Night Carp Fishing in Bas-Rhin

The essentials in 20 seconds

Night carp fishing is legal in Bas-Rhin on designated stretches defined by prefectural decree. Vegetable baits and boilies only, catch-and-release is mandatory. Geocarp lists 8 verified night venues in this department, with maps, access details and angler reports — in English.

Alsace gives you two quite different waters under one dedicated prefectural order. From 1 April to the morning of 31 October, the Rhine itself is open — the Vieux Rhin at Marckolsheim and the canalised Rhine at Rhinau — along with seven marked stretches of the river Ill running north from Baldenheim through Huttenheim, Benfeld and Osthouse to Ostwald and Illkirch-Graffenstaden on the edge of Strasbourg. All year round, six canal lots are open: three on the northern branch of the Canal du Rhône au Rhin between Obenheim, Gerstheim, Plobsheim, Eschau and Illkirch, and three on the Canal de la Marne au Rhin from Wingersheim down through Eckwersheim and Vendenheim to the Souffelweyersheim marina — each bounded by the locks at either end, and each within twenty minutes of Strasbourg. That combination of a great European river, quiet canal pounds and a city with a direct Eurostar-and-TGV link makes the Bas-Rhin unusually easy to organise. Rules: carp only, no animal baits alive or dead, no raw seed groundbait, no baiting or line-dropping from a boat, nothing pitched on the service track or cycle path, no markers in the water, a presence light at your swim, and no carp held or moved at night.

Verified venues

Status verified against the current prefectural decree.

Night fishing rules — Bas-Rhin

Always check the departmental fishing federation's official list before your session.

Official list — Bas-Rhin fishing federation

Frequently asked questions

Is night carp fishing legal in Bas-Rhin, France?

Yes, on designated stretches defined by prefectural decree. Geocarp lists these venues with maps, access details and angler reports.

Do I need a French fishing licence?

Yes. A valid French fishing licence (carte de pêche) is mandatory and can be bought online at cartedepeche.fr. Some venues require an additional night carp option from the local angling club (AAPPMA).

What baits are allowed at night in France?

Vegetable baits and boilies only. Any carp caught at night must be released immediately — keeping or transporting carp at night is prohibited by French law (decree 2004-599).

Is the Bas-Rhin (67) a good destination for a night carp fishing trip from the UK?

It is one of the easiest to organise, with several swims inside the Strasbourg conurbation and a direct rail link to the city. A dedicated prefectural order runs two regimes. From 1 April to the morning of 31 October: the Vieux Rhin at Marckolsheim, the canalised Rhine at Rhinau, and seven stretches of the river Ill from Baldenheim and Kogenheim through Huttenheim, Benfeld and Osthouse to Ostwald and Illkirch-Graffenstaden. All year: three lots of the Canal du Rhône au Rhin northern branch between Obenheim, Gerstheim, Plobsheim, Eschau and Illkirch, and three of the Canal de la Marne au Rhin between Wingersheim, Eckwersheim, Vendenheim and Souffelweyersheim, each bounded by locks. Rules: carp only, no animal baits alive or dead, no raw seed groundbait, no baiting or line-dropping from a boat, nothing pitched on the service track or cycle path, no markers in the water, a presence light at the swim, and no carp retained or moved at night. Port access channels off the Rhine are excluded.