Recreational bass limit rises to three fish a day for 2026

The recreational bass bag limit for 2026 has gone up to three fish per angler per day, agreed as part of this year's UK-EU fisheries negotiations and brought into UK law via the Sea Fisheries (Amendment) Regulations 2026. Industry body EAA Europe called it a straightforward "recreational win on bass" after several seasons of tighter limits while stocks recovered.

The minimum landing size hasn't changed: any bass under 42cm still has to go back, full stop, regardless of the daily bag limit. Worth keeping a tape measure in the tackle bag if you're anywhere near the margin, since a fish that looks close by eye is easy to get wrong.

The closed period is also unchanged — from 1 February to 31 March, recreational fishing for bass is catch-and-release only, using rod and handline exclusively. No bass can be retained during those two months no matter the size, and that rule applies before the daily bag limit even comes into play.

Geographically, these rules cover ICES divisions 4b, 4c, 6a, 7a and 7d to 7j — in practice, most of the English and Welsh coastline where bass fishing is popular. If you're fishing from a boat or the shore in home waters, the same limits apply either way, so it's worth checking the exact division for your usual mark if you're near a boundary.