Luxembourg
Europe · Western Europe
Luxembourg is landlocked, so there is no marine spearfishing. Recreational fishing exists only in inland fresh waters (rivers, the Upper Sûre reservoir, ponds) and is governed by the Law of 28 June 1976 regulating fishing in inland waters and its implementing regulations. The Grand-Ducal Regulation of 21 July 1976 sets the only authorized fishing methods: fishing is allowed solely by hand line (ligne à main) — one or two hand lines in first-category waters and a single hand line in second-category waters — plus casting and fly fishing as authorized procedures. Spearfishing / underwater fishing (pêche sous-marine / chasse sous-marine, with speargun or harpoon) is not among the permitted methods and is therefore effectively prohibited. A personal, non-transferable fishing permit is required for anyone aged 14 or over.
Last updated June 14, 2026
Governing framework
- §Loi modifiée du 28 juin 1976 portant réglementation de la pêche dans les eaux intérieures
- §Règlement grand-ducal du 21 juillet 1976 portant fixation des modes et engins de pêche ainsi que des procédés autorisés dans les deux catégories d'eaux intérieures
- §Règlement grand-ducal du 25 août 2015 portant fixation du montant du droit et de la taxe piscicole dont sont grevés les permis de pêche valables pour la pêche dans les eaux intérieures
- License required
- Required
- Speargun
- Prohibited
- Scuba
- Prohibited
- Max spears
- 0
The law, verbatim
Legal texts
The exact statutory and regulatory provisions that govern spearfishing here, quoted as published, with a link to each official source.
Authorized fishing methods and gear in inland waters (hand line only)
Règlement grand-ducal du 21 juillet 1976 portant fixation des modes et engins de pêche ainsi que des procédés autorisés dans les deux catégories d'eaux intérieures
Dans les cours d'eau désignés à l'article 2 de la loi du 28 juin 1976 les modes et engins de pêche sont réglementés comme suit. Dans les eaux de la première catégorie la pêche est autorisée au moyen d'une ou de deux lignes à main. Dans les eaux de la deuxième catégorie la pêche n'est autorisée qu'au moyen d'une seule ligne à main. Par ligne à main on entend tout engin qui se compose d'une canne, d'une ligne, d'un hameçon, d'un appât et d'accessoires usuels. La pêche au lancer, à la mouche naturelle et artificielle ainsi qu'au train de 3 mouches artificielles au maximum est considérée comme procédé autorisé.
Fishing permit obligation for inland waters
Loi modifiée du 28 juin 1976 portant réglementation de la pêche dans les eaux intérieures (as applied via the official environment-ministry procedure)
Toute personne âgée de 14 ans accomplis qui veut exercer la pêche doit être titulaire d'un permis de pêche.
When you can dive
Seasons & time restrictions
Closed, open and restricted periods across the year. Always confirm species-specific closures locally.
No seasonal closures recorded — verify locally before diving.
Permission to fish
License
What you need to be allowed in the water, what it costs, and how to get it.
Apply via MyGuichet.lu or at a civil registry office (bureau de la population). The permit is required for anyone aged 14 or over; for 2nd-category (private/leased) waters the written authorization of the lease tenant is also required.
Get your licenseOpens the official portal · guichet.public.lu
- Type
- Inland-waters fishing permit (permis de pêche): Ordinary, Special A, or Special B
- Cost
- Ordinary: EUR 18/year or EUR 4/month; Special A (adds shore fishing in 1st-category public waters): EUR 30/year or EUR 6/month; Special B (adds boat fishing in 1st-category waters): EUR 40/year or EUR 8/month
- Validity
- Annual or monthly; valid throughout Luxembourg; personal and non-transferable
- How to obtain
- Apply via MyGuichet.lu or at a civil registry office (bureau de la population). The permit is required for anyone aged 14 or over; for 2nd-category (private/leased) waters the written authorization of the lease tenant is also required.
- Authority
- Administration de l'enregistrement, des domaines et de la TVA (AED); environment authority for fishing policy
Gear & technique
Equipment rules
What gear is permitted, how it may be used, and the conditions attached.
