Mörrumsån is Sweden’s most famous salmon river, and it is run almost entirely as catch and release. Here’s how the permits, quotas and month-by-month rules work, how the salmon is doing, and how to get there without a car.
When you need this
Maybe you’re planning a salmon or sea-trout trip to southern Sweden from Denmark, Germany or further away. Maybe you’re choosing between a day permit, the premiere and a season card, or you have a fish in the net and need to know whether you may keep it. Or you’ve read about sick Baltic salmon and wonder whether the trip is still worth making. This page covers all of that.
Who runs the fishing
Mörrumsån (the Mörrum river) runs south through Blekinge to the Baltic. Salmon fishing there is first described in 1231. The lower river belongs to Sveaskog, the state-owned forest company, which runs it as Mörrums Kronolaxfiske (“the Crown salmon fishery”). Reception, permit sales and catch registration are at Laxens Hus (“the salmon’s house”) in Mörrum.
This is not free water. Sweden’s free fishing right covers the coast and five big lakes, not rivers (see where you may fish in Sweden). On a river you fish with the rights-holder’s permission, and here the fishery’s own rules on quotas, methods and hours bind you through the permit. The fishery sells about 10,000 fishing days a year.
Season and permits
The 2026 season opened on 21 March with the traditional premiere, a cannon salute at 09:00, and closes on 30 September. One catch: the operator’s own rule text still says the season opens on 1 March. The 2026 price list and the fishery’s press release both give 21 March, and so do we. Check the new price list before booking a spring trip.
Fishing hours are 05:00–02:00. The premiere day runs 09:00–17:00 and the last day 05:00 to midnight.
A permit is personal and cannot be transferred. Buy it online or at Laxens Hus. The confirmation on your phone counts as the permit, and inspectors will ask for it together with ID. The main permit types:
| Permit | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Day permit, pools 1–32 | The classic 7 km lower river, Rosendala to Elleholm |
| Day permit, VS or KH | Upper stretches: Vittskövle & Svängsta, or Knaggalid & Härnäs |
| Day permit, pools 1–32 incl. VSKH | The lower river plus all upper stretches |
| Family day permit (June–August) | Two adults and children under 18, pools 1–32 |
| Afternoon permit | From 14:00 at a discount, if day permits are left; can’t be pre-booked |
| Season cards | All Inclusive, Pool card or VSKH card; adult, pensioner or junior |
Children under 14 fish free on a parent’s or guardian’s permit, and juniors up to 22 pay half. Bait and coarse fishing need a separate permit, the metkort. Prices are in the practical table below. For how Swedish permits work in general, see how fishing permits work.
What you may keep, month by month
Mörrum’s quota works on three levels. You may kill 1 fish a day (salmon, sea trout or a salmon–trout hybrid), and once you have, you stop fishing for the day. You may kill 2 fish a season, after which you may keep fishing but release everything. And once anglers have killed 100 fish in total, nobody may kill another fish that season, whatever their own quota. The fishery announces this on its website, at reception and on social media.
On top of the quota, what you may keep depends on the month, the species and the sex of the fish:
| Period | Salmon and hybrids | Sea trout |
|---|---|---|
| March–April | Fresh fish may be kept within quota | Fresh fish may be kept only if caught in pools 1–16 |
| May–July | Fresh fish may be kept within quota | Fresh fish may be kept within quota |
| August–September | Males only; every female goes back | Males only; every female goes back |
| All season | Kelts (spent fish) and fish under 50 cm always go back | Same |
Rainbow trout and pink salmon are the reverse case: they must be killed and registered, and they don’t count towards any quota. Anything else you hook goes back unregistered, since salmon permits allow you to target only salmon and sea trout.
Register every salmon on the day, kept or released, on the fishery’s website or at Laxens Hus. Estimate the length of released fish; don’t weigh them.
Catch and release the Mörrum way
The fishery recommends releasing everything, and the rules assume most fish go back. So prepare for it:
- Never lift the fish above the water surface. This is a rule here, not advice. Take your photo with the fish in the water.
- Use barbless hooks or pinch the barb, and a net with rubberised, knotless mesh.
- Keep the fight short, wet your hand, and hold the fish only by the tail.
- Hold it in the current with its head upstream until it swims off on its own.
- A fish hooked outside the mouth is released and not registered. If it dies, hand it in at reception: it belongs to the fishery.
Care matters more as the water warms, because a released fish has less oxygen to recover with. Gear is limited too: fly or spinning rod only, one rod per person, no upstream casting and no sonar or depth finder. Etiquette is part of the deal. Start behind the angler in front, make two or three casts and step downstream, and keep your lure well clear of the person ahead.
Salmon or sea trout, and which stretch
Mörrumsån holds both salmon and sea trout, plus hybrids of the two. The stretches fish differently:
| Stretch | Character |
|---|---|
| Pools 1–16 (south of Kungsbron) | Lower river through farmland; the only place fresh sea trout may be kept in March–April |
| Pools 17–32 (north of Kungsbron) | Through oak and beech forest |
| Vittskövle | 2.2 km of rapids, not divided into pools |
| Svängsta | About 3.3 km in Svängsta, 8 km north; limited to 10 day permits a day |
| Härnäs | 3.7 km in the Käringahejan nature reserve; best in early spring and autumn |
From 15 to 31 May, permits for pools 1–32 are split into two zones (1–16 and 17–32), with the switch at 13:00. Pools 2, 3 and 4 are the easiest to reach and are appreciated by anglers with limited mobility, so give way there. Further upstream, near the Småland border, a separate fishing association sells its own permits for its own water.
