Learn · Rules

Sea fishing rules in Ireland.

The regulations that actually matter for shore anglers on the Wicklow coast, without wading through PDFs.

Quick answer

No State rod licence for ordinary sea angling. Salmon and sea trout need one. Bass and pollack are the two shore species with statutory bag limits, minimum sizes and closure windows. Both are set out below, with today's position and the source for each figure.

Minimum sizes apply under EU MCRS for the Irish EEZ, including bass, pollack and mackerel. Each guide below covers one topic in plain English.

Today's plan Back to Learn

Today

Bass and pollack rules, as they stand today.

Each card reads the same regulation record as the species pages, with its source and the date it was last checked.

Bag limits and closures

Live retention status and statutory rules for bass on the Wicklow shore.

Retention today

Retention allowed

Bass Fishing Conservation Bye-Law No. 826 of 2007 · Verified June 2026

Open

Bag limit: 2 per angler per 24 hours, then catch and release; Bass Fishing Conservation Bye-Law No. 826 of 2007 · Verified June 2026
Minimum size: 42 cm; Council Regulation (EU) 2026/249 · Verified June 2026

Annual closure windows

EU catch-and-release window · 1 Feb to 31 Mar · Catch and release only (Irish Sea (ICES Division 7a), including Wicklow)Council Regulation (EU) 2026/249 · Verified June 2026
Irish spawning closure · 15 May to 15 Jun · No anglingBass Fishing Conservation Bye-Law No. 826 of 2007 · Verified June 2026

Sources: Bass Fishing Conservation Bye-Law No. 826 of 2007 · Council Regulation (EU) 2026/249

Verified June 2026

Bass legislation changes annually. Check fishinginireland.info and verify the instrument numbers above on EUR-Lex or the Irish Statute Book for the current rules.

Bag limits and closures

Live retention status and statutory rules for pollack on the Wicklow shore.

Retention today

Retention allowed

Pollack Fishing Conservation Bye-Law No. 1028 of 2026 · Verified September 2026

Open

Bag limit: 3 per angler per 24 hours, then catch and release; Pollack Fishing Conservation Bye-Law No. 1028 of 2026 · Verified September 2026
Minimum size: 30 cm; Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 (SFPA MCRS list, Irish EEZ) · Verified September 2026

Sources: Pollack Fishing Conservation Bye-Law No. 1028 of 2026 · Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 (SFPA MCRS list, Irish EEZ)

Verified September 2026

Four guides

Pick the rule you need.

One topic per page. Follow through for species guides and Wicklow marks once you know where you stand legally.

01Licences and permitsNo State rod licence for ordinary sea angling. Salmon and sea trout need one. Freshwater rules differ again. Start here if you are new.

02Bass rulesBag limit, minimum size, the EU catch-and-release window and the spawning closure.

03Pollack rulesBag limit, minimum size and when the pollack bye-law switches to catch and release.

04Minimum sizesStatutory minimum landing sizes versus voluntary catch-and-release norms on Irish shores.

Official source

Check IFI before you keep fish.

Bylaws can change. Inland Fisheries Ireland publishes the current sea angling regulations. fisheriesireland.ie

NEXT STEP

Rules are national. Marks are local.

Once you know the limits, pair them with scored marks and species seasons on the Wicklow coast.