US Forest Service Fishing Permits
USDA Forest Service (USFS)
Contact
- Address
- USDA Forest Service, 1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250-0003 - sm.fs.webmaster@usda.gov
- Website
- fs.usda.gov
At a glance
- Licences and permits
- 12
- Of which specialty
- 12
- Free fishing days
- The Forest Service holds no free fishing days - it sells no fishing licence. It does waive recreation day-use fees at most sites on ten fee-free days in 2026: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (19 January), Presidents' Day (16 February), Memorial Day (25 May), National Trails Day (6 June), National Get Outdoors Day (13 June), Independence Day (4 July), Constitution Day (17 September), National Public Lands Day (26 September), Theodore Roosevelt's Birthday (27 October) and Veterans Day (11 November). A state fishing licence is still required on those days.
- Fees verified
- 4 Sep 2026
Who does not need one
The Forest Service does not sell a fishing licence. National Forest waters are fished under the licence of the STATE the forest sits in, issued by that state's fish and wildlife agency, and every state-level rule - resident and nonresident tiers, trout stamps, two-pole permits, youth exemptions - applies unchanged on National Forest land. What the Forest Service charges for is access to developed sites, and the trap is that this is a parking and facility fee, not a fishing fee: an angler who parks at a fee trailhead or a developed river access pays it even if they never use a table or a toilet. Two tiers exist. Standard amenity (day-use) fees at picnic areas, developed trailheads and visitor centres ARE covered by the America the Beautiful interagency passes at Forest Service operated sites, though concession-run sites may not honour them. Expanded amenity fees at campgrounds, highly developed boat launches and swimming areas are NOT covered, except for a 50 percent Senior and Access discount on single-family campsites. On top of that sit regional and local passes: in Oregon and Washington the Northwest Forest Pass at 5.00 a day or 30.00 a year is honoured at every Forest Service operated day-use site where a fee is charged, and individual forests and third-party vendors sell their own local passes. Buying the 30.00 Northwest Forest Pass or the 80.00 interagency pass does nothing whatsoever about your state fishing licence, and a state fishing licence does nothing about the day-use fee. You need both.
Specialty licences 12
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Every Kid Outdoors 4th Grade PassFree to fourth graders and family. | Access or habitat fee | US fourth graders and their family | Resident · annual · 4th grade | Freestill required |
| Interagency Access PassFree. Also carries the 50 percent single-family campsite discount. | 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 |
| Northwest Forest Pass - Day'Honored at all Forest Service operated recreation sites in Washington and Oregon where a day use fee is required.' The best-known of the regional Forest Service passes. Not a fishing licence. | Access or habitat fee | Visitors parking at Forest Service operated day-use recreation sites in Oregon and Washington | Any · 1-day · all | $5.00 |
| Interagency Senior Annual PassAlso carries a 50 percent discount on single-family campsites (an expanded amenity fee). | Access or habitat fee | US citizens and residents aged 62 and older | Resident · annual · 62+ | $20.00 |
| Northwest Forest Pass - AnnualCheaper than the interagency Annual Pass but limited to Forest Service day use sites in Oregon and Washington. Non-refundable, non-transferable and not replaceable if lost. | Access or habitat fee | Regular visitors to Forest Service day-use sites in Oregon and Washington | Any · annual · all | $30.00 |
| America the Beautiful Interagency Annual Pass (Resident)These passes 'cover the use of amenities and services at many day-use sites on US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands' as well as national parks and refuges. Not a fishing licence. Available digitally through Recreation.gov from January 2026. | Access or habitat fee | Visitors who want day-use fees covered on National Forests and across the other federal agencies | Resident · annual · all | $80.00 |
| Interagency Senior Lifetime PassSame coverage as the Senior Annual Pass, one-time purchase. | 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 Recreation FeePriced per site. Interagency passes do NOT cover expanded amenity fees, except that Senior and Access pass holders get a 50 percent discount on single-family campsites. Anglers hit this when a boat launch or a campground is developed enough to fall in this class. | Access or habitat fee | Users of campgrounds, highly developed boat launches and swimming areas, and cabin or lookout rentals | Any · 1-day · all | Not published |
| Local / Regional Forest Pass'National Forests and third parties such as private businesses and organizations offer an additional option to purchase a local pass.' Priced by the issuing forest or vendor. Non-refundable, non-transferable, cannot be extended, and cannot be replaced if lost or stolen. | Access or habitat fee | Visitors to day-use sites on forests that sell their own local pass instead of, or as well as, the regional pass | Any · annual · all | Not published |
| Standard Amenity Recreation Fee (day-use fee)Set forest by forest and site by site, so there is no national amount. Covered by the America the Beautiful interagency passes at Forest Service operated sites, though concession-managed sites may not honour them. Loaded example: sites in Oregon and Washington charge a 5.00 day rate under the Northwest Forest Pass. | Access or habitat fee | Anyone using a developed Forest Service day-use site - picnic areas, developed trailheads, boat access parking, destination visitor centres - including anglers parking to reach the water | Any · 1-day · all | Not published |
