Fishing in Norway

Fishing in Norway offers the opportunity to practise what anglers from all over the world have experienced since the early 1800s in pursuit of big salmon, other game fish and some of the world's biggest deep-water cod, halibut and pollock.

Norway - the land of fjords and mountains, trolls and Norse legends, midnight sun and sparkling Northern Lights - combined with one of the most exciting places in the world to cast a salmon fly.

Mark Bowler, editor of Fly Fishing & Fly Tying stated: "Only in Norway can a floating line and a small fly be fished with the intense anticipation and belief that a 30lb leviathan might just take it - at any moment. You know, because you've seen them. The salmon-fishing equivalent of a white-knuckle ride beckons with every Norwegian cast".

Norway's 21,000km of coastal waters provide some of the best deep-water fishing in the world and is home to more than 200 fish and shellfish species. The most renowned of these is the spawning cod (37.5kg/82½lb), called 'skrei', caught in the icy waters off the Arctic and along the western coast. Other species are halibut, monkfish, mackerel, saithe, haddock, pollack, ling and catfish just to mention a few of the most popular.


Rauma River and Trollveggen

Rauma River and Trollveggen


Gary Scott with a twenty-pounder

Gary Scott with a twenty-pounder



With 323,802km² of land of which 96% is mountains, forests and marshland, Norway offers a huge variety of brown trout, grayling and pike fishing in more than 25,000km of rivers and 200,000 lakes and tarns spread all over the country.

Information about the fishing

Many of the salmon rivers in Norway are included on this site so you can read about each one, see its current fishing availability and book fishing permits online or by telephone.

In particular you have free, unlimited access to:
There is a host of information in the left hand menu to help you arrange your fishing on the Norway and its tributaries and organise your visit to the area.