the Agluona mouth, 100 m downstream |
| Minija | At the Salantas mouth, 100 m downstream |
| Minija | At the Veiviržas mouth, 500 m downstream and 100 m upstream |
If a salmon or sea trout is retained from January to April
An angler card is issued for one day and one named Table 1, 2 or 3 section; its selected validity does not override the daylight restriction. Choose one of the following reporting routes. The before-leaving duty applies to the ALIS and SMS routes, not to the five-day paper-card email deadline:
- ALIS: within 10 minutes, report species, sex, number, size, angler's name and surname, and angler-card number. Submit before leaving the fishing place. The report cancels the card.
- SMS to 1769: within 10 minutes, send
ALIS, the card number, the species code (LASfor salmon orSLAfor sea trout), and quantity, for exampleALIS 1999987 LAS1orALIS 1999987 SLA1. Submit before leaving the fishing place. The report cancels the card. 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. - Non-ALIS paper card: within 5 minutes, tear off the card section at the marked place; within 5 days email
[email protected]with species, sex, number, size and fishing place.
A person relying on a free-fishing right may target these species without a card only under the applicable catch-and-release conditions. Retention from 1 January to 30 April requires the angler card and its reporting procedure.
Brown trout and grayling
Brown trout and grayling are associated with smaller, cleaner rivers and are protected through dates, sizes, methods and water-specific rules. In May 2026, the Ministry added sections of the Šalčia and Šyša to an appendix with fishing closures from 1 October to 31 December.
Before choosing a river, match the exact section against the current AAD closed-river list.
Catch-and-release is a sensible default for a guided tourist trip even where retention might be legal. It does not excuse poor handling. Use barbless or debarbed hooks when appropriate, carry long forceps and a landing net, wet hands, keep the fish in water and stop fishing when warm water or low flow makes release survival doubtful.
Natural-origin bait must not be used to target grayling, brown trout, sea trout or salmon. Check the gear and bait guide before preparing river tackle.
Current rules require brown trout to be released except in the limited Merkys section with its angler card and narrow retention window. The species and limits guide explains that exception and the ordinary grayling, asp, barbel, chub and ide limits.
Questions to ask a river guide
- What is your legal business name and who will guide the trip?
- Which river section is planned, and how is it described in the current official rules?
- Which permit or card does each guest need?
- Is the trip catch-and-release only?
- Who completes any mandatory catch report?
- Are waders, flotation and tackle supplied?
- What is the alternative if flow, temperature, ice, flood or a closure makes the section unsuitable?
- How much walking, steep bank access or wading is involved?
- Can the trip be adapted for limited mobility or one-handed equipment use?
Wading and access
Lithuanian rivers can have soft banks, deep holes, cold flow and vegetation that hides the edge. A mapped path is not proof of safe wading. Wear a wading belt and use a staff where appropriate. Do not enter a river in flood or wade near structures, weirs and fish passes.
A fishing right does not give a visitor a free parking place, unrestricted vehicle access or permission to damage crops and fences. Use public access or the guide's confirmed arrangement.
Best way to include river fishing in a trip
Book one guided day inside a broader stay rather than moving accommodation every night to chase conditions. Vilnius can support access to parts of the Neris system, while the Aukštaitija and Dzūkija regions suit slower specialist stays. Šilutė or Klaipėda works for western river and migratory-fish context.
Give the trip a reserve day. River fishing is one of the activities most likely to change because of rainfall, temperature, flow and regulation.
Official sources
- AAD salmon and sea-trout guidance
- AAD current fishing memo
- May 2026 inland-rule changes
- Aukštaitija National Park
- Dzūkija National Park
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.
