Fishing Corner · Tips & tricks
Georgia fishing licenses, explained
Who needs one, what it costs, and when you need the trout license or the free saltwater permit.
Who needs a license
Anglers 16 and older need a Georgia fishing license, in both fresh and salt water. Kids 15 and under fish free, and residents 65 and older qualify for discounted licenses.
The trout license
To fish for trout, add a trout license to your fishing license. Georgia’s Sportsman’s and youth licenses include trout privileges. On the Chattahoochee below Buford Dam, carry both.
What it costs
Prices are from Georgia DNR’s license price chart; confirm current prices before you buy.
- Residents: $15 a year to fish, plus $10 a year for trout.
- Residents can also buy a one-day trout license for $5.
- Nonresidents: $50 a year to fish, plus $25 a year for trout.
- Nonresidents can buy one-day fishing and trout licenses for $10 each.
- Online purchases add a $3 transaction fee.
Saltwater
Anglers 16 and older fishing in salt water also need Georgia’s free Saltwater Information Program (SIP) permit, renewed every year.
Where to buy
- Online at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com.
- In the Go Outdoors GA app, which also stores your license.
- By phone at 1-800-366-2661.
- At license agents around the state.
Free fishing days
Georgia residents can fish without a fishing or trout license on free fishing days. In 2027 they fall on June 5, June 12 and Sept. 25.
Ask Chris
Questions about fishing in Georgia? Ask Chris.
Chris Scalley has fished just about every water in Georgia and the Southeast, and he has guided since 1994. Ask him where to go, what’s biting, or who to fish with. He reads every question himself.
- Where and when to fish
- Which local guide or charter is worth booking
- A trout trip on the Hooch with River Through Atlanta
From the guides at River Through Atlanta
Licensed and ready? Put it to work on the Hooch with a guide.
Below Buford Dam, cold water from the bottom of Lake Lanier keeps 48 miles of the Chattahoochee cool enough for trout all year. It’s western-style fly fishing from a drift boat, for rainbows and wild browns, right through Atlanta. Our Orvis-endorsed guides have fished it since 1994, and beginners are welcome.
Fishing Corner