Fishing in Russia

There is no general recreational licence, but the famous salmon and taimen rivers are permit-only through licensed camps, and some sit in border zones.

10 researched spots — 3 Fly Fishing, 6 Freshwater, 1 Saltwater.

Species you can target

  • Amur pike
  • Arctic char
  • Atlantic salmon
  • asp
  • bluefish
  • brown trout
  • char
  • grayling
  • horse mackerel
  • king salmon
  • lake trout
  • landlocked salmon
  • lenok
  • mullet
  • northern pike
  • omul
  • perch
  • pike
  • rainbow trout
  • taimen
  • wels catfish
  • zander

Fishing spots in Russia

  • Kola Peninsula Rivers — Murmansk Oblast. Fly Fishing, Advanced. Target species: Atlantic salmon, brown trout, Arctic char.
  • Kamchatka Rivers — Kamchatka Krai. Fly Fishing, Advanced. Target species: rainbow trout, king salmon, char.
  • Volga Delta — Astrakhan Oblast. Freshwater, Intermediate. Target species: wels catfish, zander, asp.
  • Lake Baikal — Irkutsk Oblast / Buryatia. Freshwater, Intermediate. Target species: omul, grayling, taimen.
  • Ponoi River — Murmansk Oblast. Fly Fishing, Advanced. Target species: Atlantic salmon.
  • Lena River Basin — Sakha Republic. Freshwater, Advanced. Target species: taimen, lenok, grayling.
  • Black Sea Coast — Krasnodar Krai. Saltwater, Beginner. Target species: horse mackerel, bluefish, mullet.
  • Karelian Lakes — Republic of Karelia. Freshwater, Beginner. Target species: northern pike, perch, brown trout.
  • Lake Ladoga — Leningrad Oblast. Freshwater, Intermediate. Target species: landlocked salmon, lake trout, pike.
  • Amur River — Khabarovsk Krai. Freshwater, Advanced. Target species: taimen, Amur pike, lenok.

Licence requirements and closed seasons change regularly. Always confirm with the relevant fisheries authority before you fish — each spot page links to its source.

View the fishing map