Sport Fishing

Some rivers and lakes inside "Velebit Nature Park" were traditionally used as fishing waters before the Park obtained the status of a protected area. “Velebit Nature Park” Public Institution has thus offering sport fishing on the rivers of Zrmanja, Krupa, Ričica, Opsenica and the lakes of Sv. Rok, Štikada, Muškovci (Razovac).
You may enjoy in luxury recreational fishing on the rivers of Zrmanja and Krupa; please be aware, though, that extra care is taken to minimise pressures on ichtyo-fauna. We hope to deliver on our intent of recuperation of the overall fauna of these waters.

The sport fishing area of "Velebit Nature Park” is divided into the following fishing zones:

1. The Ričica River fishing zone – encompasses the Ričica and Opsenica courses and Sv. Rok Lake
2. The Štikada Lake fishing zone
3. The Zrmanja River fishing zone – includes the course of Zrmanja River from its source to the boundaries of "Velebit Nature Park" at Obrovac, as well as the courses of Krupa and Krnjeza Rivers.

3.1.1. The main course of Zrmanja River is divided into four fishing zones:

• from Zrmanja source to the confluence of Krupa and Zrmanja rivers, including the rivers of Krupa and Krnjeza
• from the confluence of Krupa and Zrmanja to Janković Buk, excluding Muškovci accumulation lake (Razovac)
• from Janković Buk to the town of Obrovac
• Muškovci accumulation lake (Razovac)

3.1.2. Fishing is permanently forbidden along the initial 800 metres of Zrmanja course (starting from its source), the initial 600 meters of Krupa as well as along the whole course of Krnjeza. These areas will primarily serve for re-population of ichtyo-fauna of Zrmanja River.

Licenses are required for sport fishing activities.
Licenses are valid for 1, 3 or 7 days, monthly or annually.
Licenses may be issued to persons who own a Fishing Certificate as proof of having passed a fishing exam.
Members of local sport-fishing associations are entitled to discounted annual fishing permits, with mandatory participation in at least two fishing water cleaning and maintenance brigades during a single fishing season.
Invalids of the Homeland War of the Republic of Croatia have a further special discount on the price of the annual fishing license.

Licenses may be purchased:
- at the Head Office of "Velebit Nature Park" in Gospić; at the entrance to Cerovac Caves from wardens and fish wardens in the Park
- elsewhere in the field; the Park undertakes to inform users of the exact locations prior to the beginning of fishing season.

* refers to members of the local sport-fishing associations (“Pijor” from Lovinac, “Pastrva” from Gračac, “Mlinica” from Kaštel Žegarski, “Lika” from Gospić and “Krka” from Knin), with mandatory participation at a minimum of two cleaning and maintenance brigades during a fishing season.

** the Homeland War invalids of the Republic of Croatia.
Supervision of Measures of Protection, Maintenance, and Usage of Sport Fishing Zones (hereinafter – Measures) will be performed by the Wardens’ Department and authorised fish wardens.

Equipment, Style of Fishing and Allowed Catch

1. Zone 1 of Zrmanja course - only fly-fishing is allowed, without the use of floats and weights.
2. Zone 2 of Zrmanja course – fly-fishing and artificial baits are allowed.
3. Sport fishing is allowed only with a single fishing equipment.
4. At Zone 3 of Zrmanja, where one may come across sea fish, fishing shall be done in compliance with specifically defined rules for freshwater fishing . Only hook-fishing is allowed . Nets, coops or other saline water fishing tools are strictly forbidden.
5. In the accumulation lakes of Sv. Rok, Štikada and Muškovci (Razovac) bottom-fishing or float fishing of carp-type species is allowed.
6. The use of diving suits for fishing purposes is forbidden in all fishing waters of “Velebit Nature Park”; an exception is scientific research for which written permission is required
7. Fishing is allowed only from sunrise to sunset ; fishing at night is forbidden : in spring it is forbidden from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.; in the summer from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., and in the autumn from 7 p.m. to 3 p.m.
8. Allowed daily catch quantities are laid out in Table 2.
9. The catch may not be sold to third parties.
10. Brown trout and California trout shorter than 30 cm must immediately be returned to water, intact.

Other sport fishing rules in the protected area of “Velebit Nature Park ”

7.1.
The whole of "Velebit Nature Park ” is located inside the preliminary National Ecologic Network of Croatia (NEM) and includes vital areas for wild species and habitat types.

7.2.
Waters inside "Velebit Nature Park ” predominantly pertain to a protected area (Nature Park category on the national level and Biosphere Reserve on the international level). Pursuant to the Decision of the Management Board of “Velebit Nature Park ” Public Institution and according to scientific research and monitoring, fishing waters are also included in these categories.  

7.3.
Preservation of fish species and their habitats is a complex discipline and requires extra care and stringent fishing rules in order to comply with environmental protection requirements.

7.4.
The Republic of Croatia considers freshwater fish a valuable asset, requiring a great deal of protection. Pursuant to regulation in force (Environmental Protection Act, Official Gazette 70/05) , fish in areas of high nature protection may not be caught nor bred under conditions established in the Freshwater Fisheries Act (the final text may be found in Official Gazette 49/05) and according to regulations which it sets out.

Article 3 thereof clearly states: “Fishing and breeding of fish in the protected parts of nature is allowed only in compliance with the Environmental Protection Act in areas defined by the competent public institution respectively.

7.5.
Re-locating of the fish and electro-pump fisheries when water-level is low is forbidden.

7.6.
Catching, picking or taking the organisms out of the water is forbidden everywhere within the boundaries of “Velebit Nature Park”, except for purposes of scientific research or educational purposes, with explicit permission of the Ministry.

7.7.
All measures including the fishing area natural spawning waters protection activities and the enhancement of ichtyo-fauna treatment, will be performed exclusively by "Velebit Nature Park " Public Institution.

7.8.
All activities related to population the waters with fish will be performed exclusively by and under direct supervision of "Velebit Nature Park " Public Institution.