Fishing permits in Vaud
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Fishing in Vaud's lakes and rivers needs a permit from the canton (permis de pêche). The fishing office sits in the Directorate General for the Environment (DGE, section Chasse, pêche et espèces). Short permits can be bought online in a few minutes; longer ones need a short training certificate first.
Key facts
- Day, week or month permits: buy and pay online, then print at home (vd.ch). Also sold at prefectures and partner shops.
- Long-duration permits: you need the SaNa competence certificate (attestation SaNa); new anglers have needed it since 1 Jan 2009 (vd.ch; OLFP art. 5a). Day and week permits do not require it.
- Lake Geneva vs rivers: separate permits. Léman permits cover the lake only; river permits cover rivers, small lakes and ponds.
- 2026 prices (adults domiciled in Vaud): Léman day permit CHF 10, river day permit CHF 20 (DGE price table 2026; only the online shop prices are binding).
1. Which permit?
Prices below are for 2026, adult, domiciled in Vaud, from the DGE price table dated 11 Dec 2025. Under-18 and non-resident rates are in the table.
| Water | Permit | CHF |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Geneva (Léman), shore and boat rod fishing (3e classe, gambe) | day / month / year | 10 / 36 / 70 |
| Lake Geneva, trolling from a boat (2e classe, traîne) | year | 140 |
| Rivers (rivières) | day / week / year | 20 / 60 / 150 |
- On Lake Geneva there is a monthly permit, not a weekly one: the 2026 table lists day, month and year permits only (DGE price table 2026).
- People living in Geneva or Valais must buy their Léman permit in their own canton (DGE price table).
- Lakes of Neuchâtel, Morat and the Vallée de Joux have their own permits; see the table.
- A boat used for trolling must follow navigation rules: see Boating, paddle and lake rules.
2. Where to buy
- Online: the canton's e-service for short permits (permis de pêche de loisir courte durée): order, pay online, print at home, no waiting time (vd.ch).
- In person: any Vaud prefecture (préfecture) for all permit types, or a listed shop or tourist office for day and week permits (vd.ch, list of resellers dated 20 Jan 2026).
3. The SaNa certificate
- SaNa (Sachkunde-Nachweis) is the Swiss angler competence certificate. Vaud requires it to buy a long-duration permit; short-term permits are day and week permits (vd.ch). Federal law exempts anglers only where the permit lasts less than one month (OPAn art. 97 para. 3). To verify: whether Vaud asks for SaNa for the one-month Lake Geneva permit.
- The theory course can be taken online at formation-pecheurs.ch, and the canton also lists in-person courses (vd.ch).
4. Fishing without a permit
- The canton's 2026 Léman rule update mentions "pêche libre" (free fishing) alongside permit holders for the trout quota (vd.ch). Free fishing without a permit means one float line with a fixed float and a single hook, plus up to two minnow traps; children under 14 accompanied by a permit holder may also use other rod methods (RC-Pêche-L, BLV 923.95.1, art. 1). Casting is banned in ports and from public quays and landing stages (art. 12).
5. Closed seasons, size limits and quotas
These change often and differ between the lake and rivers. Read the current rules on the vd.ch fishing page under Législation and Extraits de législation before each trip.
6. Good to know
- Swimming areas and beaches: see Swimming pools and the lake; keep your line clear of swimmers.