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Fishing on Lake Thun – licences & rules | 150/300
Fishing from shore or a boat: check licence type, fish species and protected areas together. Whitefish rules differ between the three Bernese lakes.
Bernese angling regulations for the lake; rivers and canals have their own rules.
Fishing rules
| Species | Minimum length | Closed season | Bag limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitefish | 25 cm | 01.10.–31.12. | 15 / day |
| European perch | 15 cm | No closed season | 100 / day |
| Brown and lake trout | 45 cm | 01.09.–31.01. | 3 / day; 30 / year from the three lakes |
| Pike | 45 cm | 01.03.–30.04. | 5 / day |
| Arctic char | 22 cm | 01.10.–31.12. | 6 / day together with trout |
| Grayling | Fishing prohibited | Protected all year round | 0 |
Permit and catch records
Boat fishing requires a Bernese angling licence. Record catches in the official statistics. Licence and catch statistics are also available in the “Fischen Bern” app.
Fishing without a permit
Only from shore: one rod with a single barbless hook; no live or dead bait fish. No SaNa is required for this licence-free fishing. Protected zones, closed seasons and catch limits still apply.
Common fishing limits
Trout and char: no more than 6 combined per day, including at most 3 trout from Lakes Thun, Brienz and Biel. No more than 150 trout and char annually, including at most 30 trout from these lakes. Limits do not reset when changing lakes. With a guest licence, guest and licence holder share these limits.
Whitefish when switching lakes
Across all Bernese waters fished, no more than 25 whitefish per day, including at most 20 from Lake Biel and 15 from Lake Thun. Whitefish already caught still count when changing lakes.
Rods and whitefish rigs
With a licence: at most 2 rods with 2 lures each. For multi-hook-rig fishing, at most 5 lures per rod, each with one single hook.
Towing
With a licence: at most 6 lures per licence and 10 per boat in total. Trolling is an alternative to fishing with the 2 rods; the equipment must not be combined.
Keep or release the catch
Licence-free fishing: keep fish at or above minimum length outside their closed season; do not keep them alive. Immediately release undersized or protected fish and fish caught during their closed season; kill those unable to survive before release.
Closed areas
Fishing bans at river mouths and in nature reserves are marked on the official fishing map. They may apply year-round or only at certain times. Do not fish from a landing stage while a scheduled passenger boat arrives or departs.