Restrictions
- Fishing is authorized only by hand line (ligne à main): one or two hand lines in first-category waters, a single hand line in second-category waters
- A hand line is defined as a device composed of a rod, line, hook, bait and usual accessories
- Casting and natural/artificial fly fishing (up to 3 artificial flies) are the only additionally authorized procedures
- Spearguns, harpoons and any underwater/spearfishing gear are not authorized methods
Spearfishing equipment (speargun/harpoon) is not listed among permitted gear in the Grand-Ducal Regulation of 21 July 1976, which limits inland fishing to hand line, casting and fly fishing. There is no sea coast, so no marine spearfishing exists.
What you may take
Catch limits & protected species
Daily quotas, minimum sizes, and species that must never be taken.
Daily limit
unknown
Minimum sizes, closed seasons and catch limits for specific species are fixed by implementing grand-ducal regulations and by fishing-lot internal rules; not detailed here because spearfishing is not a permitted method. Verify species-specific limits with the Administration de la gestion de l'eau and the relevant fishing-lot tenant.
Who may fish
Visitors & residents
How the rules differ for foreign visitors and local residents.
Foreign visitors
Requirements
- Same inland-waters fishing permit as residents is required (anyone aged 14+)
- For 2nd-category (private/leased) waters, written authorization of the fishing-lot tenant is also required
Restrictions
- Spearfishing is not a permitted fishing method for anyone, resident or foreign
Rules for foreigners concern only legal angling. The fishing permit is valid throughout Luxembourg and is not nationality-restricted for inland-waters angling, but spearfishing remains outside the set of authorized methods.
Residents
Inland-waters fishing permit (Ordinary / Special A / Special B)
Requirements
- Permit required for anyone aged 14 or over
- Under-14s may fish without a permit using a single hand line under the supervision of an adult permit holder
- Written authorization of the lease tenant for 2nd-category (private) waters
Residents and non-residents are subject to the same authorized-methods rules; spearfishing is not among them.
Who to ask
Authorities
The official bodies responsible for fisheries and licensing.
Administration de la gestion de l'eau (Water Management Administration)
water / fisheries authority
Administration de l'environnement / Portail de l'environnement (emwelt.lu)
environment authority (fishing permits and policy)
Administration de l'enregistrement, des domaines et de la TVA (AED)
permit-issuing authority
Where this comes from
Sources
Every claim on this page traces back to one of these references.
- [01]
Règlement grand-ducal du 21 juillet 1976 portant fixation des modes et engins de pêche ainsi que des procédés autorisés dans les deux catégories d'eaux intérieures (Legilux official journal text)
Officialdata.legilux.public.luAccessed Jun 14 - [02]
Loi du 28 juin 1976 portant réglementation de la pêche dans les eaux intérieures (Legilux ELI page)
Officiallegilux.public.luAccessed Jun 14 - [03]
Permis de pêche - Portail de l'environnement (emwelt.lu / environnement.public.lu)
Officialenvironnement.public.luAccessed Jun 14 - [04]
Inland fishing licence - Guichet.lu (official government portal)
Officialguichet.public.luAccessed Jun 14 - [05]
Règlement grand-ducal du 25 août 2015 fixant le droit et la taxe piscicole des permis de pêche (Legilux ELI page)
Officiallegilux.public.luAccessed Jun 14
Researcher notes
Luxembourg is landlocked (no sea coast), so marine spearfishing does not exist. Recreational fishing occurs only in inland fresh waters. The decisive legal point is the Grand-Ducal Regulation of 21 July 1976, which limits authorized fishing methods to hand line (ligne à main), casting and fly fishing; spearguns/harpoons and underwater fishing are not authorized methods, so spearfishing is effectively prohibited (classified here as 'no'). This mirrors the wider European pattern for freshwater (e.g. neighbouring France strictly forbids chasse sous-marine in fresh water). Verbatim legal text for the 1976 regulation (Article 1er) and the permit obligation was retrieved from official sources (Legilux filestore HTML and the environment-ministry portal). The primary Law of 28 June 1976 was located on Legilux but its full consolidated article text could not be rendered via automated fetch (JavaScript page); its ELI page is cited. Confidence set to medium: the prohibition of spearfishing is an inference from the exhaustive list of authorized methods rather than from an article that names spearfishing explicitly. Species-specific size limits, closed seasons and catch quotas are set by further grand-ducal regulations and fishing-lot rules and are not enumerated here because spearfishing is not a lawful method.
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