Bureau of Land Management Fishing Permits
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Contact
- Address
- Bureau of Land Management, 1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240 - media@blm.gov
- Website
- blm.gov
At a glance
- Licences and permits
- 10
- Of which specialty
- 10
- Free fishing days
- The BLM holds no free fishing days and sells no fishing licence. It observes federal fee-free days in 2026 on which 'recreation standard amenity and day-use fees on Bureau of Land Management lands are waived'; the state fishing licence is still required on those days. The specific 2026 BLM dates were not enumerated on the page loaded this session.
- Fees verified
- 4 Sep 2026
Who does not need one
The BLM is the clearest case of the whole federal picture: it manages over 130,000 miles of fishable rivers and streams and issues no fishing licence at all. Its own words are the rule to quote to anglers - 'All anglers on public lands must have the required state license(s)' - and 'States are responsible for managing wildlife within their borders for the trust and benefit of their residents, even if the hunting occurs on federal lands.' So the licence, the stamps, the seasons and the limits on BLM water are the state's, bought from the state agency, and BLM-managed lands are open for fishing unless specifically closed for resource protection. The federal layer on top is thin and purely about facilities, not fishing. Where BLM has built something - a developed day-use area, a developed trailhead, a visitor centre, some National Conservation Areas - it may charge a standard amenity fee, and campgrounds, boat launches and cabins carry an expanded amenity fee. Amounts are set locally, not nationally. The BLM participates in the Interagency Pass Program, so an 80.00 America the Beautiful pass (or the Senior, Access, Military or 4th Grade version) covers standard amenity day-use fees on BLM land, but not expanded amenity fees and not one cent of your state fishing licence. Special Recreation Permits are a separate track aimed at commercial guiding, competitive events, organised group trips and a handful of special areas; a private angler fishing on their own generally does not need one, but a guide taking paying clients onto BLM water does.
Specialty licences 10
Extra items an angler must hold on top of the base licence. These are the ones most often missed — a base licence alone does not cover them.
| Licence | Type | Who needs it | Applies to | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Recreation Permit (SRP)This is the permit a fishing guide or outfitter needs to run trips on BLM water. A private angler fishing on their own does not normally need an SRP; individual SRPs apply only in designated special areas. Fees are set by the issuing BLM office and are not published as a national schedule. | Permit | Commercial use, competitive events, group activities, recreation events and vending; and for individual use of certain special areas such as off-highway vehicle areas, shooting ranges and specialised trail systems | Any · short-term · all | Not published |
| Every Kid Outdoors 4th Grade PassFree. | Access or habitat fee | US fourth graders and accompanying family | Resident · annual · 4th grade | Freestill required |
| Interagency Access PassFree. | Access or habitat fee | US citizens and residents with a permanent disability | Resident · lifetime · all | Freestill required |
| Interagency Military Annual and Lifetime PassesFree. | Access or habitat fee | Current US military and dependents; veterans and Gold Star Families | Resident · annual · all | Freestill required |
| Interagency Senior Annual PassHonoured on BLM lands through the Interagency Pass Program. | Access or habitat fee | US citizens and residents aged 62 and older | Resident · annual · 62+ | $20.00 |
| America the Beautiful Interagency Annual Pass (Resident)'The BLM participate in the Interagency Pass Program.' The pass covers entrance and standard amenity day-use fees on federal recreation lands; it is not a fishing licence and confers no fishing privilege. Price effective 1 January 2026. | Access or habitat fee | Visitors who want BLM standard amenity day-use fees covered along with the other federal agencies | Resident · annual · all | $80.00 |
| Interagency Senior Lifetime PassHonoured on BLM lands through the Interagency Pass Program. | Access or habitat fee | US citizens and residents aged 62 and older | Resident · lifetime · 62+ | $80.00 |
| America the Beautiful Interagency Annual Pass (Non-Resident)Interagency pass price effective 1 January 2026. | Access or habitat fee | Visitors who are not US residents | Non-resident · annual · all | $250.00 |
| Expanded Amenity FeeCharged where visitors get 'direct benefits ... from specific or specialized facilities, equipment, or services'. Priced per site. Interagency passes do not cover expanded amenity fees. | Access or habitat fee | Users of BLM campgrounds, boat launches, swimming areas and cabin rentals | Any · 1-day · all | Not published |
| Standard Amenity Fee (day-use fee)Charged under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act at sites offering picnic tables, trash receptacles, a toilet facility, parking, interpretive signing and security services. Amounts are set at each site, not nationally, and most BLM land is free to enter. Payment may be by fee envelope at the site, at a visitor contact station, through an online reservation system, or by other electronic means. | Access or habitat fee | Visitors to developed BLM day-use areas, developed trailheads, visitor centres and some National Conservation Areas, including anglers parking to reach the water | Any · 1-day · all | Not published |
