Driving around Iceland in a rental camper is on many Bucket lists and add fishing in Iceland into the mix, that’s what dreams are made of. Iceland is famous for its very expensive fishing licenses but there are other ways than to sell your house in order to fish in Iceland.
Iceland has many great fishing lakes spread all over the country and most of them are very cheap to fish. Very often you can ask/buy permission from a nearby farmer. Depending on where you are, the price differs.
One easy way is to buy the “Fishing card” which give you access to 35 lakes all around Iceland. Many of these lakes have camping sites by the lake or very close by so combing the two is a very cheap and accessible way to explore the very best of Iceland. Just imagine you are camping by a lake with a stunning view, the sun has painted the sky orange and fish are slashing on the surface, nipping bugs from tonight’s menu, and you can take your rod and just go fishing…in Iceland, the dream of so many.
What fishing gear to bring
So how do you do it then? Well, you need to bring your fishing gear or rent equipment here. It’s good to have fishing clothes that can take a beating, in case you get rain. Waders is almost a must, so you can reach those spots that are just out of reach from the bank. Your choice of fishing gear whether it’s spinning or fly fishing. Most lakes allows spin, fly and bait.
The only thing to keep in mind is that when you enter Iceland, you need to disinfect your fishing gear. You do that when you enter the customs area on your way out. you stop at the little booth to your left before you enter and tell them you are bringing fishing gear and someone will come and help you out. not a problem at all. There is a fee involved. You can do this by an authorized office at home but you need to bring that certificate with you and show it to customs before entering Icelandic soil. There are places in Iceland where you can rent fishing gear too in case you get the urge while here!
Fishing card – Fishing License
If you want to fish while camping in Iceland, we have made it easier for you, you can pick up your fishing card (we call it Veiðikortið here) when you pick up your Camper van or RV rental in Keflavik or in Reykjavik. We don’t charge you extra for the fishing license, you pay the same as you would buy it directly from the fishing card website or wherever you buy it. It’s 6.900 ISK. With the card comes a brochure (unfortunately only in Icelandic yet but there is a useful map there) containing information about the 35 fishing lakes included in the card, a sticker (don’t attach it on the camper, keep in on the dashboard) and the fishing card. You have to write your name on the back of the card to make it valid. One card is valid for one person.
At the Veiðikort website (Fishing card), you have all information in English. Since you have free WiFi on board, you have access to the website when you need it! You can also post your fishing pics on Facebook or Instagram, just to make sure your friends at home know you are alright! 😉
Where to fish and camp in Iceland
On the map above you can see where you find these 35 lakes (and in the brochure you’ll get or can look at online) that are included in your fishing license. That is for sure more lakes than you can cover on your camping trip around Iceland. But you are not limited to these, you can also ask around wherever you see a lake, ask the locals who has the fishing rights, where you can you can get a fishing permit for a lake that might be outside your fishing card. If there is a store, a gas station, a restaurant close by, ask them, they will know.
Fishing etiquette
There are a few things to have in mind while fishing in Iceland. Most of these rules applies all around the world. One that might not is that around most fishing lakes and rivers here, you need to properly dispose of fish guts properly. Put them in a plastic bag and throw them in a garbage bin.
As always, wherever in the world you are and enjoying the nature, you never throw any trash at all around you. One never leave a heap of fishing line behind for that can cause so much damage in so many ways. You leave the camping/fishing site as you found it, or rather, better if someone else has been there before you and trashed the place. Nature is for everyone to enjoy!
Tight lines! #WohoCamper
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