Every licence and fee 12
| Licence | Residency | Term | Ages | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access or habitat fee 12 | ||||
| Every Kid Outdoors 4th Grade Pass US fourth graders and their family Free to fourth graders and family. | Resident | annual | 4th grade | Freestill required |
| Interagency Access Pass US citizens and residents with a permanent disability Free. Also carries the 50 percent single-family campsite discount. | 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 |
| Northwest Forest Pass - Day Visitors parking at Forest Service operated day-use recreation sites in Oregon and Washington 'Honored at all Forest Service operated recreation sites in Washington and Oregon where a day use fee is required.' The best-known of the regional Forest Service passes. Not a fishing licence. | Any | 1-day | all | $5.00 |
| Interagency Senior Annual Pass US citizens and residents aged 62 and older Also carries a 50 percent discount on single-family campsites (an expanded amenity fee). | Resident | annual | 62+ | $20.00 |
| Northwest Forest Pass - Annual Regular visitors to Forest Service day-use sites in Oregon and Washington Cheaper than the interagency Annual Pass but limited to Forest Service day use sites in Oregon and Washington. Non-refundable, non-transferable and not replaceable if lost. | Any | annual | all | $30.00 |
| America the Beautiful Interagency Annual Pass (Resident) Visitors who want day-use fees covered on National Forests and across the other federal agencies These passes 'cover the use of amenities and services at many day-use sites on US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands' as well as national parks and refuges. Not a fishing licence. Available digitally through Recreation.gov from January 2026. | Resident | annual | all | $80.00 |
| Interagency Senior Lifetime Pass US citizens and residents aged 62 and older Same coverage as the Senior Annual Pass, one-time purchase. | 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 Recreation Fee Users of campgrounds, highly developed boat launches and swimming areas, and cabin or lookout rentals Priced per site. Interagency passes do NOT cover expanded amenity fees, except that Senior and Access pass holders get a 50 percent discount on single-family campsites. Anglers hit this when a boat launch or a campground is developed enough to fall in this class. | Any | 1-day | all | Not published |
| Local / Regional Forest Pass Visitors to day-use sites on forests that sell their own local pass instead of, or as well as, the regional pass 'National Forests and third parties such as private businesses and organizations offer an additional option to purchase a local pass.' Priced by the issuing forest or vendor. Non-refundable, non-transferable, cannot be extended, and cannot be replaced if lost or stolen. | Any | annual | all | Not published |
| Standard Amenity Recreation Fee (day-use fee) Anyone using a developed Forest Service day-use site - picnic areas, developed trailheads, boat access parking, destination visitor centres - including anglers parking to reach the water Set forest by forest and site by site, so there is no national amount. Covered by the America the Beautiful interagency passes at Forest Service operated sites, though concession-managed sites may not honour them. Loaded example: sites in Oregon and Washington charge a 5.00 day rate under the Northwest Forest Pass. | Any | 1-day | all | Not published |
Fees as published by US Forest Service 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
Standard and expanded amenity fee amounts are left null because the Forest Service sets them site by site and publishes no national schedule. The Forest Service does not publish a single national page stating the state fishing licence requirement - several candidate URLs (fs.usda.gov/visit/fishing, /visit/activities/fishing, /managing-land/fish) returned 404 this session - so the state-licence statement in license_exempt_notes rests on the general federal position stated explicitly by BLM ('All anglers on public lands must have the required state license(s)') rather than on a Forest Service page loaded this session. The 250.00 non-resident interagency pass, 20.00 Senior Annual and 80.00 Senior Lifetime figures appear on the Region 6 passes page as loaded. No national Forest Service public phone number is published on its contact page.
About US Forest Service
USDA Forest Service 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 12 permits and fees of its own, including the Every Kid Outdoors 4th Grade Pass, Interagency Access Pass, Interagency Military Annual and Lifetime Passes and the Northwest Forest Pass – Day.
Free fishing days: The Forest Service holds no free fishing days – it sells no fishing licence. It does waive recreation day-use fees at most sites on ten fee-free days in 2026: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (19 January), Presidents’ Day (16 February), Memorial Day (25 May), National Trails Day (6 June), National Get Outdoors Day (13 June), Independence Day (4 July), Constitution Day (17 September), National Public Lands Day (26 September), Theodore Roosevelt’s Birthday (27 October) and Veterans Day (11 November). A state fishing licence is still required on those days.
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.