Recreational freshwater fishing permits

Anyone over the age of six must have an angling licence to fish in public waters – rivers and state dams. You don’t need a licence if you are fishing in a privately owned farm dam with the owner’s permission.

CapeNature, our province's conservation authority, is responsible for recreational freshwater permits and also publishes a lot of tips and information on how to fish responsibly.

To apply for a fishing permit, you will need to submit an application to CapeNature. You can download the form and find instructions on how to apply on the CapeNature website.

General conservation tips for recreational freshwater anglers:

• Make sure you have permission to fish on the waters where you intend to fish, especially when on private land.
• Do not litter – this is a hazard to human and fish health.
• Never throw away fishing line – it can entangle and kill birds.
  
• Please return indigenous fish (e.g. Clanwilliam yellowfish, sawfin and whitefish) to the water. These fish are a threatened species due to invasive alien fish like carp and sharp tooth catfish.
• You will need a permit to transport live fish from one water body to another.

Courtesy of Cape Nature.

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