Do You Need a Fishing Licence for Ice Fishing in Finland?
Ice fishing licence in Finland: Metsähallitus lists ice fishing with one rod as no charge; when the fisheries management fee (EUR 6 a day) and water-owner permits apply (checked November 2026).
No fee for ice fishing with one rod. Metsähallitus, which runs Finland’s fishing-fee service Eräluvat, lists “Fishing with a simple herring rig, ice fishing and hook and line fishing with one rod” as “No charge” in both of its age columns (checked 14 November 2026). The fisheries management fee is for lure fishing, traps and crayfish, and in some areas the owner of the water needs to give permission even for ice angling. On a guided trip the guide picks the spot and brings the rods: Safartica’s Snowmobile and Ice Fishing Adventure with Lunch costs US$186.44 per adult on November dates, US$219.34 in December and US$208.32 from January to March (checked November 2026).
The fee table, in Metsähallitus’s words
| Fishing method | Anglers 18 to 69 | Anglers under 18 and over 70 |
|---|---|---|
| Fishing with a simple herring rig, ice fishing and hook and line fishing with one rod | No charge | No charge |
| Fishing with a simple herring rig, ice fishing and hook and line fishing with more than one rod | Fisheries management fee and permission of the water area owner | Permission of the water area owner |
| Lure fishing with one rod | Fisheries management fee | No charge |
| Lure fishing with more than one rod | Fisheries management fee and permission of the water area owner | Permission of the water area owner |
| Trap fishing and crayfishing | Fisheries management fee and permission of the water area owner | Permission of the water area owner |
Metsähallitus, Eräluvat, Fisheries management fee (checked 14 November 2026; the page shows no update date). Fishers who had turned 65 by 31 December 2023 are exempt from the fee.
The “No charge” lines carry a footnote: they do not apply “in running and rapids sections of waters with migratory fish stocks, areas prohibited for fishing and special destinations requiring a destination-specific permit”, and “in some areas, a permit from the owner of the water area is needed for angling, ice angling and herring rigging.” The same page points to Kalastusrajoitus.fi for a map of no-fishing and restricted areas, in Finnish and Swedish.
When the fee applies, and what it costs
The fisheries management fee is for anglers aged 18 to 69 who fish with lures or traps or catch crayfish. Metsähallitus sells it by the day, the week or the year:
| Fee | Price | Valid |
|---|---|---|
| Daily fee | EUR 6 | One day, midnight to midnight |
| Weekly fee | EUR 16 | 7 days, starting on any day |
| Annual fee | EUR 47 | 1 January to 31 December |
Metsähallitus, Eräluvat (checked 14 November 2026). Paid online or by phone; sales points add a EUR 3 service fee.
Keep the receipt with you while you fish: by Eräluvat’s account, an angler without it can be ordered to show it at a police station within seven days, and the penalty for not paying is a fixed fine of EUR 100.
On a guided trip
On the trips on this site the guide chooses the lake or river and supplies the rod and bait. Uncle’s Fish lists fishing permits among the inclusions of its evening ice fishing trip. On Safartica’s day the guide teaches you how to drill the hole and prepare the rod and bait, and the lunch is cooked for you.
Going out alone is another matter. Visit Rovaniemi, the city’s tourism office, advises: “Avoid going to the ice at the city centre or by yourself to the unknown area. It is best to check safety of ice with local experts and attend a guided tour” (checked November 2026). In the town itself, “It is not safe to go onto the river ice in the central area of Rovaniemi. Between Jätkänkynttilä and the railway bridge, the ice conditions are dangerous throughout the winter”, the City of Rovaniemi said in a notice of 6 February 2026. Do you catch fish? covers what the guided trips deliver.
Leave the Spot and the Gear to the Guide
On Safartica's snowmobile and ice fishing day the guide shows you how to drill the hole and set up the rod and bait, then cooks a soup lunch by the fire.
See dates