Can Guests Fish Without a License From My Private Pond?

August 18, 2016

Question: I recently purchased a home with a private pond. Is it ok for my guests to fish the pond without a fishing license? (Randy N.)

Answer: No, your guests need fishing licenses. Seasons, bag limits and other California angling regulations apply to all waters on private lands in California, except for the ponds registered to licensed aquaculturists. The only other time a sport fishing license is not required for fishing in waters on private property by the owner or the owner’s invitee is when those waters are wholly enclosed by that owner’s real property and the waters do not have a hydrological connection to any permanent or intermittent waterway of the state.