2026 Fishing Closed Season in the Danube Delta: Dates, Zones and How to Fish Legally All Year

What are the 2026 closed-season dates in the Danube Delta?

The direct answer: in 2026, on the public waters of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, pike fishing is banned from 1 February to 7 June, pikeperch and perch from 20 March to 7 June, and the general closed season for all freshwater species runs from 9 April to 7 June. The dates come from Closed Season Order no. 23/297/2025, a multi-annual act that remains in force in 2026 until an official amendment.

In practice, this means almost the entire spring — exactly the period when predators are most active and spinning anglers can hardly wait to get on the water — the Delta's public channels and lakes are closed to the most sought-after species.

The full 2026 calendar, by species and zone

In short, according to the order in force:

- General closed season, all species: 9 April – 7 June 2026
- Pike in the Reserve: 1 February – 7 June 2026 (on other inland waters in Romania: 1 February – 20 March)
- Pikeperch and perch: 20 March – 7 June 2026
- Catfish: falls under the general spring closure, per the order
- Razim–Sinoe lagoon complex and coastal lakes: 9 April – 7 June 2026
- Musura Bay, at the Ukrainian border: 16 April – 30 May 2026
- Strictly protected zones in the reserve: fishing permanently banned, all year

The order is multi-annual, so these dates do not change from one year to the next unless an official amendment is issued. Still, if you plan a trip on public waters, check with ARBDD before you leave — they are the official source for the periods and zones in force.

What else you need to know when fishing public waters

The closed season is not the only rule. On the Delta's natural waters you need a recreational fishing permit issued by ARBDD, fishing is allowed only in the zones listed in Annex 3 of the order, and for large species (pike, pikeperch, catfish, carp) catch and release applies, with the option of keeping at most one specimen per day from a single species. The transport limit is 10 kg of fish per angler or 15 kg per family.

Anyone fishing during the closed season or without a permit risks fines between 500 and 10,000 lei, confiscation of equipment and, in serious cases, criminal liability. Patrols on the channels are frequent precisely during the closed season.

How to fish legally all year, with no closed-season calendar

There is a simple, fully legal option: private fish farms. Private lakes are not covered by the ARBDD reserve access permit or by the closed season on public waters, because their fish are raised on site, not taken from the state's natural stock.

At Holbina Trei Bibani, the four private lakes spread over more than 1,200 hectares are stocked with pike, catfish and perch and can be fished all year — including in February, March or April, when pike fishing is banned on the Delta's channels. You fill in no form and check no calendar: fishing access comes with your booking, and the local guides take you straight to the good spots.

For the full details of the calendar and the private-lakes exception, read the dedicated page on the fishing closed season in the Danube Delta and the guide to fishing rules and permits in the Delta. And if you simply want to fish, in any month, see the fishing packages at Holbina — from 2,500 lei per person, with accommodation, full board, boat and guide and transfer included.