Fishing with an underwater drone: what works and what is allowed?

At first glance, fishing and underwater drones are a perfect match. The camera shows you drop-offs, weed beds and sunken trees, and with a bit of luck the fish themselves. Chasing has even set up its own brand just for fishing. At the same time, fishing is strictly regulated in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, and new technology at the water keeps causing arguments.

One thing up front: we have not yet fished with an underwater drone. Everything here is based on manufacturer information, legal texts, authority websites and press reports. This is an assessment, not a hands-on test, and not legal advice.

What an underwater drone can do for fishing

Finding structure. Drop-offs, rock piles, weed beds, sunken trees: this is exactly where many fish hold. With the camera of an underwater drone you see the bottom directly instead of just guessing at it. In murky water, though, that quickly hits its limits.

Watching fish. You see which species stand where and how they behave. For many people that is reward enough, even without a catch.

Watching bait. How does your lure run, is the baited spot in the right place, is the feed being taken? The camera shows you.

What manufacturers offer for fishing

Chasing has grouped its fishing devices under the CanFish brand. We reported on the AI fish detection of the CF1 and the price cut on the F1 Pro in our news article CHASING spin-off CanFish: AI tells you when the fish arrive. Important to know: these devices are not free-diving ROVs like a FIFISH or Gladius.

Prices according to the manufacturer's US shop, without guarantee, as of October 2026. We do not know euro and CHF prices. Technical data according to the manufacturer.

Fish finders and sonar. According to the manufacturer, the F1 Pro has a spherical mount that takes fish finders such as Deeper or Lucky. QYSEA's accessory range includes a "2D Image Sonar", but with no mention of fishing. A sonar is a professional tool for inspections, not a fish finder.

Bait or feed drop. For the Chasing F1, Chasing describes an add-on boat that drops feed at the push of a button in the app. We found no dedicated bait-drop accessory for Chasing's underwater drones (Gladius, Dory, M2) or for FIFISH.

Our assessment: If you mainly fish, you are usually better served by a specialised device such as the CF1 or F1 Pro: simpler, longer battery life, cheaper. If you want to film, explore and occasionally fish too, take a classic underwater drone. Underwater drones under 1,000 euros: the best models of 2026 gives an overview of price classes.

Does the drone disturb the fish?

Yes, it can happen. A scientific review of ROV fish surveys (Sward, Monk and Barrett, Frontiers in Marine Science, 2019) summarises that fish can react to ROVs: some move away, some are attracted. Artificial light demonstrably affects behaviour; one cited study found that more fish moved away from white than from red light. Speed and motor noise are also considered influencing factors.

For you that means: drive slowly, keep your distance, do not chase fish. And during the spawning season, better to stay away entirely.

The legal situation in Austria, Germany and Switzerland

This is where it gets complicated. None of the three countries has a uniform law on "underwater drone while fishing". What applies depends on the country, the canton and often the individual water. Important: this is not legal advice but an overview, as checked on 19 October 2026.

Austria

• Federal-state matter: According to oesterreich.gv.at, fisheries are a matter for the federal states in both legislation and enforcement. Each federal state has its own fisheries act.
• Permission: To fish you generally need a valid fishing card or guest fishing card, plus the permission of the holder of the fishing rights.
• Light as a lure: In Carinthia, according to oesterreich.gv.at, using artificial light sources to attract aquatic animals is prohibited. Whether the lamps of an underwater drone fall under this when they attract fish while you fish has not been clarified. If in doubt, leave them off or ask.
• Cameras and fish finders: We found no explicit rule on underwater cameras or fish locating on the authority websites.

Germany

• Federal-state matter: Inland fisheries law in Germany is a matter for the federal states.
• Two documents: Taking Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as an example: besides the fishing licence (Fischereischein) you need a fishing permit from the water manager. This private-law permit can contain its own rules.
• Light as a lure: The Bavarian Lake Constance fisheries ordinance (Bodenseefischereiverordnung) prohibits, in § 3 (5), artificial light sources that serve to attract fish.
• Fish finders: Clubs and water managers can ban fish finders on their waters. Anglers have been arguing about this for years, as a discussion on Barsch-Alarm shows, with reports of bans on lakes in Brandenburg and the Havel lakes near Potsdam. We found no official nationwide ban on underwater cameras.

Switzerland

• Cantonal matter: Taking St. Gallen as an example: the canton holds the fishing regalia and grants fishing rights by licence or lease. The government sets, among other things, catching and auxiliary devices, fishing methods and bait. Anyone fishing with prohibited aids risks, under the cantonal law, a fine of up to CHF 20,000.
• Live sonar banned: On Lake Lucerne, the fisheries commission of the neighbouring cantons banned live-sonar devices from 1 September 2023, according to SRF mainly to protect large spawning fish. According to zentralplus, the Federal Supreme Court confirmed the ban in 2025. On Lake Sarnen (Obwalden) too, only conventional fish finders have been allowed since 2023.
• Underwater cameras: Not explicitly regulated in the sources we checked.

What does that mean for you?

• Always ask first: ask the water manager, club, fishing association or the cantonal fisheries administration. Say explicitly that you want to use an underwater drone or camera.
• Read the permit: It often contains water-specific bans.
• Nature reserves: Additional rules often apply there. Ask the nature conservation authority before you use the drone.
• Drone without a rod: Even if you are not fishing at all, driving on a body of water can be subject to its own rules. A separate overview of the legal situation is planned.

Practical tips

• Keep line and cable apart. In the quick start guide for the V6, QYSEA expressly warns about fishing line getting tangled in the drone or cable. Never drive where your own or other people's lines are in the water.
• Respect other anglers. Do not drive through other people's fishing spots and keep your distance from lines and nets.
• Do not harass fish. See above: slowly, at a distance, lights used sparingly.
• Avoid getting stuck. Weed beds and sunken trees are the best fish spots, but also cable traps. What to do if it happens is in Drone stuck? Your emergency plan, step by step.

In the video

This is what a device made specifically for fishing looks like:

Frequently asked questions

Do you already fish with a camera or drone? What are the rules on your water? Tell us in the Unterwasserpilot forum (in German, English posts welcome).

Lost something important underwater that a hobby drone can no longer recover? UDRA offers professional recovery missions in Austria.

EditorKennyKenny writes about ROVs, tests and missions for Unterwasserpilot.