Fishing License Renewal
Fish and Wildlife Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
Don’t miss a single day of the NEW angling season! Your 2014/2015 angling licence expires on March 31st. 2015/2016 licences are available March 1, 2015!
It’s fast and easy to buy your licence online or from your favourite fishing licence vendor or at any Service BC Centre.
2014/2015 current season licences will still be available for purchase during the month of March. Be sure to select the 2015/2016 following season for each of your new Basic Licence, Conservation Surcharge Stamps and Classified Waters Licence products valid for the April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 licence year. All licence sales are final so please double check that you have the correct year prior to completing your purchase.
Note: The Freshwater Fishing Licence does not include fishing in British Columbia’s coastal tidal waters (salt water). You will need to go to the website for the National Recreational Licensing System to renew your Tidal ‘Salt Water’ Fishing Licence.
Regulations
The 2015/2017 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is expected to be available online http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/ and distributed in hard copy to licence vendors and Service BC Centres by late March 2015. Supplies are limited and anglers are requested to care for and retain their copy of the synopsis for the 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 licence years.
The eligibility criteria for angling on Age Restricted Waters have been amended. Previously, anyone under the age of 16, 65 years of age or older, or disabled were the only individuals eligible to angle on these waters. This new classification of waters is termed Youth/Disabled Accompanied Waters. The list of these waters has been amended and the regulation now re-defines an eligible angler as anyone under the age of 16 or anyone in possession of a BC Disabled Basic angling licence, with an allowance of up to two accompanying anglers per eligible anglers. Now parents or friends can enjoy the better than average angling opportunities on these waters while fishing alongside their youth or disabled companions.
The Ministry holds a photo contest for the cover of the Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis. Learn how to submit photos of your fishing adventures for the next synopsis printing. Even if your photo doesn’t make it on the cover, it may still find a place within the publication.
Protect our lakes and streams. New regulatory measures for high-risk aquatic invasive species are in place. Learn more about the regulations, and view the full list of species.
Angling, Hunting and Trapping Public Engagement Website: Members of the public are invited to review and provide feedback on proposed Angling, Hunting, and Trapping regulatory or policy proposals through the Fish & Wildlife Branch’s Angling, Hunting and Trapping Public Engagement Website. Proposed regulation changes for the 2015/2017 angling seasons were posted in the fall/winter of 2014 for a one month period; the deadline for comments or public feedback has now passed. It is anticipated that regulation proposals related to hunting and trapping will be posted on the website in the fall of 2015 with a one month window for public review, comment or feedback.
In Season Regulation Changes
Anglers must be aware that in-season regulation changes occur in order for fisheries managers to respond to new information, and amend regulations accordingly. The online synopsis website is the best source for anglers to ensure they are informed of any in-season regulation changes.
Kootenay Region Classified Waters: Anglers should be aware that Classified Waters in the Kootenay Region are under review and in-season regulation changes for these waters are being considered for the spring/summer of 2015.
You can subscribe to receive in-season regulation updates. If you would like more information using the ministry’s RSS feed, follow these instructions.