European Native Trout Challenge
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Fishing regulations of Slovenia.

Slovenia’s freshwater fishing is regulated under a national rule book ("Fishing Regimes in Fishing Waters") and managed locally by 66 fishing clubs (or "fishing families") that hold exclusive rights over about 94% of the country’s waters. the other 6% is managed by the ZZRS (Fisheries Research Institute of Slovenia)

National Fisheries Act & Restocking Obligations.

All freshwater fishing in Slovenia operates under the national Freshwater Fisheries Act (Zakon o sladkovodnem ribištvu). This law governs species protection, fishing rights, conservation zones, and restocking programs.
One key principle of the Act is that all fish removed from a water body must be replaced by the managing club or organization. This ensures that fishing pressure remains sustainable and that native species populations stay healthy. The responsibility includes:

  • Annual or seasonal restocking programs based on scientific assessments,
  • Use of native, locally adapted strains where possible (e.g. marble trout restoration using pure genetic lines),
  • Catch reporting systems to monitor harvest levels.

Each of Slovenia’s 64 fishing clubs (ribiške družine) operates under the guidelines of this national act, but adapts regulations to suit local ecological conditions and fishing pressure. 
This decentralized yet coordinated system allows Slovenia to maintain some of the most biologically rich and well-managed trout fisheries in Europe.

Licensing.

No national license required. Each waterbody requires a daily permit issued by the managing club.
Permits available via:

Foreign anglers practice under the same rules as Slovenians. No additional requirements beyond valid permit and ID are imposed, but Permit prices vary greatly by club and river district.

Local regulations.

Regulations vary by river and club. this means that you should always read the regulations for the river you want to fish. Some examples are:
RD Tolmin (all waters):

  • catch and release season 29 March – 2 November.
  • barbless hooks only.
  • fly fishing only
  • wool indicator allowed.

RD Šempeter (motnišnica):

  • season 1 April - 30 September.
  • fly fishing, spin fishing.
  • barbed hooks allowed.