English

How to fish ?

The choice of the technique and tackle is free, but you have to respect the fishing rules.

In 1rst category waters :

Fishing is allowed with only one rod, close to the angler, and one line equipped with 2 hooks or 3 artificial flies at most, or with 6 crayfish scoopnets at most or with a 2 Liters minnow bottle. Maggots and other dipteria are forbidden.

Kruth-Wildenstein Lake : Fishing is authorised with 2 rods, maggots (only as hookbait) and from non-motorised boats.

In 2nd category waters :

Fishing is allowed with 4 rods equipped with at most 2 hooks or 3 artificial flies, or 6 crayfish scoopnets or an at most 2 Liters minnow bottle. The rods must be close to the angler. The 50 meters upstream of a dam can only be fished with one rod. Fishing with one line is allowed through all the public waters of France with a French fishing licence.

Catch and release sections

• Federal "catch and release" ponds : The Vauban and Courtavon Lakes → Immediate release of every catch

• Rhine "catch and release" section : From the Petit Landeau army ramp to the Ottmarheim army ramp.

• Immediate release of every catch, except non endemic harmful species

• Only artificial baits are allowed (lures, flies)

Recommendation : Use a net to shorten the fight and to limit the fish's stress reactions, take photos fastest and hold the fish underwater.

Carp night fishing

Night fishing is allowed only for carp on :

• The Rhône au Rhin Grand gabarit canal, between the Niffer lock and the Île Napoléon rail bridge (no kill fishing for carp night and day),

• The Rhône au Rhin canal in Saint-Bernard,

• The Colmar canal in Colmar,

• The Courtavon and Vauban lakes.

Nightfishing for carp has to be catch and release :

• Immediate release of every catch,

• Only vegetal hookbaits and food or boilies are allowed.

Restrictions, phohibited techniques and baits

Only the baits mentioned in the "How to fish ?" section are allowed.

Following points are forbidden :

• The use as baitfish of species having a minimum legal capture size,
• Real or artificial fisheggs,
• During pike closure, dead or living fish as baits or any other bait susceptible to non-accidentally catch a pike,
• Selling fish,
• Pollute and leave trash,
• Campfires directly on the ground.

Fishing is forbidden :

• In the reserves,
• In the fish passes or any other fish passing facility, straits, watermill canals,
• Special regulations emitted by the keeper excepted, fishing is allowed with one rod in the 50 meters downstream of a public work. Any other type of fishing from a dam or a lock is forbidden.

Access and parking is forbidden inside the “Security Zones”. Respect the signs.

Where to fish ?

The Haut-Rhin Departement is full of healthy rivers, mountain lakes and fishponds. You will always find the great spot to live your passion. Check here the interactive map to find your spot and access :

The fishing license allows you to fish in :

• Public waters
• Federal private waters
• The waters of the AAPPMAs : always check the local fishing regulation.

The Haut-Rhin’s public waters are :

1. Second category waters:

• The Rhine river
• The Grand Canal d’Alsace
• The Rhône au Rhin Canal, between Montreux Vieux and Niffer, including the Nouveaux bassins from Mulhouse and the junction canal.
• The Colmar canal
• The Neuf-Brisach canal
• The Huningue Canal
• The Ill river between the Ladhof bridge in Colmar and the departmental limit between Upper and Lower Rhine
• The canal déclassé between Ile Napoléon and Kunheim
• The Rigole de la Largue river Friesen and Valdieu
• The Réservoir Nord at Montreux Vieux
• The pond between the canals at Montreux Jeune

2. Private federal waters :

• The Vauban lake in Algolsheim
• The Kruth Wildenstein lake
• The Courtavon lake

Which license ?

Every fisherman has to be member of an AAPPMA (fishing association), has to pay a fishing fee of an actual fishing license :

• Adult fishing license, reciprocal or not,
• Discovery license for women (fishing only with one rod),
• Minors fishing license (12 to 18 years old),
• Discovery minors license (less than 12 years old, fishing with only one rod),
• Dayticket,
• Weekly licence (from day to day, valid 7 days in a row).

Where to buy a license ?

You have two possibilities when it comes to buying a fishing license :

• Directly on the website cartedepeche.fr

• At a fishing license retailer, the different retailers are mapped on the following interactive Web Map :

When to fish ?

Fishing is allowed the whole year, from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset, in the Upper Rhine.

Fishing open season :
• 1st category from the 11/03/2023 to the 17/09/2023 included,
• 2nd category from the 01/01/2023 to the 31/12/2023 included,
• Mountain lakes : From the 11/03/2023 to the 8/10/2023, excepted the Kruth Wildenstein lake, open until the 8/10/2023,
• Pike in 2nd category waters from 29/04/2023 to 28/01/2024 and from 25/04/2024 included,
• Zander in 2nd category waters from 27/05/2023 to 9/03/2024 included,
• Largemouth bass in 2nd category from 24/06/2023 to 28/01/2024 included,
• Eel : fishing forbidden
• Crayfish other than American: fishing forbidden
• Frogs : fishing forbidden

What to fish ?

The Haut-Rhin rivers have got an ecological richness, the following rules are made to maintain this richness and to preserve and develop this natural patrimony.

Minimum fish length :
• Trout: 23 cm; Rhine and Grand canal d’Alsace : 40 cm,
• Largemouth bass in 2nd category waters : 40 cm,
• Pike : 60 to 80 cm,
• Zander in 2nd category waters : 50 cm,
• Grayling : fishing forbidden,
• Whitefish : 30cm,
• Arctic char : 23 cm,
• Brook : 23 cm,
• Other species : No legal size,
• Crayfish other than American : fishing forbidden,
• Seetrout and salmon : fishing forbidden;
• Carp : transport of living carp over 60 cm length is forbidden.

The length of a fish is measured from head to tail. Every fish below the legal size has to be immediately released, dead or alive. Non endemic, harmful species can neither be released, nor being transported alive.

Daily limit bags :
• In every water : 4 salmonids at most per day and per fisherman,
• 3 predator fishes (Zander, Pike or Largemouth bass), per day and per fisherman with at most 1 pike,
• Private federal waters : catch and release.