Every licence and fee 10
| Licence | Residency | Term | Ages | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permit 1 | ||||
| Special Recreation Permit (SRP) Commercial use, competitive events, group activities, recreation events and vending; and for individual use of certain special areas such as off-highway vehicle areas, shooting ranges and specialised trail systems This is the permit a fishing guide or outfitter needs to run trips on BLM water. A private angler fishing on their own does not normally need an SRP; individual SRPs apply only in designated special areas. Fees are set by the issuing BLM office and are not published as a national schedule. | Any | short-term | all | Not published |
| Access or habitat fee 9 | ||||
| Every Kid Outdoors 4th Grade Pass US fourth graders and accompanying family Free. | Resident | annual | 4th grade | Freestill required |
| Interagency Access Pass US citizens and residents with a permanent disability Free. | Resident | lifetime | all | Freestill required |
| Interagency Military Annual and Lifetime Passes Current US military and dependents; veterans and Gold Star Families Free. | Resident | annual | all | Freestill required |
| Interagency Senior Annual Pass US citizens and residents aged 62 and older Honoured on BLM lands through the Interagency Pass Program. | Resident | annual | 62+ | $20.00 |
| America the Beautiful Interagency Annual Pass (Resident) Visitors who want BLM standard amenity day-use fees covered along with the other federal agencies 'The BLM participate in the Interagency Pass Program.' The pass covers entrance and standard amenity day-use fees on federal recreation lands; it is not a fishing licence and confers no fishing privilege. Price effective 1 January 2026. | Resident | annual | all | $80.00 |
| Interagency Senior Lifetime Pass US citizens and residents aged 62 and older Honoured on BLM lands through the Interagency Pass Program. | Resident | lifetime | 62+ | $80.00 |
| America the Beautiful Interagency Annual Pass (Non-Resident) Visitors who are not US residents Interagency pass price effective 1 January 2026. | Non-resident | annual | all | $250.00 |
| Expanded Amenity Fee Users of BLM campgrounds, boat launches, swimming areas and cabin rentals Charged where visitors get 'direct benefits ... from specific or specialized facilities, equipment, or services'. Priced per site. Interagency passes do not cover expanded amenity fees. | Any | 1-day | all | Not published |
| Standard Amenity Fee (day-use fee) Visitors to developed BLM day-use areas, developed trailheads, visitor centres and some National Conservation Areas, including anglers parking to reach the water Charged under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act at sites offering picnic tables, trash receptacles, a toilet facility, parking, interpretive signing and security services. Amounts are set at each site, not nationally, and most BLM land is free to enter. Payment may be by fee envelope at the site, at a visitor contact station, through an online reservation system, or by other electronic means. | Any | 1-day | all | Not published |
Fees as published by Bureau of Land Management and read on 4 September 2026. Agencies change fees without notice and vendors add issuing charges, so confirm the current price at the point of sale. We do not reproduce seasons, limits or gear rules — see the agency's regulations page for those.
Notes on this listing
BLM publishes no dollar amounts for standard amenity fees, expanded amenity fees or Special Recreation Permits on any page loaded this session - they are set by the local field office - so all three are recorded as null with the mechanism explained rather than a representative number invented. BLM confirms it participates in the Interagency Pass Program but does not restate the pass prices, so the 80.00 / 250.00 / 20.00 / 80.00 figures are carried from the NPS interagency pass page loaded this session (prices effective 1 January 2026). BLM's 2026 fee-free day list was referenced but not enumerated in the content returned. No national BLM public phone number is published on blm.gov/contact.
About Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management does not sell a general fishing licence. It manages the water, requires the relevant state licence on it, and in places layers its own permit, pass or day-use fee on top.
It issues 10 permits and fees of its own, including the Special Recreation Permit (SRP), Every Kid Outdoors 4th Grade Pass, Interagency Access Pass and the Interagency Military Annual and Lifetime Passes.
Free fishing days: The BLM holds no free fishing days and sells no fishing licence. It observes federal fee-free days in 2026 on which ‘recreation standard amenity and day-use fees on Bureau of Land Management lands are waived’; the state fishing licence is still required on those days. The specific 2026 BLM dates were not enumerated on the page loaded this session.
The fee table below was read from official sources on 4 September 2026. We list what each item is called, who needs it and what it costs, and link out for the rules themselves — seasons, limits and gear regulations live on the agency’s own page and change too often to mirror.