Opening of the 2026 Fishing Season

The Lepel Inter-district Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora informs that from June 9, 2026, the use of small vessels for amateur fishing, as well as the following fishing gear and methods, will be permitted in the fishing grounds of the Vitebsk region:

fly fishing, float, quiver and bottom rods of all systems, spinning rods, "korabliki" (fishing floats);

"kruzhki" (fishing floats), "zherlitsy" (setlines), "stavki" (setlines), "kolobashki" (fishing floats) and other similar systems and tackle;

spearguns and spearguns for underwater hunting, firing a harpoon with a tip of no more than five prongs (only during underwater hunting);

nets with a circular shape with a diameter of no more than 0.6 meters or any other shape with a maximum distance between opposite sides of no more than 0.6 meters with a mesh size of less than 10 millimeters, and landing nets not exceeding 1x1 meter with a mesh size of less than 10 millimeters for catching fish as bait;

gaffs with a hook width (distance from shank to point) not exceeding 9 centimeters and landing nets (without restriction on circumference and mesh size) for lifting fish caught with permitted fishing gear from the water;

fishing using one or different types of fishing gear simultaneously, with a total number of hooks not exceeding 5 per angler;

screen nets ("ekran-televizory") not exceeding 1x1.5 meters with a mesh size of no more than 30 millimeters, in a quantity not exceeding 2.

Anglers are permitted to:

catch fish in fishing grounds, except for fishing grounds leased or provided for gratuitous use where paid amateur fishing is organised, not more than 5 kilograms of fish per angler per day, and one fish if the total weight including its weight exceeds 5 kilograms, or one fish weighing more than 5 kilograms;

fishing for bait for catching other fish species, no more than 30 pieces per angler per day;

fishing by hand;

fishing for Amur sleeper goby, bighead goby, round goby, tubenose goby, monkey goby, channel catfish, and Amur bleak without weight or quantity restrictions.