How the salmon is doing
It has had hard years, and the sources are worth reading carefully:
- 2014–2015: large numbers of sick and dead salmon in several rivers, above all Mörrumsån and the Torne. SVA, Sweden’s National Veterinary Institute, concluded in 2017 that infections were probably the main cause in Mörrumsån.
- 2023–2024: salmon catches in Baltic rivers were at record lows two years running, according to a compilation for SLU (the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) reported by SVT. Mörrum was no exception, and the fishery lowered its kill quotas.
- 2025: SVA said in June 2026 that health outside the Torne had been “challenging” for years, but looked generally better in 2025.
- 2026: the fishery’s site manager reported unusually large shoals and healthier fish. That’s the operator’s own assessment.
Mörrumsån is one of the national index rivers where the state counts young salmon heading out to sea and adults coming back every year. If you see a sick, injured or dead fish, report it to SVA: public reports are the basis of its monitoring.
Getting there by train
Mörrum is easy without a car. Mörrum station has direct Öresundståg trains via Malmö and Hässleholm to Copenhagen, and regional trains towards Karlshamn, Karlskrona and Kristianstad (see Öresundståg trains). From the station it’s about 300 m on foot to the river and 850 m to Laxens Hus. The station has a ticket machine, a platform shelter and bike parking.
One thing to watch if you fish the coast afterwards: from 15 September 2026, fishing for salmon and sea trout is banned along the coast from Kullens fyr in Skåne to Torhamns udde in Blekinge. At sea, the national rules apply, not the fishery’s (see Swedish fishing rules by species).
Mistakes to avoid
- Treating the river as free water. It’s permit water; buy the permit first.
- Bringing a bait rod. Fly or spinning rod only, one per person.
- Lifting a fish out for a photo. Photograph it in the water.
- Skipping registration of a released salmon. Every salmon is registered the same day.
- Trusting last year’s date or price. 2026 opened on 21 March, not 1 March.
Practical information
| Item | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Season | 21 March – 30 September |
| Hours | 05:00–02:00; premiere 09:00–17:00; 30 Sept to midnight |
| Premiere-day permit | 1,200 kr |
| Day permit, pools 1–32, VS or KH | 750 kr (July 650 kr) |
| Day permit, pools 1–32 incl. VSKH | 990 kr (July 890 kr) |
| Family day permit (1 June–31 Aug) | 1,200 kr |
| Afternoon permit (from 14:00) | 30% off, if available |
| Juniors up to 22 / children under 14 | Half price / free on a guardian’s permit |
| Adult season card: All Inclusive / Pool / VSKH | 18,200 / 14,200 / 14,200 kr |
| Kill quota | 1 a day, 2 a season, 100 for the whole fishery |
| Minimum size to keep | 50 cm |
| Gear | Fly or spinning rod, one rod |
| Nearest station | Mörrum, 850 m from Laxens Hus |
Prices are from the operator’s 2026 price list (checked 2026-09-25); the operator says they may change during the season.
FAQ
Do I need a fishing licence to fish for salmon at Mörrum?
Yes. Mörrumsån is permit water, not free water, and the lower river belongs to Sveaskog’s Mörrums Kronolaxfiske. You need its personal day or season permit, bought online or at Laxens Hus in Mörrum. The permit cannot be transferred. Carry it, on paper or on your phone, together with ID, because fishery inspectors check.
When is the salmon season at Mörrum?
The 2026 season opened on 21 March with the traditional premiere and closes on 30 September. Fishing is allowed 05:00–02:00, with shorter hours on the premiere day (09:00–17:00) and to midnight on the last day. The operator’s rule text still says 1 March, so check the current price list for next year’s date.
How much does a day permit cost at Mörrum?
In 2026 an ordinary day permit cost 750 kr, or 650 kr in July, for pools 1–32 or for either group of upper stretches. A permit for pools 1–32 plus all upper stretches cost 990 kr. The premiere day cost 1,200 kr. Children under 14 fish free on a guardian’s permit, and juniors up to 22 pay half.
Can I keep a salmon from Mörrumsån?
Sometimes. Each angler may kill 1 fish a day and 2 a season, at least 50 cm long, and the whole fishery stops killing at 100 fish. Spent fish always go back, and in August and September every female must be released. Every salmon, kept or released, must be registered the same day.
Is the Mörrum salmon stock healthy?
It has had difficult years. SVA linked mass salmon disease in Mörrumsån in 2014–2015 to infections, and Baltic river catches hit record lows in 2023–2024. SVA said in June 2026 that health looked better in 2025, and the fishery reported large, healthier runs in 2026. Mörrumsån is one of the state’s index rivers for salmon monitoring.
How do I get to Mörrum without a car?
Take the train. Mörrum station has direct Öresundståg trains via Malmö and Hässleholm to Copenhagen, and regional trains towards Karlshamn, Karlskrona and Kristianstad. From the station it is about 300 metres on foot to the river and 850 metres to Laxens Hus.
Related guides
- Where you may fish in Sweden: why rivers need a permit and the coast doesn’t
- How fishing permits work: buying a fiskekort anywhere else in Sweden
- Swedish fishing rules by species: Baltic salmon and sea-trout rules at sea
- Öresundståg trains: tickets and timetables for the train to Mörrum
- Pike fishing in Sweden: the other classic visitor catch
Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: Sveaskog / Mörrums Kronolaxfiske (rules, 2026 price list, press release), SVA, Havs- och vattenmyndigheten, Blekingetrafiken, svenskafiskeregler.se — full register in this topic’s source file. Season dates and prices change every year; re-check the operator’s price list before booking. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.