Türkiye fish size limits and closed seasons 2026

Sea

Species marked "within 5 kg total" count together towards a daily 5 kg limit; "fork length" is measured to the fork of the tail. Names come with the scientific name and, in brackets, the Turkish name used in the regulation.

General rules at sea

Regulation art. 15, 16. No limit on fishing hours. Fishing is also banned in some coastal areas (art. 17); the Spot Assistant does not show spots inside them.

• 5 kgDaily total for species limited by weight (4 kg excluding the largest fish).
• 3 piecesDaily total for species limited by count.
• 5%Undersize allowance for species with a size limit.
• 4 × 6At most 4 rod setups with at most 6 hooks each.
• 1 sabikiWith at most 15 hooks.
• 1 April–15 NovemberFishing is banned in swimming areas marked with buoys (art. 16/5).

Freshwater

Sizes and daily limits in lakes, ponds, reservoirs and rivers. Closed seasons depend on the species and the region; see below.

• 5 kgDaily total for species limited by weight (4 kg excluding the largest fish).
• 10 piecesDaily total for species limited by count.
• 4 × 3At most 4 rod setups with at most 3 hooks each.
• 2 × 2For trout, at most 2 rod setups with at most 2 hooks each.
• 300 mFishing is banned around drinking-water intakes.
• DSİIn dam lakes, fishing inside the safety zone set by DSİ (State Hydraulic Works) is dangerous and banned (art. 13/10).

Freshwater closed seasons

The general ban covers: Common Carp, Tench, Capoeta (Khramulya), Wels Catfish, European Chub, Other species. For the European chub the general ban does not apply in rivers (Table 6 footnote). The dates depend on the region of the province:

Invasive species (Carassius sp. (Havuz balıkları), Lepomis gibbosus (Güneş levreği), Tilapia sp. (Tilapya azmanı), Gambusia holbrooki (Gambusia), Pseudorasbora parva (Çizgili sazan (Çakıl balığı)), Atherina boyeri (Gümüş)): no size or count limit and no closed season; using them as live bait or moving them to other waters is banned.

Fully protected species

Banned all year at sea and in fresh water (53 species or groups; Table 1, as amended by 2026/26). Turkish name, then the scientific name.

• Akdeniz fokuMonachus monachus
• Akdeniz mercanıCladocora caespitosa
• Alakır alasıSalmo kottelati
• Altı yarıklı bozcamgözHexanchus griseus
• Balina köpekbalığıRhincodon typus
• Batman bantlı çöpçü balığıParaschistura chrysicristinae
• Beyaz çalıSpinimuricea klavereni
• Beyaz deniz dalıEunicella singularis
• Beyaz yüzgeçli köpekbalığıCarcharhinus longimanus
• Büyük beyaz köpekbalığıCarcharodon carcharias
• Büyük camgöz (güneşlenen) köpekbalığıCetorhinus maximus
• CamgözGaleorhinus galeus
• Çekiç köpekbalığıSphyrna zygaena
• Çivili köpekbalığıEchinorhinus brucus
• DenizatıHippocampus hippocampus
• Deniz alasıSalmo labrax
• Deniz çayırlarıPosidonia oceanica, Nanozostera noltei
• Deniz kaplumbağalarıCaretta caretta, Chelonia mydas, Dermochelys coriacea, Trionyx triunguis
• Deniz kulağıTonna galea, Haliotis tuberculata
• Dikburun harharyasLamna nasus
• Dikenli kelerSquatina aculeata
• Domuz köpekbalığıOxynotus centrina
• İpeksi köpekbalığıCarcharhinus falciformis
• İri gözlü sapan köpekbalığıAlopias superciliosus
• KazıkkuyrukGymnura altavela
• KelerSquatina squatina
• KemaneGlaucostegus cemiculus
• Kırmızı mercanCorallium rubrum
• Kırmızı yıldızEchinaster sepositus
• Kum köpekbalığıCarcharhinus plumbeus
• Lekeli kelerSquatina oculata
• Leopar sazanıLuciobarbus subquincunciatus
• Mahmuzlu camgözSqualus acanthias, Squalus blainville
• MantalarMobula mobular, Pteromylaeus bovinus, Rhinoptera marginata
• Mavi köpekbalığıPrionace glauca
• MayaMaja squinado
• Mersin balıklarıAcipenser spp.
• Mersin morinasıHuso huso
• MinareCerithium vulgatum
• Mor deniz dalıParamuricea clavata
• MührelerLamellaridae
• OrfozEpinephelus marginatus
• PinaPinna nobilis
• Sapan köpekbalığıAlopias vulpinus
• Sarı deniz dalıEunicella cavolini
• Sivriburun harharyasIsurus oxyrinchus
• Siyah mercanSavalia savaglia
• Ticari deniz süngerleriSpongia officinalis, Spongia agaricina, Hippospongia communis
• Uzun kemaneRhinobatos rhinobatos
• Yağlı balıkGarra rufa
• Yağ balığıPseudophoxinus sp.
• Yılan balığıAnguilla anguilla
• Yunus ve BalinalarCetacea