Covering 3,800 hectares in Regio MidWest, Ketelmeer is one of the Netherlands' very large public lakes. Species include Carp, Bream, Zander, Pike, Perch, Eel, with carp present and subject to mandatory catch-and-release under Dutch rules.
For carp anglers planning overnight sessions, night fishing at Ketelmeer is authorised: Night fishing permitted with NachtVIStoestemming.. Regarding boats: Boats and belly boats permitted. Belly boats forbidden in main navigation channel (vaargeul) of major transport waterways (e.g. Waal). Float tubes treated as small craft — stay out of commercial shipping lanes..
Ketelmeer is 202 miles from Calais. The Netherlands offers free public fishing under the VISpas system — no venue booking or day tickets required on most waters.
Night fishing is permitted at Ketelmeer with a valid NachtVIStoestemming. Night fishing permitted with NachtVIStoestemming.
Boats: Boats are permitted at Ketelmeer. Boats and belly boats permitted. Belly boats forbidden in main navigation channel (vaargeul) of major transport waterways (e.g. Waal). Float tubes treated as small craft — stay out of commercial shipping lanes.
Permits required: VISpas (~€40/year) required. NachtVIStoestemming (€17.50) required for night fishing. Derde Hengeltoestemming (€32.50) for 3rd rod where permitted. Check VISplanner app (visplanner.nl) for current water-specific rules.
VISpas (~€40/year) — required to fish most public waters in the Netherlands. Available online at sportvisserijnederland.nl.
NachtVIStoestemming (€17.50/year) — required in addition to the VISpas for night fishing. Night fishing is permitted at this venue.
Always verify rules on VISplanner.nl before your session — rules can vary by specific water.
Ketelmeer holds carp, bream, zander, pike, perch, eel. Note: carp are mandatory catch-and-release on Dutch public waters — they must be returned alive.
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All year for most species. Closed season: Pike 1 March–last Saturday May; Zander & Perch 1 April–last Saturday May; Barbel/Chub/Nase 1 April–31 May. Bait restriction: 1 April–last Saturday May (no dead fish/lures). Mandatory no-kill: Carp, Eel/Paling, Grass Carp.
All anglers fishing Dutch public waters require a VISpas (~€40/year) from Sportvisserij Nederland — buy online at sportvisserijnederland.nl before leaving the UK. For night fishing, an additional NachtVIStoestemming (€17.50/year) is required. Always check VISplanner.nl for current rules on the specific water before your session.
Ketelmeer is 202 miles from Calais — allow around 3 hours from the Hook of Holland ferry. No booking required — Dutch public waters operate on free access under the VISpas system.
Regio MidWest covers a wide range of public fishing venues accessible under the VISpas system. Use PiscaMaps to find all venues in this region.