⚖️ Official MFFP regulation

Quebec sport-fishing regulations

— 2026-2027 cycle — in force April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027

Sport fishing in Quebec is regulated by the Quebec Sport Fishing Regulation (under the federal Fisheries Act). Rules vary by zone, water body, species, period, and type of territory. This page summarizes the master rules — for the exact rule on YOUR lake, use the official MFFP tool or the zone fact-sheets below.

Regulatory cycle

A new regulation is published every two years, on April 1 of even-numbered years (next: April 1, 2027). Periods and limits update annually on April 1.

A regulation per zone — Quebec has 29 zones

The 29 zones reflect species distribution across the province. Each has its own rules on quotas, opening dates, minimum lengths, and exceptions per water body.

Browse the 29 zones →

Mandatory conditions to fish in Quebec

✓Hold a valid fishing permit (except exemptions) AND a government-issued photo ID
✓Know your fishing zone
✓Respect quotas and fishing periods
✓Respect possession and length limits (even for people receiving fish without a permit)
✓Use compliant equipment (lures, hooks, baits)
✓Know the origin and identify the species of fish you transport

Penalty for any infraction: fines variable by offence type. Indigenous rights: the ability to fish in any zone does not in any circumstance remove or cancel the ancestral and treaty rights of Indigenous communities.

Mandatory catch-and-release — 5 cases

You MUST release a fish immediately (avoiding unnecessary injury) in any of these cases:

•Banned species, or caught outside the authorized period/place
•Catch made after reaching the daily limit
•Length doesn't comply with the length limit (where applicable)
•Caught using a banned method or equipment
•Covered by a permit with mandatory catch-and-release in effect

🐟 Salmon-specific daily release limit: 2 Atlantic salmon/day on general salmon rivers; 3/day east of the Kegaska River (Lower North Shore); no daily limit in Northern Quebec.

Main banned practices

✗Fishing simultaneously with a line and with a fly
✗Selling or buying fish caught in Quebec with a sport permit
✗Catching a fish outside the authorized period/place, even with planned release
✗Letting a kept consumable fish spoil
✗Fishing at the wrong moment/place on a salmon river
✗Fishing within 23 m downstream of a fish ladder, migration pass, obstacle, or jumping space
✗Hooking a fish anywhere other than in the mouth
✗Intentionally modifying hooks
✗Using any net other than a landing net, gaff with +2m handle, spring gaff, or other gaff for salmon
✗Transporting live fish
✗Live baitfish use or possession (banned province-wide since 2017)

Key changes for 2026-2027

Highlights of the new regulation in force April 1, 2026:

→Lake trout (touladi): daily limit reduced to 1 across zones 1-20 and 26
→Copper redhorse: banned as catch in ALL zones (1-29)
→Northern pike (zones 7, 8, 21, 27): 1 pike/day, minimum length 70 cm, line only, whole or gutted transport
→Yellow perch — Choinière reservoir (zone 6): banned
→Yellow perch — lac Saint-Pierre + St. Lawrence sector (zones 7-8): moratorium extended to 2027
→Walleye — black walleye opens June 1 (zones 7, 8, 21, 27); yellow walleye daily limit reduced to 2
→Charrs (ombles): per-zone limit tightening, e.g. "1 in total" in Ristigouche (zone 1)
→Brook trout in some northern rivers: must be under 30 cm
→Lake Aylmer (zone 7): max 5 winter lines

Official sources

Need an authoritative answer?

For binding regulatory advice, contact MELCCFP — Biodiversity, Wildlife and Parks customer service.

Phone (regulatory information): 1 877 346-6763
Courriel: renseignements.faune@environnement.gouv.qc.ca

Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: 8:30–12:00 + 13:00–16:30; Wed: 10:00–12:00 + 13:00–16:30