Asia
Fishing in
China 2026.
Fishing License & Permit · Fishing Times · Waters & Fish Species · Cost Overview
🌙Fishing Times 2026Best fishing times
·China35.86°, 104.20°
🎣 Live catches in china
1 verified catches
Not enough data (1 catches)
Bite-time forecast appears from 5 catches.
01
Fishing License & Permit
- License required?
- Yes
- Where to apply?
- Varies greatly by province! Freshwater: At local authorities. Saltwater: Charter boats organize.
- Cost
- Freshwater: From 50-200 CNY (~7-27 EUR). Pay lakes: 100-500 CNY/day. Saltwater: Included in charter price.
- Validity
- Day or annual cards depending on province
- Available online?
- No
China is the CARP HOMELAND — carp fishing has a 4,000-year tradition here! The largest country in Asia has incredible diversity: Himalayan rivers, Yangtze, tropical coast, pay lakes. The license system is complex and regionally varied.
Book fishing tours in China
Guided tours with local experts — recommended by locals
02
Rules & Regulations
- Closed seasons
- Yangtze: 10-YEAR FISHING BAN since 2021 (species protection)! Others: Regionally varied.
- Catch limits
- Strict! Yangtze: ABSOLUTELY PROHIBITED. Others: Species-specific per province.
- Prohibited methods
- Dynamite, electrofishing prohibited (but unfortunately widespread). Yangtze: Any fishing prohibited!
- Catch & Release
- Standard at pay lakes. Increasingly accepted culturally.
In 2021, China enacted a historic 10-year fishing ban for the entire Yangtze — to protect the nearly extinct Chinese sturgeon and the Yangtze river dolphin (already extinct!).
03
Waters & Fish Species
Top waters
- —Hainan/Sanya (tropische Island, GT Popping & Jigging, Big Game, Chinas Hawaii)
- —Bezahlseen überall (Carp, Tradition!, 20-500 CNY/Tag)
- —Qinghai-Lake (largest lake, Nacktschuppenbarbe, 3.200 m!)
- —Li River/Guilin (Landschaft!, Carp)
- —Suedchinesisches Sea (Big Game, Mai-August Moratorium beachten!)
Target fish
Freshwater
CARP HOMELAND! Thousands of pay lakes. Rivers (NOT Yangtze!). Himalayan tributaries in the west.
Saltwater
14,500 km coast! Hainan for GT and big game. South China Sea.
Starting from70 EUR / day
Best season: Hainan: Year-round. Pay lakes: Year-round. North: April-October.
04
Practical Information
- Equipment
- HUGE fishing industry! Chinese brands everywhere. Pay lakes often provide equipment.
- Fishing guides
- Hainan charter: 300-800 USD/day. Pay lake: 50-200 CNY entry. Guide difficult (language barrier!).
- Transport
- Flights everywhere. High-speed trains. Huge country, long distances.
- Safety
- Safe. Language barrier biggest challenge! VPN needed (Google/Maps blocked). Air pollution.
- Customs & taking fish home
- Visa required in advance (144h transit visas for some cities). Fishing equipment allowed.
05
Cost Overview
License fees
7-27 EUR (regional). Pay lakes: 15-70 EUR/day.
Guide prices
Pay lake: 15-70 EUR. Hainan charter: 200-600 EUR/day.
Daily budget
Budget: 20-50 EUR (cheap!). Hainan: 150-400 EUR.
Read blog article →
Detailed guide: Fishing in China
Equipment
Recommended fishing equipment
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Flights
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Airport Transfer
Pre-booked transfer from the airport to your hotel or fishing charter
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